A Dubbo magistrate has given a man who waltzed through BCF brandishing a fake gun the 'benefit of the doubt' in court.
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About 11.35am on September 10, Christoper Bettles, 18, entered the BCF store in Dubbo holding a makeshift weapon.
The weapon was two pieces of wood taped together and painted black to look like a firearm, according to court documents.
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Bettles placed the weapon on a box of stock at the front of the shop before walking aimlessly around the store.
Careless of the amount of customers in the store, Bettles picked up the weapon and began walking down the isles holding it as if he were holding a firearm.
Facts revealed Bettles approached a worker at the front counter asking if they saw what he did.
When the worker asked what Bettles was talking about, he responded: "I came in with a fake gun and pretended to shoot a lady".
Bettles then picked up the makeshift weapon and began re-enacting what he had told the worker he did moments earlier, including pointing the weapon, holding it as if it were a firearm, and began making noises imitating firing a machine gun, before walking out of the store.
Police arrested Bettles later that day in relation to another matter.
In Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, the 18-year-old pleaded guilty to using an offensive weapon to commit an indictable offence, and intimidation.
Defence lawyer Carmen Just said Bettles had a history of drug and alcohol use, and mental health issues as a response to what he was exposed to as a child.
"He has conveyed to me he is sorry for his actions, he shouldn't have done it. He didn't want to hurt anyone and was in a bad headspace at the time. He would like to take it back if he could," Ms Just said.
While Magistrate Gary Wilson acknowledged the seriousness of the offence and Bettles' criminal history, he decided to give him "the benefit of the doubt".
"There's no doubt there would have been a huge number of people that were very concerned with you waiving around that fake firearm in the store and pretending to shoot people," he said.
"The charges themselves are serious and the fear people held, they didn't know it was a fake firearm.
"But I don't think in the circumstances a further term of imprisonment, which I seriously would consider if it was going to be of any benefit especially to your ongoing rehabilitation ... but because of your young age the sooner you get out of where you are, the better."
Bettles was released from the Wellington Correctional Centre and placed on a community corrections order with supervision for 18 months.
"If you don't [comply] you know where you're going to end up," Magistrate Wilson said.
"Hopefully that's been a big wake up for these last few months that you've been in custody."