A Wangaratta man admitting to multiple gun and drug charges found himself back in custody after falling out with staff at a drug rehabilitation centre, a court has heard. The 21-year-old appeared from the custody box at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Monday after his most recent arrest on Sunday. After being bailed to attend Odyssey House on 8 July, the man was told he was “no longer welcome” by staff at the rehab centre after a four-week stay and returned to Wangaratta. He notified police of his change of address after his return, but hung up on an officer before submitting a formal application. He was arrested at his Wangaratta home on 17 August. The 21-year-old will be facing at least another month behind bars after pleading guilty to the possession of multiple firearms and a sword as police served a firearms prohibition order upon him at his Wangaratta address on 30 April. The man told officers he didn’t have any firearms in the home, but he had a machete next to his bed. Police searched the home and found a handgun and a sawn-off rifle with an altered serial number in the bedroom. Magazines of handgun ammunition, shotgun ammunition, marijuana and bank and identification cards to 10 different people were also found. The 21-year-old became agitated during the police search, threatening officers and pushing a detective. He was handcuffed and arrested, making further threats to police. The man had his application for bail refused later that day and he would be behind bars until he was released on 8 July. The 21-year-old also admitted to possessing a box cutter and ecstasy after he was caught riding a bike without a helmet on Mitchell Avenue in the early hours of 8 February. Defence counsel Geoff Clancy said things fell apart “catastrophically" for his client after relapsing into drugs. Mr Clancy said the 21-year-old became paranoid and feared people were “out to get him”, so he armed himself with weapons. “It was an incredibly foolish thing to do,” he said. Mr Clancy said his client had a falling out with staff at Odyssey House due to numerous mental health issues and the rehab centre’s “rigid” routine, which became too much for him. The court heard the 21-year-old’s offending breached a County Court imposed community corrections order, after he was sentenced to six months in prison. Magistrate Ian Watkins remanded the man in custody for a community corrections order assessment and he will be sentenced on 1 September.
