An allegedly stolen firearm was found under the bed of a man facing charges over an estimated $20,000 firearm theft, a Supreme Court jury heard on Monday.
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Tyler Aaron Forbes, 30, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary, burglary, stealing and stealing firearms at Nabowla on April 6, 2021.
Farm owner Craig Groves gave evidence that he recognised the Adler single barrel shotgun recovered from the place where Mr Forbes was staying as belonging to him because it had been altered to accommodate him as a left hander.
Mr Groves said he arrived home to find a gun safe in a shed and another in his office opened and nine firearms and other goods including a camouflage jacket, binoculars, 400 rounds of ammunition, gunscopes, spotlight and a plastic tub of coins was missing.
Under examination by crown prosecutor Matt Hills, Mr Groves told of a motor vehicle swap at a friend's garage in the weeks before the alleged burglary.
He said he packed up tools and ammunition from his Ford Courier into a bag and put it in the Nissan Navara he purchased.
"Did you know anybody who was there?" Mr Hills asked. "Yes," Mr Groves said.
"Do you know any names?" he asked. "Tyler Forbes," Mr Groves said.
"Where was he?" Mr Hills asked. "Standing not far from the vehicle," Mr Groves said.
Under cross examination by defence counsel Beri Kurdistan, Mr Groves said he changed the straight pull lever from the right-hand side of the Adler shotgun weapon to the left-hand side.
He told Ms Kurdistan that the last two digits of the shotgun's serial number matched his registration papers.
Mr Groves agreed that Mr Forbes worked at the garage as a mechanic, but said he had not worked on his vehicle.
An agreed fact in the trial was that police searched Mr Forbes' bedroom in August 2021 and found the loaded shotgun in a bag, some shells, a Bushenell scope and a camouflage jacket.
Forensic scientist Rebecca Wilson gave evidence that DNA linking Mr Forbes to the weapon was found on the stock, trigger and the barrel of the shotgun.
"It is 100 billion times more likely that Tyler Forbes is a contributor than an unknown individual," Ms Wilson said.
A high-grade DNA match to Mr Forbes was also found on the handle of a shovel that the Crown believes was used to jemmy open the shed door at Mr Groves' property.
DNA also linked Mr Forbes to the handle of a large hammer.
Forensic scientist Claire Fulton said paint found on the blade of the shovel matched paint flakes from the shed door.
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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.
