Craig Hilton Neary yesterday appeared before Bathurst Local Court magistrate Jan Stevenson via audio visual linkup from the South Coast Correctional Centre.

He has been committed for sentence in the next sitting of the Bathurst District Court on April 23 on charges of supplying an indictable and commercial quantity of cannabis, the cultivation of a prohibited plant in a large commercial quantity, unlawfully selling firearms and possessing and using a military style weapon without a permit.

He was committed for trial at the district court on other charges, including two counts of selling a prohibited firearm and the possession of unregistered firearms, but these will be withdrawn if he adheres to his guilty pleas on the other charges.

Agreed facts tendered to the court told how a strike force established in October 2010 encompassing the State Crime Command, Organised Crime Squad and Bathurst detectives identified Neary as being involved in the supply of prohibited drugs and firearms. Approval was sought and granted to the strike force for the controlled purchase of cannabis and firearms.

Between April 7 and June 28, Neary sold in total 16 pounds of cannabis to two buyers, who were in fact undercover police officers, at a cost of $60,800.

The facts told how he met each of the “buyers” in the Bathurst, Lithgow and Yetholme areas on April 7, 14, 20, on May 5, 17 and 25 and on June 1, 8, 27 and 29. On June 1, in a recorded conversation, Neary told the “buyer” he could supply him with pen guns of a .22 calibre.

On June 9 the officer purchased a pen gun for $700 and arranged to purchase more on June 21.

Twelve days later Neary met with the officer at Yetholme, selling him a further four pen guns for $2800. However, on that date Neary told the “buyer” he was uncomfortable supplying firearms and gave him a mobile phone with the manufacturer’s number in it telling him to SMS him with how many he wanted, and a drop-off zone would be arranged for delivery and payment.

The “buyer” told Neary he wanted another 20 pen guns and Neary told him he’d speak to the manufacturer and he’d get back to him.

On June 27, Neary sent an SMS to the buyer saying it was: “all good, see you tomorrow”.

On June 28, police surveillance followed Neary to the drop zone, where they observed Neary behaving in a nervous manner.

He walked into bushland, returned to his car and drove off, not waiting for the buyer.

When the “buyer” contacted him, Neary told the undercover officer he had dramas, to go home and he would contact him later.

Later than afternoon, Neary was pulled over by Chifley Highway Patrol for a vehicle check and was arrested by strike force police, however, on legal advice he declined to answer questions.

A search warrant was conducted on his home, on the Blayney Road, Evans Plains, where $7000 in Australian currency was located.

The search continued the next day, where a sophisticated hydroponic-enhanced indoor cannabis set-up was located in a large underground water tank. Inside the set-up were 300 cannabis plants of varying degrees of maturity.

The facts sheet said that on June 29 the accused made full admissions to police in relation to the hydroponic set-up.

On June 30, Neary, accompanied by his barrister, took police to Yetholme, revealing 21 pen guns, which he’d buried after becoming aware of police surveillance on him on June 27.

Further charges against Neary, which include cultivating a prohibited plant and cultivating a commercial quantity, and for which pleas have not yet been entered, were adjourned for plea of mention in Bathurst Local Court on March 5.

Bail was not applied for and was formally refused by Ms Stevenson.