Former Junee man Steven King sentenced over semi-automatic rifle, fireworks and drug supply charges

Steven King, 32, was sentenced in the Wagga Local Court on Wednesday after police caught him running a drug premises out of his Junee home last year.

About 12.45pm on May 10, 2022, police located fireworks, drugs and firearms during a search of his home.

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During a search of King's bedroom, police found a number of items under his bed including a .22 calibre self-loading rifle with an empty magazine attached capable of holding over five rounds of ammunition.

Also under the bed was a red canvas bag containing assortment of fireworks and a gel blaster imitation police-style Glock handgun in a black box with gel pellets.

During the search, police also located 15 grams of cannabis and 1.7 grams methamphetamine unlicensed ammunition.

At the time King told police he had been renting the house for three years and there were two others living at the premises.

He admitted there was methamphetamine and cannabis in his bedroom.

King was arrested and charged with a series of offences including two counts of prohibited drug supply relating to supplying 270 grams of cannabis leaf and seven grams of methamphetamine in April and May 2022 at Junee.

He was also charged for dealing with the proceeds of crime, possessing ammunition without a licence/permit/authority, possess an unauthorised pistol, possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm, failing to keep a firearm safely and handling explosive/precursor without authorisation.

King later admitted to police that he supplied cannabis leaf for the three weeks prior to his arrest and also admitted that he had supplied methamphetamine.

He told police he had been paid about $2000 from selling methamphetamine and said he had about $1500 in his bank account, earning "pretty much all of it" from selling cannabis.

In relation to the semi-automatic rifle, King admitted his housemates brought a black suit bag to the house.

He said on looking inside the bag he found the rifle, so he wrapped it and placed it under his bed and asked one of the housemates to remove the gun that night.

As to the fireworks, King said they belonged to a housemate.

On Wednesday, the court heard King didn't realise the imitation Glock gel blaster was illegal and magistrate Halburd noted while they are legal in Queensland, "we're not in Queensland."

"I recently had the opportunity to compare at close hand imitation Glocks with real ones and you can't tell the difference," the magistrate said.

"When they are pointed at you, it's cold consolation to think it's not going to hurt."

Magistrate Halburd also stressed the severity of the drug supply charges saying methamphetamine dealers are "pumping poison into the community."

But he also noted King was "incredibly cooperative" with police and "told them exactly what he was doing."

A reference from a relative argued King had changed for the better since his release and said there were exceptionally good prospects for his rehabilitation.

King was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order, ordered to abstain from drugs and alcohol, fined $1000 and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

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