A Balclutha woman who lied repeatedly to obtain a gun licence was found with seven weapons and more than 600 rounds of ammunition in the back of her car, a court has heard.
Brittany Jane McKenzie Woods (25) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday for supplying false details in support of her application and possessing a prohibited firearm.
Judge Michael Turner rejected her application for a discharge without conviction, instead sentencing her to five months’ home detention.
The defendant originally sought a licence in January 2020 and was denied by police because of concerns they had over her relationship with Alexander Ian McLean (22).
McKenzie Woods immediately emailed police claiming she was not with McLean and re-emphasised that position when she spoke on the phone with head of the Southern Criminal Investigation Branch, Detective Inspector Shona Low.
She was issued a licence in August that year.
But by April 2021, police received information the couple were living together, and a search warrant was executed at the Hindon home they shared.
McKenzie Woods stressed she was not McLean’s girlfriend and there were no weapons at the property, but a search of the address proved that to be a lie.
Police found seven rifles and shotguns under a blanket in the back of the woman’s car, along with 671 rounds of ammunition of various calibre.
There was further hunting paraphernalia in a bedroom wardrobe, a rifle scope in the kitchen and 16 bullets in another room.
None of the items were appropriately stored, the court heard.
Analysis of McKenzie Woods’ phone unravelled the succession of falsehoods.
For more than a year, she and McLean had been in regular contact and the "numerous intimate photographs" they shared proved they were still an item.
She had sent the man Snapchat messages while police were scouring the property, telling him they were about to search the car.
Despite all that, there was insufficient evidence to charge the defendant with supplying her partner with firearms.
Days later, the father of McKenzie Woods’ friend, who had stored weapons on her behalf, surrendered a prohibited semi-automatic .270 rifle to police.
Yesterday she sought a discharge without conviction on the basis she would find it difficult to find employment, travel overseas and would face barriers to attain loans or insurance.
All were "generic" consequences, Judge Turner said.
McKenzie Woods said she wanted to be an early-childhood teacher or a midwife, but there was no evidence she had started training.
"She’s a woman who’s made some serious mistakes in the context of relationship with Mr McLean. At times she’s felt manipulated. That’s not to say she’s placing all the blame in his court," her counsel Deborah Henderson said.
The judge expressed concern McKenzie Woods had repeatedly contradicted her version of events in an affidavit and in various interviews.
"In my view this offending was serious. It was deliberate and calculated offending to deceive the police to obtain a firearms licence," he said.
"You show no insight or remorse into your behaviour."
As well as the home detention, McKenzie Woods was also sentenced to 150 hours’ community work.
The court heard she had "entirely disassociated" from her ex-partner and had a protection order against him.
McLean pleaded guilty to 14 poaching, dishonesty and driving charges and in September last year was jailed for three years three months.
