Joesph Orr's firearm trial ends in guilty verdict in Tamworth court

The 12-member jury took almost four hours in Tamworth District Court on Tuesday to find Joesph Orr guilty of the firearm offence.

Orr fronted the fourth day of his trial after he pleaded not guilty to one charge of possessing a .22 calibre shortened firearm when he was unauthorised to do so.

Judge Andrew Coleman sent the jury out at about 11am on Tuesday to deliberate on a verdict.

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He told the 12 men and women the Crown prosecutor and defence had already agreed the gun was a shortened firearm, and Orr was not authorised to possess the firearm.

But it was up to them to determine whether or not Orr knew - or could be reasonably expected to know - the firearm had been stashed in his North Tamworth home.

Late on Tuesday afternoon, after three hours and 50 minutes of deliberations, they returned to the courtroom and found Orr guilty of the lone offence.

After the verdict, Judge Coleman adjourned the case for sentencing in the same court in August.

Orr, who has been on bail throughout his trial, had his bail continued.

The jury heard evidence from several witnesses in the first three days of the trial including investigating police, a forensic officer, Orr's former wife, and the man the Crown claims Orr was storing the gun for.

Judge Coleman summed up the trial and told the jury the Crown had relied on the location of the firearm; the relationship between Orr and the man he was accused of storing the gun for; a photo of a bullet; a series of text messages and phone calls; and Orr's DNA being found on the pillowcase.

He said Orr had chosen not to give evidence in the trial, and that "cannot be used against him".

"You've heard Mr Orr say to police in interviews he did not know the firearm was in the premises," Judge Coleman said.

The defence case was Orr's DNA was not found on the firearm, he immediately denied knowing about the firearm, and he assisted and provided police with a consistent account of the matter.

Judge Coleman told the jury the burden of proof usually lies with the Crown, but in this case it was up to the defence to prove on the balance of probabilities that Orr wasn't aware the gun was in his home.

Orr was arrested in September 2021 after a police uncovered the firearm stuffed inside a blue and white pillowcase which was hidden in a couch in a North Tamworth home.

The Crown claimed Orr was storing the gun for a man who he had a "close" friendship with.

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