Cops took break-in victim's gun licence, weapons still missing

Kaleb Artridge had four guns stolen from his father's property in Mullengandra on August 7, 2019.

Thieves had found a set of keys in a shed at the rural property, which they used to open a safe when the older man, Peter, wasn't home.

The younger man said he had taken another gun safe and 15 firearms to his partner's property at Alexandria in Victoria weeks earlier.

Police were concerned they weren't notified of the change.

All guns were seized and both men had their licences revoked.

The four stolen guns have never been recovered.

Peter had his licence reinstated but his son had remained banned from having firearms until a recent decision at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Police argued Kaleb had broken safe storage laws, failed to tell police where his guns were being stored, failed to assist police with their investigation and had been using his guns for purposes other than he had stated.

Police, through Commissioner Mick Fuller, argued storage failures allowed thieves to take the weapons.

Mr Artridge rejected those claims, and said there was no risk to the public in him having firearms.

He is a licenced game harvester, which he didn't declare to police.

He declined to make a statement to Albury officers following the incident.

Neither man was charged by police with any offence.

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Tribunal senior member Kay Ransome noted the importance of gun laws.

"It has been consistently stated that the legislation requires strict compliance precisely because misuse of firearms can result in catastrophic consequences," she said.

Ms Ransome noted Mr Artridge did not have any previous issues with his gun licence and had no criminal record.

"I have found the majority of the matters raised by the Commissioner are not proven at the required standard to be breaches of the legislation or matters going to the suitability of Mr Artridge to hold a firearms licence," she said.

"In particular, I have not found that he breached safe keeping requirements which led to the theft of four of his firearms nor that he failed to notify the Commissioner of a change in his safe storage address.

"I have, however, found that Mr Artridge has contravened firearms legislation by using his firearms for purposes other than those for which he has been approved."

She noted his good character and said there was no suggestion he had used guns in a dangerous manner, and reinstated his licence.

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