A young man has been warned to resist corrupting influences in prison after being given a mandatory 12 months in custody for possessing a home-made handgun in public.
Jake Warren Shepherd, 21, pleaded guilty on Thursday in Brisbane Supreme Court to 10 offences including trafficking in methamphetamine, carrying knives in public and aggravated possession of a weapon.
Crown prosecutor Arielle Spiteri said police intercepted Shepherd in August 2022 and found three bullets, $1000 in cash, scales, 3.5g of methamphetamine and an opioid tablet in his car.
"He was also found in possession of an unloaded, home-made, single-shot zip gun in a public place and that's the circumstance of aggravation," Ms Spiteri said.
Ms Spiteri said Shepherd had used the notes application on his smartphone to record how he had made about $30,000 by selling a total of 88g of meth over two months.
Justice Melanie Hindman said she would otherwise sentence Shepherd to probation or parole but he must spend a mandatory 12 months in custody due to the aggravated firearms charge.
"Courts don't like to send youthful offenders to jail as it can often be a very corrupting influence and you have been corruptible in the past and nobody wants that to happen again," Justice Hindman said.
Police analysis of Shepherd's phone showed he had unlawfully fired a gun in a forest area that was considered a public place.
Shepherd had also attempted to swap his rifle for a shotgun as he could not find the obscure type of ammunition the firearm required.
Shepherd's defence barrister said his client was aged just 19 and making poor decisions due to his significant meth use at the time of offending.
"It was a period when he was a foolish young man and acting way outside how he is when he is not using drugs," the barrister said.
Shepherd was sentenced to three years imprisonment to be released on parole after serving 11 months in custody with credit for 32 days on remand.
Justice Hindman told Shepherd "don't let this derail you" as he was taken into custody.
