It appears so in the case of a 58-year-old Illawarra man responsible for a two-hour siege at Wombarra after he pulled a replica gun on police who had turned up to evict him from a property he'd been camping on illegally for almost a decade.

Martin Goose told a district court sitting at Sutherland on Wednesday that he had been living out of his car on the 2.7-hectare Denmark Street property for nine years without paying rent, but admitted he still enjoyed a few creature comforts, such as running water and television.

However, he said earlier this year the property's owner asked him to leave.

On the day of the incident, in August, Goose said he had returned to the property for personal belongings when police and the owner arrived to evict him.

When first asked to leave, Goose appeared compliant and began to assemble his belongings.

However his demeanour changed and he became aggressive, yelling out to police, who were standing "about a cricket pitch away" from where he was, Goose told the court on Wednesday.

Police said Goose seemed to be holding something behind his back, before he revealed what appeared to be a pump action rifle, which he held across his chest and then to his chin.

The actions caused police to draw their guns and retreat.

They were joined at the property by further general duties officers and tactical assault police who established a perimeter around the property.

About 5.30pm, the police helicopter found Goose next to his Mitsubishi van with his hands up.

He surrendered and it was revealed the weapon was a fake gun.

Goose initially told presiding Judge Paul Conlon that he was angry so many police resources had been used in the incident, but eventually conceded officers were not to know the gun wasn't real.

"I've really made a goose of myself now," he said.

Goose was first given two years' jail with a non-parole period of nine months, then reduced by appeal to 18 months, with a non-parole period of four months.