When a photo of Justin Kyle Guymer posing with a gun appeared on his partner's Facebook page, armed police raided the couple's home and charged them with firearms and drug offences.
Guymer, 31, and his 24-year-old partner, Tracey Marie Pinfold, were sentenced in Napier District Court yesterday, almost 11 months after the armed offenders squad was involved in a September 24 search of the couple's home last year.
The raid was organised after police became aware of the photo of Guymer with the firearm, posted on Pinfold's Facebook page.
Police did not find the gun featured in the photo during the search, but did seize two other loaded weapons at the property - a .22 revolver and a sawn-down .22 rifle.
They also found a further 126 rounds of .22 ammunition, along with glass pipes and other drug paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine use.
No drugs were found in the search.
Neither Guymer nor Pinfold, who are both unemployed, held firearms licences.
The couple each pleaded guilty to three charges of unlawfully possessing firearms and one charge of possessing drug utensils.
Judge Tony Adeane sentenced Guymer, who has previous firearms-related convictions, to four months in jail.
Pinfold was sentenced to six months' community detention and supervision.