Jailed for multiple offences

A Parmelia man has been sentenced to 12 months jail after a search warrant on his home uncovered a stash of weapons, drugs and more than $17,000 in cash.

The man appeared in Rockingham Magistrate’s Court on Monday after previously pleading guilty to 13 different charges.

These included having ready access to weapons, cash and illegal drugs, possession of prohibited drugs — namely cannabis, MDMA and methylamphetamine — and possession of a firearm, of drug paraphernalia, and of stolen or unlawfully obtained property.

He also faced charges of reckless driving while driving on a suspended licence.

The court was told on September 5, police executed a search warrant on the man’s Parmelia home, where they found his bedroom full of prohibited weapons and drugs.

In a locked box next to the bed, police found $17,100 in cash, a loaded firearm and two clip-seal bags — one containing 0.36g of meth and the other 0.2g of MDMA.

In another area of the room, 1g of cannabis was uncovered, along with scales, while 2.57g of meth was also found in the walk-in wardrobe.

In another wardrobe, police uncovered ammunition and 10 glass smoking implements. A tin with cannabis seeds inside was also found in the search.

A mobile phone belonging to the man was also seized, with text messages indicating he was selling drugs to others.

The court was also told of another incident whereby on July 31, he sped away from police after he saw them pull into a service station he was at on the Kwinana Freeway.

Police estimated he hit speeds of up to 160km/h to escape arrest.

He was also subject to a permanent licence disqualification at the time, having previously been charged with reckless driving three times.

In court, his defence lawyer attributed the offending to a difficult relationship and drug addiction issues, but said items like the cash and gun were not the accused’s, but his brother’s and friend’s.

However, the police prosecutor called for an immediate term of imprisonment for the man and said it was “clear he would do anything he could to avoid police” and that he was “putting the community at risk with his behaviour”.

Magistrate Vivien Edwards said the matters called for an immediate term of imprisonment because of their severity.

He was sentenced to 12 months jail and ordered to pay a global fine of $2000.