Camron Hunter pleads guilty in Tamworth court to stealing rifles

Camron Hunter has admitted to stealing a .30 calibre and a .22 calibre rifle from a safe inside a Hillvue Road home in the early hours of the morning.

Hunter - who is also known as Wood - found keys to the safe hanging on a hook inside the home at about 2:51am on January 25.

The offender - who has been bailed to a rehabilitation program - did not appear when his matter was mentioned in Tamworth Local Court this week.

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But, his Legal Aid defence solicitor Wendy McAuliffe said pleas of guilty were to be entered to one charge of stealing property from a dwelling or house.

Hunter also stole a box of foreign and Australian currency from the South Tamworth home - which the victim had been collecting for more than 50 years.

The victim had no idea Hunter had been inside the house until the following morning when he reported the incident to police.

CCTV captured Hunter leaving the house and crossing Hillvue Road with the two firearms in a rifle bag, and the currency box.

The 27-year-old is then seen walking with the rifle bag on Central Avenue, and turning right onto Croydon Avenue.

He's then captured on CCTV walking down Robert Street and Woodward Avenue, and turning onto Petra Avenue.

The currency box was found by police dumped in a laneway between Central Avenue and David Street.

The next day, a person known to Hunter attended Tamworth Police Station and identified him as the person who stole the rifles and money from the house.

Hunter was arrested in the early hours of January 27 on Robert Street after he tried to run from police.

The guilty plea comes after months of back-and-forth between the defence and police about the specific charges.

Hunter was originally charged with one count of stealing and breaking out of the Hillvue Road house; and two charges of possessing unauthorised firearms.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Rebecca Skivington said the police would be withdrawing the original charges, and pressing ahead with just the one count of stealing property.

At the time of the theft, police were already on the hunt for the 27-year-old after he stole $265 and a mobile phone from a landscaper's ute on December 19.

Hunter - who has pleaded guilty to the larceny charge - stole the items from the man's car which was left unlocked on Belmore Street, in West Tamworth at about 2:20pm last year.

The 27-year-old then headed to The Family Hotel where he started playing the gaming machines.

The victim entered the hotel on Bridge Street shortly after, and recognised Hunter - who he had seen take the items from his ute on CCTV from a neighbouring property.

He approached Hunter and asked for his belongings back.

Hunter denied having any knowledge of the phone and cash, and ran out of the hotel.

The phone was later found on the roof of the RSL Tamworth Sub Branch on Bridge Street.

Officers were unable to locate Hunter until he was arrested for stealing the rifles.

Hunter will next appear in Tamworth court for sentencing in December for both charges.

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