Victorian Nationals MP Peter Crisp has escaped conviction on firearm charges in a NSW court, sparing the Napthine government a potential by-election.
But the Mildura MP was put on a 12-month good behaviour bond for failing to stop the theft of a gun from his NSW farm.
Crisp, 60, was placed on the bond without conviction for failing to prevent the theft or loss of a prohibited firearm.
Magistrate Geoffrey Dunlevy also found two counts of the lesser charge of failing to prevent the theft or loss of a non-prohibited firearm proven but dismissed them.
Crisp was found not guilty of three more firearm charges and police dismissed another three charges in Wentworth Local Court on Monday.
The charges related to guns kept at Crisp's farm at Curlwaa, on the NSW side of the Murray River.
If Crisp had been convicted or found guilty of an indictable offence carrying a penalty of five years imprisonment, he would have been ineligible to sit in state parliament.
Such a ruling would have forced a by-election for his seat in Victoria's northwest.
Deputy premier and Nationals leader Peter Ryan said Crisp could now put the difficult episode behind him.
"Of the nine charges against Mr Crisp which were to be heard today, the three most serious were dismissed by the court, three were withdrawn, and the remaining three were also dismissed following Mr Crisp's guilty plea," Mr Ryan said in a statement.
"It has been a difficult few months for Mr Crisp. Now that this matter is resolved, he can continue his hard-working representation of the people of Mildura."
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