Thomas Bottom jailed for stealing rifles, pump action shotgun to buy drugs

Thomas Wayne Bottom, 28, was living at Osman Street, Blayney, during the crime spree between August and December 2018.

At 3.50am on December 4, Bottom went to the Livestock Saleyards at Carcoar, where he used to work and knew about a safe that was bolted to the floor and wall, and was secured with both a key lock and keypad lock.

Along with an unidentified co-offender, Bottom hooked a tow rope around the safe and attached it to a vehicle, which he used to pull the safe out of the building damaging the building and furniture.

Bottom then stole a .22 cailbre long rifle and a .22 calibre Magnum rife and ammunition, which were sold for $800 the next day.

Previously, between August 5 and 7, Bottom had gone to a property at Lidster, where he was a guest several years earlier.

From a gun safe in a shed he stole a 30-06 calibre rifle and telescopic sight, a Browning pump-action 12-gauge shotgun and two .223 calibre Sako rifles, one of which was valued at $5000.

He returned to the same property overnight on September 21 and stole three cloth firearm bags, two older-style telescopic sights and a small quantity of ammunition.

Then overnight on October 2, Bottom went to another address, owned by the same victim, and stole items from two cars.

Some of the items were among several pieces of stolen property police found at Bottom's home on December 19.

The third firearms theft took place overnight on October 21 when Bottom and a co-offender entered a shed at Forest Reefs and forced the locks on a safe and stole a .410 shotgun, a pump action rifle and an air rifle.

On October 23, he sold the two guns, in the firearms cases that were stolen from Lidster, for $800.

On November 27, he helped a co-accused sell a sawn-off .22 calibre rifle, 50 rounds of ammunition and a shotgun shell for $250.

The co-accused in that sale, Michael James Warrender, 51, of Frost Street, was sentenced to 18 months jail with a 13-month non-parole period in Orange Local Court for his role in the sale.

There are still four firearms that have not been recovered.

However, Bottom's counsel barrister Daniel Roff said two were destroyed in a fire, with some of Bottom's belongings and there was no evidence the guns were used to commit further crimes.

Mr Roff said Bottom also had the support of his family and had employment prospects upon his release.

On October 18, Bottom, whose his driver's licence was disqualified until December 2025, was involved a 42 kilometre police pursuit after police saw him not wearing a seat belt in Blayney.

Bottom reached 130km/h in a 70km/h zone and he drove 120km/h through 40km/h roadworks, slowing to 80km/h where road workers were on the side of the road.

According to police he veered onto the wrong side of the road on corners and police lost sight of him in the Canobolas State Forest.

Bottom was also sentenced for driving while disqualified five times, another break and enter, larceny, contravening an AVO, dealing with proceeds of crime four times, possessing ammunition, receiving stolen property and possession of stolen goods.

Bottom said he started using methamphetamine three years ago but increased his usage to help with grief following the death of his infant daughter from a medical condition.

He said his drug use also led to him losing his job and he committed the crimes to he could continue to feed his methamphetamine habit.

"I couldn't afford to get the drugs on Centrelink benefits," he said.

Judge Stephen Norrish took Bottom's grief into account when he sentenced him to nine years jail, with a four-year-and-11-month non-parole period in Orange District Court on Wednesday.

"The break and enters and stealing of firearms were quite deliberate actions," Judge Norrish said.

Although Mr Roff said the weapons weren't the worst that could be stolen Judge Norrish said they could still be fatal.

"How many times do you need to have to fire a shotgun to kill someone?" Judge Norrish asked.

He said a shot contained at least 18 pellets and named a male who died after being hit by a single shotgun pellet in the arm.

A Department of Public Prosecutions solicitor said Bottom considered stopping offending during the crime spree but he didn't stop.

"He had no knowledge of the intent of the purchaser and little care," the prosecutor said.

"His only thought was to obtain funds for his drug habit."

Bottom, was released on bail on December 20, 2018, December 19, 2018, but has been in jail since early this year when he was sentenced for another matter.

He was officially arrested for these offenses when he was in Silverwater jail on March 21, 2019.