AN ARARAT man has avoided conviction after he faced the Ararat Magistrates' Court on Friday on multiple weapons and drug charges.
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The man, 26, pleaded guilty to possessing 0.5 grams of methamphetamine and possessing prohibited weapons - a knuckle duster and home-made nun-chucks. He also pleaded guilty to possessing an unregulated handgun, attempting to possess an unregulated handgun, possessing ammunition, and failing to appear at court in February 2019.
Police executed a firearms search at the man's property on May 10, 2018 where they found and seized the items distributed around the house. He was arrested.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Matt Haughton said the man had made full admissions to police.
The court heard the man had attempted to make his own handgun using a silver torch.
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Sergeant Haughton said the man had also purchased parts from an overseas website to help assemble a handgun.
The man told police it "didn't occur to him" the nun-chucks would need a weapons exemption. He told them he bought the knuckle duster from a friend.
Defence lawyer Sharon Leffler said her client used methamphetamine to cope with "emotional dysregulation" - but that he knew it was a problem.
She said he had "no intention" of using the home-made handgun.
Magistrate Letizia Torres said the charges were serious but she would give the man the "benefit of the doubt" due to his age and lack of prior convictions.
"This is a very serious firearms offence," she said. "He doesn't have any priors and he is 26, so I'll take that into consideration - otherwise he'd be looking at prison."
She sentenced the man to 100 hours of unpaid community work and treatment for drug addiction.
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