Soldier admits giving gun to Napier gunman

The future of a long-serving territorial army corporal is uncertain after he yesterday admitted in court that he supplied Napier gunman Jan Molenaar with a shotgun.

Kevin Rollinson, 50, pleaded guilty to the charge in Napier District Court yesterday but has applied for a discharge without conviction, the Dominion Post reported.

He was stood down from the army after the charge was laid in October last year.

Rollinson joined the Territorials in 1987 and became a corporal in 2006. He was deployed to East Timor in 2002 and the Solomon Islands in 2008.

Molenaar was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when police entered his Chaucer Rd home on May 9, two days after he shot dead Senior Constable Len Snee and wounded two other officers and a civilian after a routine drugs search warrant of his house.

Police found numerous weapons in his house, many of which could not be traced.

Speaking outside court, Rollinson said he had known Molenaar for 20 years and trusted him.

"Some years ago I made a very stupid choice to give Jan Molenaar one of my shotguns without checking if he had a firearms licence."

He said he wanted to continue with the army but his future was now "very much up in the air".

Police have opposed the application for discharge and their submission will be heard on May 14.

- NZPA