A man who told police where they could find an illegal gun in his bedroom was sentenced to jail as a result of the admission on Monday.
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Aaron Schuberth, 28, of Anson Street has launched a severity appeal into the sentence that will be heard in the District Court.
According to police, Schuberth was in police custody on September 5, 2020, and had been interviewed about an unrelated matter at Orange Police Station when officers saw recent images of a firearm on his phone.
Schuberth had been served a firearms prohibition order on April 24, 2019 and he told the police where to find the gun, which was wrapped in a blanket.
At 10.15pm that night, police searched the house with powers granted under the firearms prohibition order.
During the search the officers found 55 .22 calibre rounds of ammunition in a chest of drawers and they found a sawn-off .22 rifle wrapped in a blanket.
On Monday, Schuberth appeared in Orange Local Court via and AVL link from jail after he pleaded guilty to acquiring a firearm and ammunition while subject to a prohibition order, and possession of a shortened firearm that was not a pistol.
Magistrate David Day took particular exception to the firearm having been shortened and said there is only one reason to possess such a weapon.
"They are to assist in the process of armed offending by either terrifying the victim or inflicting a gun shot on the victim by use of a concealable shortened firearm," Mr Day said.
"Anyone who tells me that a shortened firearm is used for hunting purposes is given a blistering critique."
Mr Day said shortening the barrel of a rifle or shotgun renders the weapon useless for killing animals or wildlife.
Mr Day said Schuberth has a lengthy record given his age and he has previously been convicted of similar unrelated offences involving firearms, as well as antisocial behaviour underpinned by drug use.
Solicitor Matthew Tedeschi submitted his defence submission to the court in writing and although these were not read aloud Mr Day said it was conceded that a custodial sentence was the only available sentence.
Mr Day acknowledged an earlier plea of guilt and his cooperation with police which each allowed for sentence discounts.
He sentenced Schuberth to 18 months in full-time jail for acquiring the firearm and he placed him on a three-year Community Correction Order requiring rehabilitation and treatment for acquiring the ammunition.
Mr Day also gave him a two-year jail sentence for possessing a shortened firearm.
The jail sentences are to start from October 1, 2021, and Schuberth was given a 12-month non-parole period meaning he may be eligible for release on September 30, 2022.
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