KEY POINTS:
Famous historic weaponry was among firearms stolen during shipment to a Christchurch gun dealer last month, the city's District Court was told yesterday.
Kieran Allan Griffin, 18, a storeman, admitted theft by failing to account for the package in transit.
He was sentenced to 250 hours of community work.
The guns included a 9mm Luger model P08, an LMG 30.6 calibre BAR 1918 automatic rifle, and a 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun, as well as a 7.65mm Unique Court 9 pistol. The weapons were worth $8000.
The court was told Griffin was driving a forklift at a depot where the package was unloaded to allow access to other goods, and he and his friend noticed it was not on the manifest.
It was set aside outside the depot's roller-door and picked up later.
The theft was discovered and the guns were recovered.
- NZPA
