A MOTHER has been fined $400 and her son is awaiting sentence after a flurry of firearm thefts in Tenterfield.
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Nathaniel Flint-Kinsela stole 15 firearms over a 13-day period in October 2022 according to police evidence tendered before Armidale Local Court on August 23.
The court heard 12 firearms remain missing.
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Flint-Kinsela pleaded guilty to three offences regarding the thefts, including two counts of aggravated break and enter with intent to steal and larceny.
According to the evidence, late in the evening of October 17, Flint-Kinsela carried out his first theft.
He broke into a garage and wearing gloves, used cutters to open a gun safe, police said.
Flint-Kinsela took all six firearms from the safe then threw them over the fence to another man, who later dropped them off at the defendant's home.
About 8.45pm on October 26, the pair spotted a box of ammunition left lying in the passenger seat of a Toyota Landcruiser.
Flint-Kinsela smashed the passenger front window with a brick and snatched the ammo.
Then on October 30, Flint-Kinsela sneaked into a detached garage in George Street, Tenterfield, where nine firearms were stored.
Once again Flint-Kinsela wore gloves and used a box cutter to rip open a gun safe and take three shotguns, five rifles, a combination rifle-firearm, ammunition and a sword, police said.
Flint-Kinsela then used the victim's wheelie bin to haul his stolen cache back to his home.
Police finally caught up with the trio on October 31.
"Flint-Kinsela was cautioned and he told police he committed the crimes under threats of violence from his mother," police said.
Mobile phone records from Flint-Kinsela's mother and obtained by police revealed extensive messages confirming his mother's coercion.
Flint-Kinsela's mother was subsequently fined $400 and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, to be completed as a community corrections order.
Defence solicitor Alex Floyd requested a sentencing report for Flint-Kinsela and the matter was adjourned until October 18.
Bail continues.
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