Bail refused for weapons accused

A Hamilton man caught with an arsenal of weapons in his car after he was stopped on the Kaimai Range for allegedly pointing a gun at a female motorist on Monday night has been refused bail.

Timothy Murray, 27, faced one charge of presenting a firearm, two charges of possession of an offensive weapon and four charges of possession of a knife in a public place when he appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday.

Police who opposed bail alleged that at about 9.30pm on Monday,  after some sort of dispute between him and a female motorist not known to him, Murray pulled up alongside the woman's vehicle on State Highway 29 and pointed a black hand gun at her before driving off.

It is further alleged that when police caught up with Murray, and searched his vehicle, officers found two air pistols, one air rifle, a set of nunchucks, an extendable baton, three flick knives and a hunting knife.

Duty solicitor Rebekah Murray said it was accepted the charges were serious but he denies it was him who pointed the firearm at the motorist.

The items found in the lock-up section of the boot were not his, the vehicle having been borrowed from a relative, she said. Murray had no previous convictions of this kind. 

But Judge Christopher Harding said given the information  he was not satisfied  bail terms would be adequate to overcome police concerns and remanded Murray in custody without pleas. He will be back in court on April 20.