A Bay man who described himself as "a ratbag" has been jailed for 16 months after he was found with a stun gun, a cut-down rifle and a knife strapped to his waist.
Steven Kerry Bowden, 49, who earlier pleaded guilty to four charges, was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court on Thursday when he appeared via audio-visual link from prison.
That is, possession of a knife in a public place, unlawful possession of a restricted weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The court heard how Bowden came to the attention of police about 10pm on September 8 after concerned members of the public called 111 after seeing his vehicle on Loop Rd.
When police located Bowden and searched his vehicle they found a Ruger .223 calibre rifle with the stock cut off or shortened concealed behind a seat.