Lavington man fined $13,200 for cache of gel blasters, air rifles and ammunition

Queensland is the only state or territory where the guns, often sold in toy stores, can be possessed and used without the owner requiring a permit.

Albury Local Court regularly hears cases involving the guns, which fire a gel pellet soaked in water.

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Magistrate Sally McLaughlin convicted a Lavington man on Wednesday, April 5, and handed him fines totalling $13,200 for having four gel blaster guns, three air rifles and ammunition.

Adam Keith Beyer, 47, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing an unauthorised pistol, five of possessing an unauthorised firearm, seven of not keeping a firearm safely and possessing ammunition without a licence or permit.

None of the weapons were stored in a gun safe in his Hague Street unit.

Instead, Bayer directed police to his bedroom, where he had some of the weapons in a wardrobe.

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Beyer was fined $6800 in relation to the gel blasters, $6000 over the air rifles and $400 over the ammunition.

Ms McLaughlin said she wished there was more media coverage, along with education programs, pertaining to gel blasters being illegal in NSW.

She said the guns looked identical to real firearms "and I now realise, feel almost identical" in terms of weight.

Ms McLaughlin said this meant gel blasters could be sourced purely for the commission of crimes.

While a pellet from an air rifle could pierce someone's skill and a gel ball did not, she said, a gel blaster could easily injure someone's eyes.

Ms McLaughlin said this was why the government legislated to make the weapons illegal in NSW.

Police were called to Beyer's home for a welfare check on August 8, 2022.

The air rifles were not operational, while the ammunition comprised .117 pellets as well as .22 and 12-gauge shotgun shells.

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