NT Police are ‘thumbing their nose’ at law as shooter’s licence revoked despite judge’s ruling

NT Police ‘are thumbing their nose at the legal system’ by revoking an Alice Springs shooter’s gun licence despite the orders of a Local Court judge, advocates say.

NT POLICE “are thumbing their nose at the legal system” by revoking an Alice Springs shooter’s gun licence despite the orders of a Local Court judge, advocates say.

Officers raided the home of gun owner Ron Sterry last month, seizing homemade chilli oil, spent bullet casings and “replica” Nerf guns after he was found guilty of possessing a bayonet in February.

But in recording no conviction against Mr Sterry, judge John Birch ordered all his firearms be returned to him as he was acting in defence of his neighbour who had been stabbed by another person in the middle of the night.

Despite that ruling and no charges having been laid over the seized items, police wrote to Mr Sterry earlier this month, informing him his gun licence had been revoked.

In correspondence from Mr Sterry’s lawyer, Jon Bortoli, seen by the NT News, Mr Bortoli says the revocation notice is “invalid” as it is “contrary to the order of Judge Birch” and “clearly and obviously unlawfully issued”, while demanding a “public apology”.

“Given the foregoing, your revocation notice is unlawful and must be rescinded,” he wrote.

“My client’s firearms licence should be returned forthwith, and a public apology issued for the ongoing harassment he has been subjected to by police.”

Mr Sterry said in the raid police had found inert, “dummy rounds” he kept on top of his gun safe and a “Steyr” style toy rifle he had bought at the Alice Springs show.

“It has the rough outline of a Steyr, I guess,” he said.

“I’d like to know what they’re trying to replicate because they don’t resemble any known firearm at all.

“Some of these (seized guns) are like, outrageously nowhere near a firearm, some of these look like futuristic space guns, so laughably unrealistic.”

Mr Sterry said if NT Police disagreed with Mr Birch’s ruling they should have appealed it through the normal legal channels, but it appeared “they think it doesn’t apply to them”.

“The issues had been dealt with and it’s bizarre that the judge had deemed that I should be allowed to have my firearms but the police think otherwise,” he said.

“They had a whole month to appeal it if they weren’t happy with it but instead they chose the action they’ve decided to take.”

Ron Sterry.

National Shooting Council national secretary, Neil Jenkins, said NT Police was “placing itself above the law” and “thumbing their nose at the legal system”.

When NT Police was asked last month if it would apologise to Mr Sterry for the apparently fruitless raid, a spokesman said investigations into the seized material were “ongoing”.

NT Police has been contacted for comment.