Warrnambool man allegedly caught with sawn-off shot gun refused bail

Harrison Mills, 28, of no fixed address, unsuccessfully applied for bail in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday and was remanded in custody until December 19.

He is already on a community corrections order and facing a number of new briefs of evidence on that date.

Police said that in the early hours on Monday they intercepted a vehicle in Warrnambool's Wanstead Street.

Mr Mills is alleged to have got out of the driver's seat and dropped a set of knuckle dusters on the ground.

A search of the vehicle uncovered a hatchet and knife in the boot and an operable firearm under the passenger seat wrapped in a jumper.

The firearm is classified as a handgun because it had been modified but was described as a sawn-off shotgun.

Police alleged that in a backpack there was another hatchet, a deal bag of methamphetamine and 68 rounds of ammunition to fit the sawn-off shotgun.

There were also two extendable batons.

Mr Mills was arrested, interviewed and charged with a range of offences involving weapons and drugs and breaching his bail.

The court was told Mr Mills had successfully applied for bail on November 17 after police executed a warrant at a west Warrnambool address and found zip lock bags containing a total of one gram of methamphetamine, .22 calibre ammunition, 1.5g of heroin, MDMA, methadone, 200ml of GHB, $600 cash and a gel blaster.

There was also a notebook police alleged was a drug tick list and digital scales.

Mr Mills was previously granted bail because he was seen as a risk to just himself, but police alleged that situation changed due to the weapons he was found with on Monday morning.

He was also placed on a corrections order on September 26 for possessing methamphetamine and another drug as well as possessing a prohibited weapon and ammunition and dealing with property suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

On April 30 last year he was placed on an 18-month CCO for unlawful assault, making a threat to kill and other charges.

In 2014 was charged with assault with a weapon and placed on a 12-month CCO.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Fitzgerald said the nature of the new allegations raised issues about community safety.

Mr Mills said his grandmother had just passed away, he had just got a new job and he had mental health issues.

Magistrate Franz Holzer said it appeared Mr Mills had not made the changes hoped for when he was last released on bail.

"You have really cruelled your prospects. It appears a strong case, the offences pose a community risk and there are safety concerns," he said.

"You have a lot of work to do on your drug issues and appear to be suffering withdrawals from methamphetamine, which is why you keep offending."

The magistrate found there were no conditions which could reduce Mr Mills' chances of reoffending.

"You have put yourself and the community at risk while using drugs," Mr Holzer told Mr Mills.

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