A MAN has been handed a community corrections order after he was found in a stolen car with a sawn-off firearm in the driver's seat.
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Deon Nicoll, 40, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court this week where he pleaded guilty to 14 charges including theft of a motor vehicle.
The court heard unknown people stole a BMW from a Melbourne address on April 5 last year.
On April 23, police saw the stolen car parked outside of an address in California Gully. The vehicle had stolen registration plates displayed.
The court heard Nicoll was standing outside of the driver's door while a co-accused was seated in the passenger seat.
Police arrested the pair and Nicoll was searched. Officers found the keys to the vehicle in his pocket.
Police also uncovered a sawn-off firearm hidden between the driver's seat and the centre console.
The court heard Nicoll told police he did not know the BMW was an outstanding stolen vehicle. He said he was only driving the car because he knew the Bendigo streets better than his passenger.
Nicoll also pleaded guilty to charges including possessing methamphetamine, driving while suspended, driving while disqualified, and contravening a community corrections order.
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Defence lawyer Deniz Yildirim admitted Nicoll's four pages of prior convictions were "not flash".
But Mr Yildirim said a community corrections order with time served would be an appropriate sentence because Nicoll had successfully completed court orders in the past.
Magistrate Rodney Higgins convicted and sentenced Nicoll to 62 days in jail, which were reckoned as already served.
He was also ordered to complete a 12-month community corrections order with 280 hours of unpaid community work.
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