A Unanderra man claims a sawn-off shotgun that was found in a motel room he was living in with his partner and two children is actually a papier-mâché toy.
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Toby Gladden, 21, is charged with possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm and possessing a prohibited weapon without permit, and was refused bail at Wollongong Local Court on Saturday.
On Friday, July 29 police were called to the Windmill Motel in Woonona after a staff member found what appeared to be a shotgun in a bathroom of one of the rooms.
Gladden, who had rented that room, was paid up until the morning of July 29.
According to documents tendered to court, Gladden left the room with his partner earlier that day and a staff member conducted an inspection of the room as Gladden's check-out time had passed.
After finding the weapon, the staff member called police.
By the time police arrived, Gladden had returned to the motel and was in the room with his partner and two children.
Police spoke with Gladden via his mobile phone and asked him to come to the front of the motel.
Gladden emerged, and police noted he was compliant and polite with police throughout their interaction.
In speaking with police, Gladden allegedly admitted to possessing the item, but said it was a replica made of rubber and papier-mâché.
In between the staff member finding the gun and police arriving, Gladden had moved the gun to his car, which police searched to find the item.
Police cautioned Gladden who admitted that he owned and possessed the item. Gladden said the gun was made 15 years ago by his father and he and his family treated it as a toy, police allege.
According to court documents, Gladden said he, his partner and the two children had recently played with the gun.
Police took Gladden to Wollongong police station and afterwards searched the motel room where they found a black taser about 15cm long.
Police tested the taser and found it to emit an electronic charge.
When interviewed at the police station, Gladden stuck to what he previously told police and when asked about the taser said he bought it online and had it shipped from overseas.
Gladden allegedly thought it was not illegal to own a taser.
Applying for bail in Wollongong Local Court on Saturday, Gladden's lawyer Cody Baxter said testing Gladden's explanation would require extensive ballistic evidence which would take some time to prepare.
"The delay in getting ballistics evidence is likely to be longer than the custodial sentence," Ms Baxter said.
Prosecutor Trent Phillips said the prosecution case was strong and that the allegations would be alarming to the community.
Registrar Little agreed that the police had a strong case and refused bail, noting that no cause had been demonstrated to show why detention would not be justified.
Gladden returns to Wollongong Local Court next week.
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