SEAN Bernard Berthold says he's been "stitched up".
Beaming into Newcastle courtroom 2.2 via audio visual link from jail on Wednesday afternoon, the 60-year-old accused of firing a gun during a tense domestic violence situation at Mount View last year used his time on the screen to rail against the process, the police, Legal Aid and the alleged victim.
"I've been set up and stitched up," Berthold said. "There is no evidence. I can't believe I am in jail."
Berthold, who is unrepresented because he said Legal Aid NSW won't represent him and he can't access funds to pay a private barrister, became irate as he asked a magistrate why he still hadn't been given a copy of crucial DNA evidence eight months after requesting it.
Fuming, he then launched into a tirade about the evidence in the case, claims about being poisoned and what he said was a 30-year unblemished criminal record.
Berthold was arrested by specialist tactical police, with help from PolAir, at Speers Point about 1am on August 17 last year, hours after he allegedly threatened a woman with a firearm and fired a shot at a property on Pyne Way at Mount View.
The next day, police say they searched the property at Mount View, outside Cessnock, and allegedly uncovered firearms, ammunition and drugs.
On Wednesday, after inquiring whether Berthold had been able to obtain legal advice in the last few weeks, Magistrate Ian Cheetham said he was satisfied he had given him a reasonable opportunity and committed him for trial on a number of charges.
The charges include firing a firearm in a manner likely to injure a person, intimidation, supplying cannabis, using an offensive weapon to commit an indictable offence and possessing two prohibited firearms - a 12 gauge single-barrel shotgun and a .22 calibre rifle.
Berthold remains behind bars and will next appear in Newcastle District Court next month to get a trial date.
