A patched Greasy Dogs Motorcycle gang member has been jailed for two years two months for cannabis dealing and firearm offences, including possession of sawn-off .22 rifle.
Shane Timothy Hedges, 22, was sentenced in Tauranga District Court yesterday, after he earlier admitted a raft of charges, including two charges each of possession of cannabis and sale of cannabis to persons aged over 18 years.
Hedges also earlier pleaded guilty to one charge each of possession of cannabis seeds, possession of cannabis for supply, receiving, unlawful possession of firearm and possession of ammunition.
The charges stem from a police search of Hedges home in August during which they found a total of 59 grams of cannabis, 308 cannabis seeds, a cut-down .22 calibre rifle, a box of 15 rounds of ammunition and magnet loaded with another five rounds.
The sawn-off rifle firearm was found inside a bag found in the lounge.
Police also found scales and ticklist of customers names and the amounts they owed.
Hedges told police he had been selling and supplying cannabis to known associates to help support his family, after he had to live on ACC after a work injury, and had the firearm for protection.
He admitted to buying cannabis on ounce lots then breaking that down into tinnies.
Hedges pleaded with Judge Paul Geoghegan to step back from a prison sentence, given he was first time offender who had made a “grave error of judgement”, and he would work hard to try and make amends to the community he had harmed.
But Judge Geoghegan said the Court of Appeal made it clear the possession of firearm when combined with drug dealing must be treated as a “serious aggravating feature” and Hedges offending was too serious to warrant any other type of sanction.
Jail for cannabis dealer and firearm offender
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