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A firearm that was used to control foxes and feral cats landed Canowindra man William Kevin Symons before Cowra Local Court last week. Mr Symons, 58, of Cultowa Lane was before the court charged with not keeping a firearm safely and possessing an unregistered firearm. Representing himself Symons entered guilty pleas to both offences before telling the the court the firearm was used for the control of foxes, a problem with feral cats and hares. “You realise the manner in which it was stored meant that if someone broke into your home it could fall into the hands of someone who shouldn’t have it,” magistrate Michael O’Brien told Symons before convicting him of both offences and ordering he enter into a Community Corrections Order for 12 months. “That’s basically not to re-offend. The weapons are to be forfeited,” Mr O’Brien told Symons. According to a police fact sheet presented to the court, at 6.40pm on October 24 police attended Symons property for another matter. Through an open door the police could see a rifle leaning against a fridge. Symons was not at home a the time. Police remained at the property and applied for a search warrant which was granted. At 10.30pm police executed the warrant and along with the firearm located a box of .22 bullets in a China cabinet. Checks revealed the firearm was not registered. When interviewed by police at a later date Symons declined to inform police who the owner of the rifle was but agreed he was the only occupier of the property and he had been in possession of the rifle for a number of years.

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Firearm left in home’s open door