How man with family violence history got guns before murder-suicide horror
A man who killed his partner and then himself in a horrific murder-suicide in Melbourne managed to get six guns before doing the unthinkable.
A man who helped a friend get guns despite his history of family violence — before the friend killed his partner in a horrific murder-suicide — says he didn’t break any laws.
A Coroners Court of Victoria inquest is determining how Charles Bisucci, who was prohibited from owning a gun, was able to murder Marilyn Burdon on August 21, 2017, in her Kew home before taking his own life.
Sebastian Carmuciano, 70, told the court on Monday he was “doing a favour for a friend” when he registered six guns in his name and collected them on behalf of Bisucci.
The court heard that on two separate occasions — in October 2006 and March 2008 — Mr Carmuciano collected three guns from a Melbourne gun shop, handed over signed forms with false information, and later gave the guns to Bisucci.
Bisucci used one of the guns registered in his friend’s name to fatally shoot his partner. He then took his own life.
Mr Carmuciano said the forms needed his name and signature because “Charles had a family violence matter” and his gun license was cancelled in 2004.
But he had a valid gun licence and so was able to register the firearms in his name as a “favour”.
He said he signed blank application forms for a permit to acquire a longarm and Bisucci filled out the details above his signature.
“I didn’t break any laws. That’s crazy,” he said.
“I was doing a favour for him, that’s all.”
Mr Carmuciano later on Monday backtracked and said he didn’t know that Bisucci’s history of family violence was why he was banned from having guns.
He told the court the killer “took advantage of me”.
“I put my trust in what he was doing,” he said.
“He said to sign and he’d fill in the details after.
“I’m a human being. Human beings make mistakes.”
The lawyer assisting the Coroners Court asked Mr Carmuciano if it was important not to sign blank forms that could be filled out with fraudulent information.
“How could I argue with him?” he said. “He was my friend.”
“It would have been the end of the friendship if I argued with him. I wanted to stay friends.”
The court heard Ms Burdon had told Bisucci she was leaving him and wanted him out of the house before the murder-suicide.
He three children, Rebecca, Natalie and Nicholas, attended the coronial inquest into their mother’s death on Monday.
Their lawyer said they wanted two questions answered: how a man with a history of family violence was permitted to have access to firearms, and why warnings signs of what was to come weren’t picked up by professionals.
The inquest continues Wednesday.