Former cop makes his own guns in rural Tasmania after watching how-to video

A former New South Wales policeman and firefighter has copped a hefty fine for manufacturing homemade guns in Tasmania. What a judge decided>

A former New South Wales policeman has avoided jail for manufacturing homemade guns in Tasmania. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

A former New South Wales policeman has avoided jail for manufacturing homemade guns in Tasmania.

Christopher Robert Scott, 47, served with the police force between 1995 and 1999, before working as a firefighter between 2003 and 2013.

However, he more recently relocated to Tasmania to care for his ageing parents and help on their small, rural property.

In her newly-published comments on passing sentence, Supreme Court judge Tamara Jago said on November 29 last year, Tasmania Police attended his home.

Scott told them he had been “working on a project”, producing three unregistered guns – a .22 calibre homemade single shot air rifle and two .22 calibre homemade single shot pistols.

Police also found 15 air rifle pellets in a tin, which were not stored in accordance with licensing requirements.

Justice Jago noted Scott held a gun licence, but not a firearms’ dealer licence.

“You told police that you had a passion for firearms and that you had, out of interest, manufactured the three firearms that you surrendered,” she said.

“You explained to police that you had watched a video of an air rifle being manufactured and you were interested to see if you could design and manufacture something similar.”

Justice Jago said Scott showed police his designs, and also said he had no intention of removing the guns from his property.

“You admitted to police that you knew you were not permitted to manufacture the firearms but you stressed to police that you had no intention to do anything criminal with the firearms.”

Justice Jago said he was guilty of the crime of dealing in firearms, with the term “dealing” under legislation including the act of manufacturing.

“There is no evidence to suggest that you were going to sell or distribute the firearm or use them in any inappropriate manner,” she said.

Scott, who has no prior criminal history, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms while not the holder of a firearms dealer’s licence, failing to comply with storage of ammunition requirements, and three counts of possessing an unregistered firearm.

He was convicted and fined $3000.

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