A CATTLE property manager has been refused bail on seven gun and weapon-related charges after police uncovered a rifle, firearm parts and ammunition near Gunnedah.
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Allan Samuel Joan Moran appeared in the dock of Tamworth Local Court on Wednesday afternoon in a blue work shirt, jeans and boots after his arrest in Kelvin on Tuesday.
Oxley police served a firearms prohibition order on the 48-year-old, which triggered a massive search of a Kelvin Rd property.
A firearms detection dog from Sydney backed up by close to 20 police who searched the 2,500 acre farm on Tuesday.
According to charge documents, Moran is accused of possessing a .22 bolt-action rifle that is both prohibited and shortened.
He’s also accused of possessing several rounds of ammunition, a slingshot and a .22 long rifle at Kelvin on Tuesday, and not keeping them safely.
A police prosecutor did not oppose bail, but Magistrate Roger Prowse questioned the determination and pointed to a recent firearms matter on his criminal record.
Mr Prowse said “contrary to the Crown's view” the “court finds you're an unacceptable risk of endangering the safety of the community” and “committing further serious offences”.
“It's a very strong Crown case,” he said in relation to the firearm which he said included a “prohibited weapon”.
“Police went to and discovered these things when they went out to serve a firearms prohibition order and a weapons prohibition order.”
Police went to and discovered these things when they went out to serve a firearms prohibition order and a weapons prohibition order.
- Magistrate Roger Prowse
He said the court orders weren’t granted lightly and carried “serious penalties”.
“The likelihood of further offending … is substantial,” Mr Prowse said.
“Consequently, bail is refused.”
Moran’s solicitor Tammy White said she needed a brief adjournment “to make representations to police”
"In relation to two of the charges ... whether or not those charges should remain or be withdrawn,” she told the court.
Ms White said Moran had been living at the Kelvin Rd property for several years and was the manager, running 230 head of cattle without any assistance.
“His employer is currently in hospital undergoing a procedure,” she said, adding he was the only employee on the property to tend to the animals.
In the bid for bail, Ms White said Moran had no fail to appears and could report to police on a regular basis.
“It appears from the facts that he was cooperative with police when they attended [on Tuesday],” she said.
She said he was “no risk to the community” because the “firearms that were found on the property” were “purely used for destruction of vermin”, but conceded he didn’t think about the “possibility of someone relieving him of those firearms”.
It isn’t the situation that he was out in public using them in a public arena.
- Solicitor Tammy White
“It isn’t the situation that he was out in public using them in a public arena,” she said.
Moran will remain behind bars until early-June.