Fight to ban ex-custody officer from owning guns

Victoria Police is fighting to ban a disgraced former employee with a string of firearms and animal cruelty offences from owning guns.

Victoria Police is taking its fight to ban Mr Paterson from owning guns to the Supreme Court. Picture: James Ross

Victoria police has launched potentially landmark legal action against a disgraced former employee, who it wants banned from owning guns.

The Herald Sun can reveal the force will take former watch-house officer Cameron Paterson to the Supreme Court in an effort to make him the subject of a firearms prohibition order.

A superintendent imposed the order on Paterson last year, three years after he pleaded guilty to a string of weapons and animal cruelty offences.

But Paterson in August convinced the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal that police were wrong to conclude he posed a risk to public safety.

The decision marked a significant blow for Victoria Police, which has an unblemished record defending its decisions to impose FPOs.

Victoria Police has launched an appeal of the VCAT decision.

The force confirmed it will appeal the tribunal decision.

“Victoria Police can confirm it has appealed VCATs decision, however it would be inappropriate for Victoria Police to comment further as the matter is before the court,” a spokesman said.

Since 2018, police have handed out more than 1600 FPOs.

The only person to come close to having the courts to revoke an FPO was former Rebels state president Colin “Snake” Websdale, who fought the order imposed on him all the way to the Court of Appeal.

People who have been issued an FPO can have their homes and cars searched at any time of the day or night, without a warrant, making the orders a crucial police tool in the fight against organised crime.

Paterson, a keen hunter, in 2018 pleaded guilty to a string of firearms offences stemming from the discovery of a cache of unregistered and illegally modified weapons.

He also pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge, after he filmed a greyhound mauling a kangaroo to death.

Petersen was also the subject of disciplinary complaints for treating prisoners like “second or third class citizens”, including by calling them “tasteless” names like “scum”.

He also told stories about blowing an emu’s legs off, but later denied doing so.

A former colleague said: “Cam always thinks that when an animal is hurt it is funny”.

Paterson has argued the order prevents him from visiting family and friends, most of whom have guns at their homes.

The Herald Sun understands police will argue the tribunal wrongly prioritised Paterson’s private interests over their concerns about the risk he might pose to public safety.