A man described in court as "a blowhard" has been jailed for offering to supply weapons even the police believed he could not deliver.
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Skye Rixon, 27, previously of Moruya, pleaded guilty on June 22 to three counts of supplying a firearm to an unauthorised person and was sentenced in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday, August 24.
Defence solicitor Geoff Knox told the court Rixon had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
A previous charge of participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity was withdrawn in June and the court heard Rixon had been expelled early in 2020 from an alleged criminal group.
Mr Knox said there was no longer a suggestion from prosecutors his client was "involved in criminal activity and shootings".
"He was expelled from the criminal group in February this year and he has no further dealings with them," Mr Knox told the court.
He said three police telephone intercepts revealed Rixon had offered to supply firearms.
"He was trying to position himself as a tough person, a big person, to ingratiate himself," Mr Knox said.
"It is impossible he would have been able to get his hands on 12 firearms.
"He would have (had to have) been one of the biggest firearms dealers in NSW.
"There is no suggestion he did anything."
Mr Knox said when police interviewed his client in May, "they decided he was a blowhard".
Speaking from custody via audio-visual link, Rixon told Magistrate Doug Dick he accepted "full responsibility" for his actions.
"You clearly made an offer to supply these firearms," Magistrate Dick said.
"You were trying to appear tough, a big man in the underworld."
However Magistrate Dick said Rixon had neither supplied nor had access to the promised weapons.
"I have never even seen one," Rixon responded.
Magistrate Dick challenged Rixon to guess how many sentencing matters were on his record: "20? 30?"
Rixon accepted the number was likely to be in the 30s.
"There are 56 sentence matters on your record," Magistrate Dick confirmed.
While it is understood many of those matters were when Rixon was a juvenile, they included two previous prohibited weapons convictions, which gave the court grave concern.
The defence had argued for a non-custodial sentence, but those weapons offences meant "an Intensive Corrections Order is out of the question," Magistrate Dick said.
"I have to send a clear message that this sort of behaviour is not to be tolerated."
In sentencing Rixon to 12 months' jail, Magistrate Dick reiterated: "That is for agreeing to supply something you could never supply."
"I was stupid," Rixon told the court.
Mr Knox had earlier told the court Rixon had wanted to undertake a six-week drug rehabilitation course but his presence in protective custody made it very difficult for him to participate.
However, he had completed addiction and aggression awareness programs.
"He clearly wishes to engage in rehabilitation," Mr Knox told the court.
"His mother supports him strongly and will give as much support as possible."
"Think about your mum," Magistrate Dick said.
"She loves you and how do you repay her? By getting into trouble."
Rixon was sentenced to nine months non-parole and will be due for release on February 3, 2021.
The court imposed an order that Rixon not associate with Mathew Trick, 31, of Thomas Mitchell Drive, Sunshine Bay, Tyran Leslie Hood, 25, of Ison St, Mogo, otherwise known as Tyron, and James Wallace, 33, of Long Beach, previously known as James O'Keefe.
"This might be the best time ever to make a break from these people," Magistrate Dick said.
"There is more to life than wearing prison green."
The cases of Trick, Hood and Wallace were adjourned to September 14.
Trick is charged with knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group. Hood and Wallace are charged with participating in a criminal group. The three each face two counts of firing at a dwelling as part of a criminal activity.
Mitchell Leslie Edwards is charged with participating in a criminal group and two counts of firing at a dwelling. His case was adjourned to September 14.