Hidden Cache Found In Bush
Newcastle Herald
Thursday December 23, 2004
A CESSNOCK jail inmate who allegedly had a stockpile of weapons and explosives hidden in bush at Sawyers Gully appeared briefly in Cessnock Local Court yesterday.
The items included a .243 calibre rifle, 18 explosive blasting caps, 12 metres of detonator cord, a machete, a hunting knife, water canteens, a camouflaged backpack, 914 live bullets including 264 AK47 rounds, 53 shotgun cartridges and 662 spent rounds of ammunition. Steven Leslie King, 26, faced six charges of receiving stolen property and possessing unlicensed and illegal weapons and explosives between August 10 and November 2 this year. Solicitor Peter Cleaves, for King, told magistrate Sharron Crews yesterday that while no formal plea would be entered at this stage his client would plead not guilty. Police prosecutor Steve Rae told the court King had served two months of a current nine-month sentence for driving a motor vehicle while disqualified. Sergeant Rae said that on November 2 corrective service officers intercepted a letter King placed in the Cessnock jail's mailing box addressed to a member of his family.The letter included a hand-drawn map and directions on how to find the stockpile.Police and corrective service officers followed the map, found the stockpile and took King to Cessnock police station for questioning.King told arresting police that he bought the rifle, explosives, ammunition and other items from a man whom he declined to name.Sergeant Rae said this "extraordinary circumstance" led him to ask where the items had come from and asked the purpose for which they were to be used. He asked for the matter to be adjourned so the Director of Public Prosecutions could take over the case. Ms Crews formally refused bail and adjourned the case to January 25.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald