Grant Mullane: Conviction for not safely storing guns sparks warning from police
The conviction of a northern beaches man for not properly locking up five potentially deadly rifles has prompted a warning from cops to local gun owners.
Manly
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More than 2100 people on the northern beaches have a gun licence and thousands of registered firearms are kept in private homes, but local police are concerned that not everyone is keeping their weapons in a safe and secure place.
Police fear that if firearms are not kept in an authorised gun safe — as they are required to by law — they could end up falling into the hands of criminals.
They say a case before Manly Local Court this week highlights the need for gun owners to properly lock up their firearms and keep licensing police up to date with the location of all weapons.
Grant Phillip Mullane, 35, of Collaroy, was convicted on Tuesday after pleading guilty to five counts of not keep firearm safely, five counts of possess unauthorised firearm and one count of possess ammunition without a permit.
Mullane had been a gun licence holder for five years until November last year, when the permit expired.
His licence allowed him to keep his five firearms, including a powerful Boito 12-gauge shotgun, a Rossi 44 Magnum lever action rifle and a Remington .223 pump-action rifle, at an address at Dee Why.
But when the licence expired, and he moved to Collaroy and stored the guns at a garage at Freshwater, he neglected to inform the police.
When officers found the guns, which also included a Marlin .22LR bolt action rifle and a Winchester .177 air rifle, they were not locked in a gun safe — they were in nylon and cloth bags propped up against the wall of the garage.
Police also found a selection of bullets, including 9mm pistol ammunition, according to documents tendered to court.
Under the NSW Firearms Act, a person can be charged if they fail to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safekeeping of a firearm.
In March last year the Manly Daily reported that official police figures revealed that some gun owners on the northern beaches were stashing away up dozens of legal firearms each.
Official gun ownership figures, collated by the NSW Firearms Registry, showed that one resident of Terrey Hills owned 211 firearms.
An individual at Belrose owned 181 guns, while a person living in the Elanora Heights/Narrabeen/Ingleside area had 160 firearms.
Mullane told police he forgot to notify authorities about his change of address and that he had been unable to be near the guns after the death of a close friend.
Magistrate Scott Nash sentenced Mullane to a two-year Community Corrections and to 150 hours of community service. He also ordered the guns be seized.
“To possess a firearm is a considerable risk to the community,” Mr Nash said. “Unfortunately these types of offence are prevalent.”
Northern Beaches Police crime manager Mick Boutouridis said police were concerned that weapons not stored correctly, and legally, could fall into the “wrong hands”.
He said unsecured guns stolen from homes often end up being used by criminals.
“We don’t have any tolerance when it comes to firearms and firearms licence holders,” Chief Insp Boutouridis said.
“There are 2178 firearms licences on the northern beaches. We rely on licence holders to provide police with updated information.”
Insp. Boutouridis also urged licensed gun owners to make sure their weapons are properly stored in a gun safe and to check out their responsibilities under the law.
For more information go to:
https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/firearms
TOP 10 NORTHERN BEACHES SUBURBS FOR NUMBER OF REGISTERED FIREARMS: (March 2019)
● DEE WHY: 1303
● ELANORA HEIGHTS/INGLESIDE: 1258
● BEACON HILL/ALLAMBIE HEIGHTS: 1100
● COLLAROY: 879
● AVALON/BILGOLA: 671
● TERREY HILLS/DUFFYS FOREST: 650
● BALGOWLAH: 646
● MONA VALE: 640
● BELROSE/DAVIDSON: 628
● FRENCHS FOREST: 588
Source: NSW Firearms Registry