Police intercepted the former licensee of the Jailhouse Grill leaving the hotel with a 12-gauge shotgun and two shotgun shells in the hours after a family violence incident, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
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Joshua James Hammersley, 40, of Sidmouth pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm when not the holder of a firearms licence, possession of ammunition when not the holder of a firearm licence, handling a firearm whilst under the influence of alcohol or other drug, breaching a restraint order and three counts of breaching a family violence order on July 10, 2021.
Police prosecutor Katarina Gauden said that Hammersley and his partner of three years were at their Sidmouth home when an argument broke out about her past and he became obsessive and jealous.
"She pushed the defendant a few times before hitting him in the back," Ms Gauden said.
"About 5.30pm the defendant left."
"The defendant called the complainant on her phone and verbally abused her calling her a c---," Ms Gauden said. The abuse comprised the charge of breaching a family violence order.
Later he arrived back and when the complainant walked out of the house he called her a c--- again and threw a removals trolley at her and then pushed her into a window. He pleaded guilty to common assault.
Shortly after she fell about 60cm from a deck and landed on concrete.
"He drove away from the property observed by a witness who was with the complainant," Ms Gauden said.
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He drove towards the Batman Bridge and was seen on the East Tamar Highway by police and his vehicle followed to the Jailhouse Grill.
"The defendant left the Jailhouse Grill with a firearm in his tracksuit pants," she said.
When police approached he surrendered a single barrel 12 gauge shotgun and two 12 gauge shotgun shells.
She said Hammersley smelt of alcohol and he was informed that police were investigating a breach of a restraint order.
Hammersley told police that he had found the weapon under the floorboards at the Jailhouse Grill two and half years ago.
"He said he did not know who it belonged to and that he intended to throw it from the Batman Bridge," Ms Gauden said.
He told police there was still ammunition under the floor at the Jailhouse Grill.
Police searched the hotel and found a large amount of ammunition and numerous spent cartridges.
Ms Gauden said an interim family violence order was imposed on July 15, 2022
She said that on July 21 the complainant went to the Elphin Sports Centre to play a regular game of basketball. She left a monitoring device related to the family violence order in her car.
Hammersley was at Sporties Hotel between 7.14pm and 9.20pm before driving towards the Elphin Sports Centre.
Ms Gauden said family violence monitors in Hobart became aware that Hammersley was in the vicinity of the complainant and called police.
The complainant found a yellow envelope containing a letter under her windscreen at 9.56pm.
He was arrested the next day and told police in an interview that he pulled into the Elphin Sports Centre when two kayaks he was carrying had worked loose.
He said he pulled in there because the centre had good lighting.
He told police that he noticed the complainant's vehicle but denied knowing she was at the Elphin Sports Stadium.
He said he had a letter in the car that he decided to leave.
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The court also heard that in January of the same year Hammersley hit the complainant with a fist to the mouth during an argument at Sidmouth. She pushed him to the stomach genital area trying to escape.
A family violence order dated July 2 required that he surrender all firearms.
Defence counsel Patrick O' Halloran said Hammersely had made significant lifestyle changes since the charges were laid.
He asked that an extensive pre-sentence report be done.
Magistrate Sharon Cure adjourned the case for sentence on March 14, 2023.
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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.
