Home-made pistol found during drug search

Reported on July 13, 2007

Police found a pistol made out of a 10cm tube and a spring during a drugs search at a house in Merivale.

The zip-gun was found in a tin with 88 rounds of .22 ammunition, Judge Brian Callaghan was told in the Christchurch District Court today.

Kane Michael Barker, an unemployed 20-year-old, pleaded guilty to charges of possession of cannabis, unlawful possession of a pistol and ammunition, and receiving stolen property.

The police summary said they searched Barker’s car on April 20 and found a plastic bag with four cannabis tinnies containing 2.7g of the drug – enough for 15 cigarettes. When they searched his house in Aikmans Road, they found the pen or zip-gun and ammunition. The gun was loaded with a .22 round. The ammunition had been previously stolen in a burglary.

“The gun does not have a pistol grip and has the appearance of a small piece of tube about 10cm long,” the police said.

Barker admitted to police that the cannabis, gun, and ammunition belonged to him. “He stated that he smoked cannabis to keep off crack and P, and the pistol was for protection as he had previously mixed with some rough people,” the police said.

A letter of support handed to the judge also suggested Barker had the pistol for protection, but that was disputed by defence counsel Rupert Glover.

He said the gun and ammunition had been left at the house by another person who was a familiar name at the court. “Barker was aware it was there and really had to choice but to plead to the charges. But he was not the prime mover in this.”

Judge Callaghan said it was a serious matter, sentenced Barker to 160 hours of community work, and ordered that the cannabis, pistol, and ammunition be destroyed.