NSW shooters have gun licences cancelled over DV issues

Police and courts are cracking down on gun licences in the wake of the tragedy of evil dad John Edwards, who shot dead his two children in a domestic violence rage.

Sporting shooters and hunters have been stripped of their gun licences because of domestic violence allegations as the police and courts crack down in the wake of the tragedy of evil John Edwards who shot dead his two children.

In one recent case, Bret Grenfell lost his appeal to win back his licence after it was suspended following 15 years of allegations of domestic violence against a number of ex-partners. Grenfell has never faced domestic violence charges.

Child killer John Edwards.

Edward’s wife, solicitor Olga Edwards.

Another man, Shane Biddle, 36, held a firearms licence despite being convicted of assaulting his ex-partner when she was six months pregnant and accidentally shooting himself in the hand after drinking. His licence has not been renewed.

A third man, Chadi Hariri, of Bankstown, had “multiple domestic violence issues” and was refused a fresh firearms licence after lying that he had been a member of the Sporting Shooters Association, the Civil and Administrative Tribunal said. Although Hariri faced an assault charge, the charge was dropped.

Victims’ advocate Howard Brown.

Edwards’ victim, his daughter Jennifer.

Victims’ advocate Howard Brown said it was good news that the firearms laws were working the way they should.

The state’s Firearms Registry was overhauled and computerised after the murders of Jack and Jennifer Edwards by their father in their West Pennant Hills home in July 2018.

Their mother later killed herself.

John Edwards, who had a record of violence against his six ex-wives and partners, shot himself dead.

The Firearms Registry now has a “Gun Safe” computer system that automatically flags potentially dangerous people, including those facing domestic violence claims, The Daily Telegraph reported last year.

On Thursday, the Civil and Administrative Tribunal in separate cases in Sydney threw out on public safety grounds the appeals by Hariri and Biddle against the revocation of their gun licences.

Police in Hull Rd, West Pennant Hills, where Edwards gunned down his children while their mother was at work. Picture: David Swift

The tribunal said Hariri was first given a licence in 2010 citing “sport target shooting” and “recreational hunting/vermin control” for which he needed to be member of a gun club.

It was suspended in July 2019 the day after he was charged with assault, when he attended his ex-wife’s workplace where he acted in what “police considered to be an abusive and intimidating way towards her”.

Hariri denied the allegations and the charge was later dropped when his wife refused to give evidence.

He breached a provisional AVO and then confronted his ex-wife at Bankstown Shopping Centre, leaving her intimidated, but she told police she did not want him to know she had called them, the tribunal said.

The tribunal said the Sporting Shooters Association reported Hariri had not been a member at the relevant time and he had an extensive traffic record which showed a “disregard for another regulatory scheme which aims, like the firearms legislation at ensuring public safety”.

Biddle had acted in a “negligent, and perhaps even reckless, fashion” when he accidentally shot himself in the hand in 2018 and, although it was 2008 when he assaulted his pregnant partner, the tribunal said they had taken that unto account when considering if he posed a risk to public safety.

Grenfell, of the Illawarra, had held a licence since 2011. It was renewed in January 2019 and suspended two months later because he had been “involved in numerous domestic incidents over a lengthy period (since 2004) with ex-partners which appears to be ongoing”, the tribunal said.

He allegedly told an ex-wife that he was going to “set you on fire” and “chop you into little pieces”.

Grenfell had been subject to a number of provisional AVOs but none had been made final and he had no charges or convictions. Nor had he used a firearm or threatened to use a firearm in any of the recorded incidents.

But the tribunal said that it accepted “there is general concern in the community about firearms in homes and the potential for domestic violence incidents to involve firearms.

“Taking a balanced view of the risk to the public, it is my view that there are real grounds for concern in this matter.”

Firearms Registry Commander, Superintendent Cameron Lindsay, said the significant changes to the processes and systems had led to greater scrutiny and assessment of licence applications and renewals.

“We have enacted rigorous assessment procedures in relation to the currency, status and issuing of all firearm licences and permits in this state,” Supt Lindsay said.