Jail term for man who admitted firing 3D-printed gun at Tasmanian grandmother

A Tasmanian man who fired a homemade, 3D-printed gun at the grandmother of his partner’s infant child during a family dispute has been jailed for 15 months. The judge’s decision.

Jordan Michael Causon, 25, appeared in the Supreme Court before Justice Tamara Jago to plead guilty to one count of recklessly discharging a firearm, following an incident on 13 July, 2024. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

A Tasmanian man who fired a homemade, 3D-printed gun at the grandmother of his partner’s infant child during a family dispute last year has been jailed for 15 months.

Jordan Michael Causon, 25, appeared in the Supreme Court before Justice Tamara Jago to plead guilty to one count of recklessly discharging a firearm, following an incident on 13 July, 2024.

The court heard that Causon had accompanied his partner on a visit to the complainant’s residence to collect her five-month-old son, when an altercation broke out after the older woman refused to return the child.

Caption: A gun made on a 3D printer Liberator 3-D

Causon got out of the vehicle and yelled at the complainant, before pointing a small homemade firearm directly at her and discharging it.

The court heard that the bullet struck the house near to where the complainant was standing, and shattered the window of the child’s bedroom.

“Fortunately, he was not in the room at the time, but you did not know that and made no inquiries as to his whereabouts,” Justice Jago told the defendant.

“Having allegedly gone there to support [your partner] in the retrieval of her child, you acted in a way that had capacity to cause the child great harm.

“After discharging the firearm, you got back into the vehicle, and … left.”

Supreme Court Justice Tamara Jago. Picture: Supplied.

Following a subsequent police search of a residence connected to Causon, officers found the homemade firearm, which appeared designed to discharge .22 ammunition, as well as shotgun cartridges, and plastic and metal firearm parts.

Justice Jago said Causon’s victim was significantly affected by his crime, having since moved out of the home where the incident occurred, and suffering ongoing nightmares.

Her Honour said that while she had been told the defendant now recognised what he did was dangerous and wrong, he had not stopped to think about the dangers at the time.

“The risk you posed to the community, the complainant and other occupants of the house, including the five-month-old child, is obvious,” Justice Jago said.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 17, 2013 a Liberator pistol appears next to the 3D printer on which its components were made in Hanover, Maryland. US President Donald Trump said on July 31, 2018 he was "looking into" whether Americans should be able to print their own guns, dipping his toe into the latest contentious debate over the right to bear arms. "I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," Trump said, appearing to favor curbs, "already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" Trump was referring to the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun lobby that has become an integral part of the Republican political machine. / AFP PHOTO / Robert MacPherson

“Any right-thinking member of the community would condemn the act of discharging a firearm at, or near, a house, particularly in circumstances where you were well aware it was occupied by, at least, the complainant and the child.

“The prohibition on the unlicensed possession of firearms, particularly homemade firearms like this, which carry no safety features and are prone to malfunction, is a matter to be taken very seriously.”

Justice Jago sentenced Causon to 15 months’ imprisonment, ordering he serve half the term before being eligible for parole.

Originally published as Jail term for man who admitted firing 3D-printed gun at Tasmanian grandmother