fallingblock
Member
As a reminder of what a concentrated government assault on the very concept of RKBA can achieve in a relatively short time, I offer the following:
'Mild-mannered' man had arsenal fit for war
By Steve Butcher
July 1, 2005
Happiness for Peter Ivan Bateson wasn't just a warm gun. It was a
personal arsenal that included machine-guns, semi-automatic pistols and
40,000 rounds of ammunition.
A quiet, mild-mannered bachelor, Bateson had armed himself with a
$200,000 collection of weaponry that shocked Australian Crime
Commission investigators.
An equally stunned Melbourne magistrate said yesterday that Bateson, a
former security guard, 49, could have "waged a short war".
The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard that raids on a friend's Dingley
shed in July last year found seven sealed army trunks containing
pistols, shotguns and rifles. Investigators later found more weapons at
Bateson's St Kilda apartment.
In all, police seized nine semi-automatic pistols, six machine-guns,
four pump-action shotguns, 15 semi-automatic rifles, five rifles and
numerous parts and accessories from firearms prohibited since the 1996
Federal Government's national buyback.
More than 400 assorted magazines and about 40,000 rounds of various
ammunition were also seized.
The court heard that Bateson, a long-time Armaguard officer, had been a
licensed gun enthusiast for 30 years. He led a law-abiding life until
he ignored the buyback (
) for his registered weapons.
Documents tendered by the prosecutor, Senior Constable Remo Antolini,
said Bateson bought illegal weapons from associates in gun clubs, the
firearms industry and firearms dealers.
Defence lawyer Bernie Balmer said Bateson had never offended, had no
psychiatric problems and planned to open a display centre for his
collection.
Mr Balmer said Bateson would routinely sit down after dinner to
dismantle, oil, repair and reassemble his guns, some of them historical
pieces.
Bateson pleaded guilty to 76 charges, including being a non-prohibited
person possessing unregistered weapons and trafficking unregistered
firearms.
Magistrate Paul Smith accepted that Bateson, who had been sacked from
Armaguard, was a gentle, law-abiding citizen. But his obsession with
firearms had ultimately posed a threat to the community because they
could have "fallen into the wrong hands".
Bateson was convicted and put on a community-based order with 150 hours
of unpaid work.
His collection was seized by police who planned to use parts of it for
training, forensic purposes, sale or display.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/mildmannered-man-had-arsenal-fit-
for-war/2005/06/30/1119724753464.html
'Mild-mannered' man had arsenal fit for war
By Steve Butcher
July 1, 2005
Happiness for Peter Ivan Bateson wasn't just a warm gun. It was a
personal arsenal that included machine-guns, semi-automatic pistols and
40,000 rounds of ammunition.
A quiet, mild-mannered bachelor, Bateson had armed himself with a
$200,000 collection of weaponry that shocked Australian Crime
Commission investigators.
An equally stunned Melbourne magistrate said yesterday that Bateson, a
former security guard, 49, could have "waged a short war".
The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard that raids on a friend's Dingley
shed in July last year found seven sealed army trunks containing
pistols, shotguns and rifles. Investigators later found more weapons at
Bateson's St Kilda apartment.
In all, police seized nine semi-automatic pistols, six machine-guns,
four pump-action shotguns, 15 semi-automatic rifles, five rifles and
numerous parts and accessories from firearms prohibited since the 1996
Federal Government's national buyback.
More than 400 assorted magazines and about 40,000 rounds of various
ammunition were also seized.
The court heard that Bateson, a long-time Armaguard officer, had been a
licensed gun enthusiast for 30 years. He led a law-abiding life until
he ignored the buyback (
) for his registered weapons.Documents tendered by the prosecutor, Senior Constable Remo Antolini,
said Bateson bought illegal weapons from associates in gun clubs, the
firearms industry and firearms dealers.
Defence lawyer Bernie Balmer said Bateson had never offended, had no
psychiatric problems and planned to open a display centre for his
collection.
Mr Balmer said Bateson would routinely sit down after dinner to
dismantle, oil, repair and reassemble his guns, some of them historical
pieces.
Bateson pleaded guilty to 76 charges, including being a non-prohibited
person possessing unregistered weapons and trafficking unregistered
firearms.
Magistrate Paul Smith accepted that Bateson, who had been sacked from
Armaguard, was a gentle, law-abiding citizen. But his obsession with
firearms had ultimately posed a threat to the community because they
could have "fallen into the wrong hands".
Bateson was convicted and put on a community-based order with 150 hours
of unpaid work.
His collection was seized by police who planned to use parts of it for
training, forensic purposes, sale or display.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/mildmannered-man-had-arsenal-fit-
for-war/2005/06/30/1119724753464.html
