🔫 Man avoids prison for ammunition possession

A local resident who claimed to have discovered a bag containing 15 rounds of ammunition on Seven Mile Beach, near the Kimpton Hotel, was granted a suspended sentence last month. Corey Alexia Diaz (26), who admitted to possessing the illegal bullets in April, received a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years. If Diaz adheres to the conditions of the suspended sentence and refrains from committing any further crimes during the suspension period, he will avoid jail time. 🚔

The court heard that Diaz has no prior convictions and has a solid family and employment history. He provided positive character references to the court and expressed regret for his actions, describing them as a foolish decision. His lawyer, Jonathon Hughes of Samson Law, argued that a prison sentence in this case would cause "more harm than good". Despite the prosecution not accepting Diaz's claims of finding the bullets on the beach, they were willing to accept his plea and drop charges related to three bullets and a magazine also found in the car that were non-functional. 🏛️

Upon his arrest, Diaz admitted that picking up the bullets and taking them with him was a poor decision and that he should have left them or reported them to the police. Considering these and other mitigating factors, the court collectively decided to give him an alternative sentence. ⚖️