By MICHELLE HERBISON
A STRING of drugs, weapons and driving offences has landed a 27-year-old Thomson father in jail for seven months.
David Jones, of Tate St, pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to 16 charges including cultivating cannabis and possessing cannabis, cartridge ammunition and a firearm as a prohibited person.
Police Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Jacki Davis told the court police conducted search warrants on Jones’ property on 13 May 2013 and 23 November 2012.
During the May search police found about 3kg of cannabis drying in Jones’ laundry and growing in his sunroom.
“Police allege the cannabis in the laundry was being dried out for use,” Snr Const Davis said.
The home also contained a samurai sword, a flick-knife, 50 shotgun shells in a toolbox and nine 10ml containers of testosterone liquid in a fridge.
During the November search police found an unregistered .44 caliber lever-action rifle, ammunition, three small fireworks, cannabis growth chemicals and nine plants in the garden, the court heard.
Objects on the property believed to be stolen included a Mikita hammer drill, a Topcon laser level, two British World War I medals and two World War I victory medals.
Police also caught Jones driving unlicensed in an unregistered vehicle with false number plates on 21 October, Snr Const Davis said.
Jones’ lawyer said the cannabis was for “purely personal” use to curb his client’s ice addiction.
“He grew that larger number to ensure he had a sufficient quantity. If he smokes some cannabis, it assists him in not taking some ice.
“He will have to find a more appropriate and legal way to resolve those issues.”
Jones’ lawyer argued his client’s “less sinister” reason for possessing the prohibited weapons was because “he just likes collecting these things”.
Jones stored the firearm and a machete out of his two-year-old daughter’s reach, his lawyer told the court.
Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen said Jones’ sentence was a third lower than otherwise due to a technicality with one charge.
He said Jones pleaded guilty at the earliest possible stage despite Snr Const Davis arguing she had “extensive personal involvement in trying to resolve” a guilty plea.
