Firearms Owners ‘Appalled’ By Judge’s Comments

Media Release From The New Zealand Council Of Licensed Firearms
Owners
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“It appears that Judge Dalmer is more interested in apportioning blame to the victim than acknowledging that the offeder is the person responsible for crime” said Mr John Howat, Chairman of the NZ Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) today.

Mr Howat was refering to comments atributed to Judge Dalmer while sentencing Christian Harry Brusey for the theft of more than 120 firearms. The Judge is reported as saying “it was frightening that it needed only a few wires to be cut and a simple jemmy to break through the defences”

“Brusey has more than 90 pervious convictions for burglary, drugs and firearms related offences, and given the conviction rate for those categories of offending it’s likely that his actual offences are well over the 1000 mark” said Mr Howat. “This man is a very experienced criminal whose lifestyle is maintained at the expense of innocent New Zealanders.”

“Brusey was armed with the necessary tools and equipment when he executed a well planned raid on a firearms collectors house. During the raid he bypassed a monitored alarm system, gained access to a commerical safe and did several thousand dollars worth of damage to the building.” “He demonstrated a distain for the Court by committing at least one more offence while on bail for the firearms robbery.”

“Brusey did not steal those guns to go to the local range for target practice” said Mr Howat, “this was an extremely serious crime and firearms owners expect the judiciary to react accordingly.”

“Suggesting that Bursey’s victims contributed to his criminal actions is akin to blaming victims of the Parnell Panther for his crimes, it is no wonder that New Zealanders believe our justice system is in need of an overhaul and an attitude resection.”

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