A South Launceston man illegally brought Tasers into Australia so that he could film himself and a friend tasering each other, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
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Simon James Alexander Probert, 32, pleaded guilty to charges brought by the Australian Government Solicitor of unlawful importation and a count of intentionally make or cause to be made a statement to an officer reckless as to the fact that the statement is false or misleading in a material particular.
Prosecutor Susannah Madden said Probert landed at Tullamarine on a Thai Airways flight on June 2, 2016.
She said he filled out an incoming passenger card which asked for a declaration about certain goods including sharp objects. He said he may have had scissors.
However, an X-ray of his bag indicated other items and a search found two slingshots, a trench knife and two Tasers.
He told officials he considered them to be toys not weapons and would use the slingshots on rabbits.
The court heard that maximum penalties for the charges were up to $210,000 for importing the goods and $52,500 for the false statement.
She said he told officials that he wanted to film himself being tasered.
Defence counsel Fran McCracken said that Probert bought the items as a souvenir of his holiday.
"He and his housemate wanted to film each other being foolish but it was nothing more serious than that.
"He accepts a level of recklessness about declaring the items and concedes he ought to have declared the trench knife."
The court heard that a summons was issued for Probert to appear in a Victorian court but he did not appear.
"Mr Probert thought the talk down he received at the Airport was the end of the matter and he has no memory of a summons to appear," Ms McCracken said.
"The Australian Government Solicitor made the decision to prosecute within the five year period in 2021."
The prosecution sought that costs be awarded against Probert because of significant costs of serving him a summons.
Magistrate Simon Brown said he could not recall in his professional experience costs ever being awarded against a complainant.
He adjourned the case for sentence on February 15 at 2.15pm.
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