Bullet-firing pen pushes man behind bars for 25 months

A Palmerston North man has been sent to prison after being caught with lethal weapons, including a pen modified to shoot .22-calibre bullets.

Dean Bradley Mudgway cursed Judge Gerard Lynch while being led out of Palmerston North District Court yesterday. He was on his way to serve a 25-month prison term for unlawfully possessing weapons and methamphetamine pipes, and theft.

Mudgway, 41, pleaded guilty to the charges after a sentencing indication. He came to police attention on February 10 after stealing $15 worth of items from The Warehouse.

Police found him driving a car, and discovered considerable loot when they pulled him over.

A 12-gauge sawn-off shotgun was found in a brown bag, while a blue bag contained a pen gun with two .22-calibre bullets attached to it.

Pen guns are pens modified to shoot bullets. One of the most famous pen guns was the one used by assassin Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun.

Shotgun shells, a crossbow with five bolts, and methamphetamine pipes were also found in the car.

No charges were laid in relation to the crossbow and bolts.

Mudgway made no comment about the items in his car, but said he knew he should not have committed the theft. Police also charged him with the theft of a pair of safety glasses from The Warehouse on January 22.

The judge said Mudgway had some good references, including one saying he was a good person who hung around the wrong people. However, he had been convicted of firearms offences in the past, including damaging property with explosives and firing a gun in a public place.

The judge said people could have weapons for various purposes, but not the kind Mudgway had. ‘‘These exist for one purpose only – to kill or wound – not for sport or collecting.’’