Bruce in West Oz
Member
Want to know how the government treats firearms "transgressions" in Australia — real or imagined?
Read the following. It's just an extract from a longer article.
The website is here:
http://home.winsoft.net.au/jemtrek/
Click on "Our Story" on the left-hand side to get the article.
Read the following. It's just an extract from a longer article.
The website is here:
http://home.winsoft.net.au/jemtrek/
Click on "Our Story" on the left-hand side to get the article.
It has been a very traumatic and soul destroying period in our lives for the
past fourteen months. For those of you who don’t know, we were subjected to a
politically motivated raid, under the guise of a “Firearm Dealer’s Licence Renewalâ€,
starting on the 30th April last year. We were subjected to over a week of police,
from a special squad, called the “Firearms Crimes Task Teamâ€, a squad I had
never heard of until then, but were attached to the firearms trafficing unit of the
major crimes squad in Sydney. These police, do NOT generally check dealers
licence renewals, this is up to the Licencing Sergeant of the local area command.
___ We could not conduct any business at all while this squad was here, and when
they had finished their audit over a week later, They initiated a search warrant on
the final day,_ and we were charged with two counts of “Unsecure Storageâ€,
charges which in any other civilised country, would be classed as mere
misdemeanours, but NOT in Australia. These charges also contradict an earlier
police Inspection of the Premises, when we were first granted our Dealer’s
Licence, so it is basically one lot of police's words against another.
__ _Subsequently, all my licences, both personal and dealer’s licence were
suspended on the 6th May 2003, and ALL OUR_ REGISTERED STOCK, BOTH
DEALER’S STOCK, AND MY OWN EXTENSIVE PERSONAL COLLECTION
WERE SIEZED, along with other firearms belonging to other individuals, some
rare pieces I had earmarked for my children, and others that were here for one
reason or other.
__ _ There were over 2,750 complete guns and in excess of_ 1,500 frames,
recievers and parts guns, confiscated by this squad, valued at somewhere
between $1.5 Million and $1.75 Million, and represents a lifetimes work for us.
This has effectively severely crippled Jemtrek, as all we were left with, were a few antique
firearms and a few parts that do not require a licence. We have had no income
to speak of, since April, fourteen months ago.
__ _I did not believe I was guilty of anything then, (and I still don’t now), except to run a
“Not Politically Correct†business. I pleaded not guilty in five different court appearances,
and these appearances were adjourned for one reason or another, then, three
weeks before the case was to be finally heard on the 3rd December ‘03, my
lawyers recieved a video tape from the prosecuting police. On viewing this tape,
my lawyers advised me to change my plea to guilty on these two charges, as it
seemed to be unwinnable the way the video was portrayed, and by changing the
plea, there was a very good chance of getting a section ten dismissal, of the
charges.
__ _This I did, and on the 3rd December our case was finally heard before
Magistrate Elizabeth Corbett, at Mudgee Court. I was also surprised and
shocked, at this appearance, to be charged with another three charges! Two of
these charges were identical to the first two, (Unsecure Storage), but under a
different section of the act. I was originally charged under section 40 of the 1996
Firearms act, and these two new charges were under section 39. The third
charge was being in possession of a “Prohibited Articleâ€, and after nine or ten
phone calls to see what all this was about, it was discovered that it related to an
inert practise grenade, that was attached to a mint Mauser 98 rifle. These inert
grenades were formerly classed as accessories, and the act has been changed
since, to now make these prohibited, and not many people know about this.
__ _Under instructions from my lawyers, I pleaded guilty to the now five
charges, (just to get it all over with, so we could get some sort of normality back
into our lives, and relieve the stress levels). I was subsequently found guilty on
all five charges, and fined $100 on each charge. This is not so bad, but under the
NSW Firearms act, if you are convicted, you automatically lose
all firearm licences for ten years, and your firearms are forfieted
to the crown, with NO compensation.
__ _We were hoping for a section ten dismissal, where, the charges are
proven, but No conviction is recorded, and your licences and stock can be
returned to you. This was not to be. We immediately lodged an appeal, at the
severity of this sentence, which if the conviction was upheld would mean
the total destruction of all our personal property, and the ruination of our
lives.
__ _Our appeal was heard in Dubbo court on Thursday 19th February 2004
before Judge Geoffery Graham. After a very harrowing morning, the prohibited
article charge was dismissed under a section ten, BUT, the “Unsecure Storageâ€
convictions stood. This means we have exhausted all legal avenues of appeal,
and means that ALL our personal and business stock is forfieted to the
crown, and these rare and valuable pieces will be squashed and destroyed,
and the total ruination of our business and our lives. I believe our fate was
sealed months before, even before we were first raided, _they wanted us, because
we were seen as a threat to the Governments' stability. They certainly pulled out
all the stops to nullify the perceived threat. It was like using an atomic bomb to swat a fly.
__ _Our lawyers and myself, had_ immediately written to the Commissioner of
Police, & the Minister For Police, along with a couple of other politicians, that
could have helped,(if they so wished), to see if he, (the Minister), can order some
of our items to be returned to another dealer, but I am not at all hopeful of any
joy there, as we already tried this twice before the case was heard. There was
some extremely rare pieces amongst these, including Western Australian
Marked Police1892 Winchester, two Pentridge jail 1873s, Trapper carbines, a
very vast Winchester collection which entailed almost all models, Colt Lightnings,
and an extremely rare WW1 sniper rifle, the only existing one known of this type,
besides some very rare and valuable shotguns, and Martinis. There were even
60 or 70 registered antiques, which I had bought, that were already registered.
Some of these included 1839 Muskets 1844 Yeomanry carbines, pattern 1853
Enfields, and Martini Henrys, which did not even have to be registered but were.
__ _Under the Governments policy, these will be all squashed and
destroyed. Even guns that belonged to other people, that were here for safe
keeping or on consignment, will suffer the same fate. This is all part of the
Government’s existing policy of disarming the civilian population, under
the guise of a “safer communityâ€. We are just the start of a massive witch
hunt, and an ongoing persecution and harrassment of all gunowners,
harking back to the days of Nazi Germany.