Gel blasters lead to Murray Bridge man’s arrest on gun charges
Plus police make two fraud arrests in the Mallee, a Murraylands man is hurt in a crash at Milang and officers undertake a road safety blitz.
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A Murray Bridge man will face gun charges after police allegedly found a number of gel blasters at his house on Monday.
Police searched the 34-year-old’s property around 9.15am and allegedly found seven of the weapons, which only fire water-filled polymer balls but fall under the same laws as ordinary firearms.
They also allegedly found a machete and drug paraphernalia.
Officers granted bail to the man, who will face firearms and possession charges at Murray Bridge Magistrates Court on September 30.
Under South Australian law, anyone who owns a gel blaster must have a class A gun licence and must store them, unloaded, in a steel safe.
- More information: www.police.sa.gov.au.
Two arrested for fraud
Meanwhile, police have arrested a man and woman from the Murray Mallee in connection with a fraud investigation.
The pair, both 42, were charged with dishonesty offences and abuse of public office.
They will appear at Murray Bridge Magistrates Court on December 2.
Murraylands man hurt in crash at Milang
A Murraylands man is recovering after a crash near Milang on August 10.
The man, 57, was a passenger in a ute which crashed into a tree on Finniss Milang Road just after 4pm.
He received non-life-threatening injuries, but the driver – a woman from the Fleurieu Peninsula – was airlifted to hospital.
Anyone who witnessed the crash, or with dash camera footage taken in the area at the time, should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestopperssa.com.au.
Fourteen drivers penalised in a fortnight
Finally, Murray Mallee traffic police have joined two statewide operations targeting road safety this month: Operation Stop Drink Drug Drive, during the first week in August, and Operation High Impact F5, from August 7-16.
During that time they pulled up six drivers for drink driving:
- A 46-year-old Burdett man who allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.159, more than three times the legal limit, on Lookout Drive, Murray Bridge East on Saturday
- A 33-year-old Greenwith woman who allegedly blew 0.149, three times the legal limit, on Charles Street, Murray Bridge on Friday
- A 64-year-old Murray Bridge man who allegedly blew 0.146 while driving a Great Wall ute on Bridge Street at 2.15pm on August 9
- A 60-year-old Mannum man who allegedly blew 0.089 on Randell Street around 5.50pm that evening
- A 31-year-old Murray Bridge man who allegedly blew 0.031 while unlicensed while driving a Mitsubishi station wagon on Swanport Road at five minutes past midnight on August 8
- A 30-year-old Mannum woman who allegedly blew 0.082 on North Terrace, Port Mannum at 10.40 that night
Each typically faced penalties including licence suspensions and having their vehicles impounded.
Police also detected eight drivers allegedly under the influence of illicit drugs:
- A 41-year-old Murray Bridge man in a Holden SUV who allegedly returned a positive result for methamphetamine on Weigall Avenue around 3.50pm last Tuesday
- A 26-year-old Murray Bridge man who allegedly tested positive for cannabis while driving a Holden ute on Swanport Road just after 2pm the same day
- A 29-year-old Wellington East man who allegedly tested positive for cocaine on Langhorne Creek Road at Wellington at 10.15am the same day; he was also fined for speeding
- A 27-year-old Callington man who allegedly tested positive for cannabis on Bridge Street, Callington just before 11am on August 9
- A 28-year-old Murray Bridge woman who allegedly tested positive for cannabis and methamphetamine while driving a Mitsubishi station wagon on Railway Terrace, without a licence and with a child in the back, around 2.10pm the same day
- A 21-year-old Mount Barker man who allegedly failed a drug test while driving a Holden ute on Railway Terrace half an hour later
- A 57-year-old Monarto woman who allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine on the same road another 40 minutes after that
- A 54-year-old Cambrai man who allegedly failed a drug test on Black Hill Road
They mostly had their licences suspended and may face further penalties pending analysis of their test results.
SA Police Superintendent Shane Johnson said every driver who got behind the wheel after consuming drugs or alcohol put their own life, and the lives of others, at risk.
