A Sanctuary Point man who pleaded guilty to having an unregistered air rifle which he used to shoot myna birds has been fined $500 and placed on a good behaviour bond.
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Adam Lindsay Donovan, 51, pleaded guilty to possessing an unauthorised firearm and not keeping the firearm safely.
Acting on information police went to Donovan's Sanctuary Point home on July 11 and found the air rifle, a Crossman Airgun Powermaster 760 .177, under a blanket on the floor.
He allegedly told police: “It’s just an air rifle”.
Court papers said the air rifle fired ball bearing pellets and had a repeater capability.
There was also a container, capable of holding 500 pellets on a nearby table. Only 80 pellets remained.
Donovan told police he had owned the weapon for a few months, having got it from a friend who moved away from the area.
He admitted to police he used the air rifle to “shoot English Mynas out the bedroom window” and he “sort of knew you would have to have a licence”.
He told police he hadn’t kept the rifle secure, so “it was handy”.
“When I look out the window and see a myna, it’s handy,” he allegedly told police.
Police did say the area Donovan would aim at if required to shoot the birds posed minimal risk to members of the public.
Magistrate Gabriel Fleming fined Donovan $500 and placed him on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
The gun and ammunition will be destroyed.
