Two men jointly accused of stealing about $10,000 worth of firearms and ammunition from home in Longford manhandled a gun safe out of a house and onto the back of a utility in broad daylight, the Supreme Court in Launceston heard.
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Lane Michael Dwyer, 32, of Newnham and Zachary Allan Parker, 29, of Prospect Vale, pleaded guilty to a count of unlawful trafficking of firearms, aggravated burglary and stealing firearms on February 20, 2020.
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The firearms worth $10,000 were allegedly stolen from Richard and Zachary Fulton.
The pair also stole a mountain bike worth about $5799 from Liam Zoccolan.
The court heard that Dwyer was on bail in relation to a string of burglary and stealing charges across Northern Tasmania when the Longford thefts occurred.
Crown prosecutor Virginia Jones said Dwyer had worked with Mr Fulton in the past and knew he had firearms after joining him on a camping trip.
The pair drove to Brumby Street, Longford where Dwyer entered the house after ascertaining it was Mr Fulton's home by checking a letter in a letterbox.
Dwyer stole a jacket and an iPhone and beckoned Parker inside.
Dwyer and Parker, who the court heard had a medical condition and was not suitable for physical labour, moved the gun safe containing 14 firearms and then drove to Bishopsbourne and disposed of the safe before driving with the firearms to Hadspen, Prospect and then to Newnham.
The men disposed of a Smith and Wesson .22 semi-automatic pistol, BSA bolt action .243 rifle, a Lanber 12 gauge shotgun, a Brno.270 rifle and a Webley and Scott 12 gauge shotgun to another person when they were not the registered owners.
Parker was charged a day later after being identified from CCTV footage in the Longford home.
He helped police recover the mountain bike, ammunition and a firearm.
Dwyer told police he had stolen the weapons because "everyone wants guns" and that he was supporting a drug habit.
He had $1380 cash from the sale of guns when arrested.
Ms Jones said 10 of the 14 guns had eventually been recovered.
Defence counsel Fran McCracken said Parker did not know the Fultons and believed the pair were just going for a drive.
But she said he kept a firearm for insurance thinking that it may prevent anyone from naming him.
"Mr Parker would never have offended in this way if not led to it by Mr Dwyer," she said.
Dwyer's defence counsel Lucy Flanagan said he had developed a methylamphetamine habit after meeting a woman on the social networking and dating application Tinder.
She told Justice Robert Pearce that in May, 2020, Dwyer received a 12-month jail term with six months wholly suspended for last year's $92,000 crime spree.
She submitted that Dwyer would be suitable for a Drug Treatment Order and would have plenty of incentive with a suspended jail term of perhaps two years and six months hanging over his head.
Justice Pearce said he wanted to consider whether Dwyer was suitable for a DTO and remanded him in custody for sentence on July 3 at 10am.
He said he wanted a report to advise whether Parker was suitable for a Home Detention Order and released him on bail for sentence on August 12 at 4.15pm.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
