Firearms licence revoked for Whanganui forestry worker with large calibre hunting rifle

Going for a hunt was one of the perks of working in forestry for Potaka said his lawyer Anna Brosnahan. Photo / Bevan Conley

A forestry worker has had his firearms licence revoked for unlawfully possessing a restricted weapon and not notifying police of a change of his address.

On December 22, Ross Corey Paihau Potaka was found to be in possession of an aftermarket magazine for a Ruger rifle, 212 rounds of ammunition and a large calibre hunting rifle.

Potaka appeared in Whanganui District Court on Tuesday and his lawyer Anna Brosnahan said that the firearm had been left out because her client intended to go hunting.

"Mr Potaka works in the forestry industry, often they take firearms with them to go hunting for deer as a bit of a perk and he was going to do that this day," she said.

"He was taking the gun for a colleague, couldn't find all the bits that he needed and the van arrived to take him to work so he just put everything out of sight."

Police prosecutor Stephen Butler said that an A category endorsement placed certain restrictions on what type of firearm Potaka was allowed to possess.

The magazine that he had and the Ruger rifle fell outside of those restrictions.

"He acknowledges that this is not the way that you deal with firearms and is not the way that ammunition is to be stored," Brosnahan said.

"He's certainly suffering the consequences in terms of losing his firearms licence."

Judge Dugald Matheson acknowledged that Potaka had been in possession of a firearms licence for over 30 years without any blemishes.

"Mr Potaka keep your head down, tail up, keep working for the next 12 months with no offending and that's the end of the matter," he said.

"I'm giving you credit for 33 years of being responsible."