Jail time in weapons case

AN EDMONTON man has been sentenced to jail after police found an abundance of drugs and weapons at his house while he was on probation for previous offences.

Shane Charles Spiteri, 41, was sentenced in Cairns Supreme Court on Thursday to a maximum of 30 months after pleading guilty to 17 drugs and weapons-related charges.

The court heard Spiteri, who appeared via videolink, was “caught red-handed” when police conducted a search of his house and found large quantities of the drugs ice, cocaine and cannabis.

Police also found an air rifle, knives, taser and various drug implements. When interviewed by police, Spiteri said the weapons were not his and he found them at a caravan park.

In sentencing, Justice Jim Henry said Spiteri was “always going to be convicted with what you were caught redhanded with” and that there was a “partial commercial purpose” to the drugs.

“The sheer collection of weaponry, even though none of them was much use, shows a concerning interest in weapons,” Justice Henry said.

Defence barrister Rochelle Logan had argued for leniency because of his marriage breakdown and that he had engaged psychiatric help to address his drug habit.

Crown prosecutor Eddie Cocker said that Spiteri being on probation at the time of the offending was an aggravating feature and asked for a jail term of two to three years.

Spiteri was convicted of four counts of prohibited drug possession, eight counts of unlawful possessions of weapons and weapon parts, four counts of drug paraphernalia possession and one count of possessing $600 from the proceeds of crime. With a nonparole period of 6½ months and having already served 76 days in custody, he will be eligible for release in January.