A Supreme Court judge has warned that the criminal use of firearms in Tasmania has reached “epidemic levels” while sentencing a man for illegally selling a gun.
Justice Michael Brett made the remarks while convicting Brodie Lee Dudman for dealing in firearms without a licence and failing to notify authorities of the sale.
“The use of firearms by criminals in our Tasmanian society is in the court’s
experience at epidemic levels and is a matter of great concern to the community, to the safety of the community and in my view, must not be tolerated and must be dealt with,” Justice Brett said.
He said anyone committing firearms offences was contributing to the growing problem, regardless of their personal circumstances.
“… People who manufacture, deal and sell firearms unlawfully are generally doing so in an environment where those firearms will end up in the wrong hands,” he said.
“Anybody that commits this crime at all is contributing to that problem.”
The court heard Dudman’s offences came to light when he was made subject to a family violence order and was required to surrender his firearms – but one weapon was missing.
Justice Brett said the case was at the “lower end” of seriousness.
He noted Dudman had sold the firearm to someone he knew held a valid licence, but the transfer should have gone through a registered dealer.
He said even low-level breaches needed to be punished to deter others.
Dudman received credit for his early guilty plea, remorse and lack of prior firearms offences.
Justice Brett noted he had “far too many speeding offences” but was otherwise of good character and fined Dudman $1,000.
