A Tasmanian man who built a rudimentary pipe gun to protect himself from “unspecified threats” has been sentenced to nine months in prison, with most of the term suspended.
Zachery James McDonald, 33, pleaded guilty to dealing in a firearm without a licence after police found the homemade weapon during a search of his campervan on March 28.
The Supreme Court heard that ballistics testing later confirmed the pipe gun was not capable of being fired.
Police also found an imitation pistol, shotgun cartridges, other ammunition, a cannabis plant and drug paraphernalia during the search.
Justice Michael Brett said McDonald’s claim that he built the weapon for self-protection did not excuse his actions.
“On the contrary, such a claim makes it clear that your intention was to use the weapon if you thought you had to and this is clearly problematic and contrary to the expectations of the community,” he said.
The judge stressed the seriousness of possessing illegal firearms, regardless of their design or capability.
“Illegal firearms cause considerable trouble in the community,” Justice Brett said. “They are dangerous and facilitate crime and anti-social conduct.”
The court was told McDonald has a long criminal history, including multiple firearms and drug offences and has served prison time on several occasions.
It also heard he suffers from long-term mental health issues linked to his ongoing offending.
A pre-sentence report suggested he would benefit from close community supervision.
Justice Brett backdated McDonald’s nine-month sentence to June 28 and suspended the remaining term for 18 months.
He had already spent about four months in custody since his arrest.
The judge ordered the firearms and other seized items be forfeited to the state, describing their value as “negligible”.
