A man charged after police found a gun and ammunition in his self-storage unit, while he was on bail for hiding a sawn-off shotgun in the roof of his mum's home, has been sentenced to two years in jail.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Magistrate Peter Barnett, SC, said in Toronto Local Court on Monday William Rogan's actions - involving theft, weapon possession and drug supply - were "typical of someone supporting a [drug] habit".
Rogan was granted bail in April after police found a sawn-off double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun and ammo belonging to the 36-year-old, which he had been storing in a roof cavity at his mother's Argenton home.
The serial number had been removed from the gun.
The court heard police had been investigating Rogan over shoplifting and drug allegations.
According to a statement of agreed facts tendered to the court, police were conducting covert surveillance on the pub where Rogan had a room and saw his partner remove a safe from the property on the night of April 25.
They stopped her and found documents for a storage unit, 46.21g of amphetamine, 12.05g of methylamphetamine, and an extendable baton inside the safe.
Following up on the documents - and a photo on Rogan's phone which showed the 36-year-old holding a gun - police searched a Mayfield storage unit on April 29.
Investigators found a sawn-off bolt-action rifle in a gym bag, along with 50 rounds of .22 ammunition and three 12-gauge shotgun shells.
Rogan was returned to custody on April 30 and pleaded guilty to a string of charges - weapons, ammunition, drug supply, and retail theft counts - when he faced Toronto Local Court in May.
Magistrate Barnett found special circumstances when sentencing Rogan due to the nature of the 36-year-old's childhood, and gave him a shortened non-parole period.
With the sentence backdated to account for time he has spent in jail since he was charged, Rogan will be first eligible for parole next April - halfway through his head sentence.
