ONE of two men accused of breaking into a farm and stealing nine firearms will spend Christmas behind bars thinking about a bail application in the new year.
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Thomas Dowell, 19, faced bail court in Wagga for a second time on Monday after his arrest on December 17.
A bail application was expected, but Dowell's solicitor PC Reddy told the registrar he would make further inquiries into the matter and make a bail application on January 5, the first sittings of Wagga Local Court in 2015.
Dowell, of Cootamundra, is charged with aggravated break, enter and commit a serious indictable offence, possessing an unauthorised firearm, possessing ammunition without a permit and not keeping a firearm safely.
Police allege Dowell and a 24-year-old Cootamundra man broke into a farm house on Back Brawlin Road sometime between November 24 and December 12.
It is alleged they found a set of gun safe cabinet keys in the house and then went to a shed, breaking in and then using the keys to unlock the safe and steal firearms and ammunition.
The firearms allegedly taken by the pair include four shotguns.
Police allege one of the firearms was found at a Cootamundra house when officers were investigating a domestic violence complaint on the morning of December 17.
A 38-year-old man at the house was charged with possessing an unauthorised firearm, not keeping a firearm safely, having goods suspected of being stolen and intimidation (domestic violence).
He was granted police bail to the January 5 sittings of Cootamundra Local Court.
Police allege investigations stemming from that incident led them to another house where they inspected a gun safe belonging to the 24-year-old man's father.
It is alleged more of the stolen firearms were found in the safe.
The 24-year-old was arrested, interviewed and charged.
Dowell was arrested a few hours later.
The 24-year-old has been charged with aggravated break, enter and steal, four counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm and one count of possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm.
He is also on police bail and will face Cootamundra Local Court on January 5.
Police say five of the nine stolen weapons have been recovered.