Jaydan Robert Follington jailed for firearm offences in Tamworth court

Jaydan Robert Follington appeared via video link from custody in Tamworth Local Court when the court heard he was holding the two shortened firearms for another person when police raided the home.

The 23-year-old's Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) solicitor Courtney Edstein said although police found the guns under his bed, there was no evidence he had any plans to use them.

"There's no suggestion of Mr Follington's use, or intended use," she said.

During the police raid, officers also found three cannabis plants, about 20 centimetres tall, with a heat lamp nearby.

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Follington was arrested, and refused bail when the matter first came before the Tamworth court in July.

He was charged with two counts of possess shortened firearm; possess ammunition without holding a licence, permit, or authority; and cultivate a prohibited plant in the wake of the arrest.

The 23-year-old previously pleaded guilty to the charges, and a co-accused remains before the courts.

In court, Ms Edstein said Follington was "not assisted" by his criminal record, with the 23-year-old previously charged with robbery while armed with a machete.

She said Follington had started drinking and using drugs at a young age, was exposed to criminal activity as a child, suffered from health issues, and had been homeless for periods of his life.

Ms Edstein said Follington had been sober since he entered custody in July, and the court could find he could be safe to serve a sentence in the community.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Alix Thom said the threshold for a jail sentence, to be served in the community or by full-time custody, had been crossed by the firearm offences.

She said Follington had made an "unsophisticated attempt" to secret the firearms in a "somewhat suspicious" location.

Magistrate Roger Prowse convicted Follington and sentenced him to two-years behind bars.

He said the 23-year-old had "actively engaged" in hiding the guns, which had been altered and shortened.

"The only reason firearms are shortened is so they can be concealed more easily," Mr Prowse said.

"Not for any other sort of purposes whatsoever."

Mr Prowse said Follington's record did not entitle him to any leniency on sentencing, and a community-based punishment was not realistic.

He said he had "no degree of confidence" community safety, or Follington's rehabilitation would be improved by allowing the 23-year-old to be released from custody.

For the two possess shortened firearm offences, Follington was sentenced to two years behind bars, with a non-parole period of 14 months.

He was fined $750 for cultivating the cannabis plants, and was convicted without any further punishment for the possessing ammunition charge.

Follington will first be eligible for parole in September 2024.

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