A George Town woman who stole $23,000 worth of firearms from a home near Scottsdale is almost certain to serve 15 months jail if she does not comply with the terms of a drug treatment order.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Shannon Louise Brown, 32, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Launceston to aggravated burglary, stealing and trafficking in firearms. Brown and another female drove to Warrantina on September 11, 2019, and smashed their way into a house and stole 15 firearms from a safe.
In other news:
She quickly identified from CCTV because she was known to the owner and arrested the following day.
The court heard that Brown had a buyer lined up and immediately sold seven of the firearms-an act comprising trafficking.
"Messages on your phone made clear that there would be an immediate sale to a person who had purchased stolen goods from you before," Justice Robert Pearce said.
After she was arrested Brown told police of an address at which firearms had been sold and they were recovered. The court heard that she would give evidence against her co-accused if called. "You did not sell the guns, you stole for much money but stolen firearms inevitabley end up in the hands of criminals," Justice Pearce said.
"Stealing and trafficking in firearms are serious crimes.
"The community recognises the strong link between stolen firearms and crimes involving violence and dishonesty. Those who seek to gain by stealing and selling stolen firearms must understand that the chance of profit is to balanced against against strong punishment."
Justice Pearce activated a six month and 21-day suspended sentence imposed last year for ransacking a number of shacks in the Central Highlands in 2018 and 2019 involving property worth $38,000.
"I am in no doubt about the connection between your drug use and the crimes you committed," he said.
He ordered that Brown be subject to a drug treatment order rather than serve 15 months jail.
"It may be activated if you fail to comply with the treatment and supervision part of the order," Justice Pearce said.
The court heard that Brown had moved to Western Australia to try and escape drug use.
"However, your relationship ended. When later he took his own life the trauma led you back to drug use," Justice Pearce said.
"Unable to fund your addiction by honest means you turned to crime."
He said the mother of three had no convictions for dishonesty until August 2019. She had been due for release in January but had been on remand for the firearms trafficking offences since.
