Firearms Charges: Man Convicted for Possession of Stolen Rifles

A 21-year-old man, Max Louis Hartley, has been convicted of possessing two stolen rifles and ammunition without a licence. The rifles were found in Hartley's Lavington residence, and he had tried to avoid leaving fingerprints behind by wearing gloves. Hartley had claimed that the rifles were given to him by a "mate" who had asked him to hold onto them, but the magistrate, Sally McLaughlin, was not convinced. The court heard that Hartley had been receiving treatment for his suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and had demonstrated remorse for his actions.

Key Takeaways:

Max Louis Hartley, 21, was convicted of two charges of possession of an unauthorised firearm and one charge of possession of ammunition without a licence, permit, or authorisation.
The stolen rifles, a Tikka LSA-55 centrefire rifle and a Miroku lever-action rimfire .22 calibre rifle, were found in Hartley's Lavington residence six days after they were stolen.
Hartley had used gloves to avoid leaving his fingerprints on the rifles and had tried to conceal the ammunition by wrapping it in a blue tea towel and placing it underneath a mattress.
Hartley had claimed that he was holding the rifles for a friend, but the magistrate was not convinced and noted that the possession of any firearm is a serious matter.
The court heard that Hartley had been receiving treatment for his ADHD and had demonstrated remorse for his actions.
Hartley was placed on a nine-month community corrections order, under which he must complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

Statistics:

Two rifles were stolen from a property at Killara and were found in Hartley's residence six days later.
The rifles were in non-working condition, as noted by the magistrate.
Hartley was 21 years old at the time of his conviction.
80 hours of unpaid work are required as part of Hartley's community corrections order.

Sources:

Albury Court
A "mate" who had asked Hartley to hold onto the rifles