Drugs, gun and ammo a lethal mix

The combination of cannabis, a firearm and ammunition found at a Hampden address during a police search warrant posed a "significant risk in the event of a targeted burglary", Judge Joanna Maze said in the Oamaru District Court yesterday.

Luke James Lambert, 34, unemployed, of Hillgrove, was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to charges of cultivation of a prohibited plant, namely cannabis, and possession of a .22 calibre rifle without a licence.

Judge Maze convicted and sentenced Lambert to 90 hours' community work on both charges, to be served concurrently.

About 2.30pm on November 30, 2012, police executed a search warrant at Lambert's home, south of Hampden.

When police arrived, Lambert attempted to hide a .22 rifle that he had in his possession.

When police found the rifle, they also came across a small hole, dug into the ground nearby, which contained 351 rounds of ammunition.

Lambert claimed he found the rifle in the roof of the house when he moved in.

Further searches of his house revealed at least two bedrooms had been turned into cannabis-growing rooms.

Many other items used for cannabis cultivation were also spread throughout the the house.

"You were found with a total of five cannabis plants in two, of what appears to be three, rooms in you house," Judge Maze said.

"Also found was paraphernalia for the cultivation of cannabis."

While the cultivation of the prohibited plant appeared to only be for personal use, his offending was pre-meditated, Judge Maze said.

"When police arrived, you tried to hide the .22 calibre rifle," she said.

"They then found ammunition suitable to the rifle."

She said the amount of ammunition found in the hole in the ground was relatively bulky.

"The combination of a firearm, ammunition and cannabis is a concern," she said.

"The recipe is one for significant risk in the event of a targeted burglary."

Judge Maze said Lambert had acknowledged he had a drug problem.