Granddad blasted by magistrate for ‘deterrent’ bedroom weapon
A MAGISTRATE has told a grandfather with an unrestrained gun in his bedroom he did not live in America.
Lindsey William Sargent pleaded guilty in the Townsville Magistrates Court to one count of insecure storage of weapons.
Police prosecutor Cody Rowe told the court on April 1 this year police attended Sargent’s Townsville residence on unrelated matters.
Mr Rowe said Sargent had a rifle, a centrefire rifle and a shotgun registered to him and police questioned the whereabouts of the guns.
“Police accessed the gun safe and located the air rifle and the centrefire rifle,” he said.
“Police spoke with the defendant and said the final weapon was located in a bedroom cupboard.”
The cupboard was unlocked and open, the court heard.
Mr Rowe said Sargent originally told police he was cleaning the weapon but later confessed he kept the gun in the bedroom to use against intruders. Defence solicitor for Sargent Helen Armitage told the court her client did not feel safe in his own home after an attempted break-in.
“It is not a case where he has been blatantly disrespectful to the rules.
“He has had a moment of fear and wanted the gun closer to where he was sleeping,” she said.
“He is a family man with a daughter and granddaughter.”
Acting Magistrate P. R. Smid rebutted Ms Armitage.
“If we all did that, we would be back in America,” he said.
Ms Armitage told Mr Smid the gun was not loaded and the gun “was more just to show that he had that just as a warning”.
Sargent was fined $300. Convictions were not corded. re