Jail for man who supplied guns used in a murder

Warrigal

Warrigal

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More of this please

Lewis McPherson murder: Charles Cullen jailed for supplying gun to killer Liam Humbles

By court reporter James Hancock
Thu 9 Oct 2014, 11:27am


Photo: Charles Cullen was jailed for supplying the pistol to the killer. (ABC News)


A man who supplied a gun used to shoot dead an Adelaide teenager has been given an eight-year jail term.
Lewis McPherson, 18, was killed in a street at Warradale on New Year's Eve in 2012 while walking with friends.
Charles Alexander Cullen, 21, pleaded guilty to three offences relating to the supply of the pistol which Liam Humbles, then 17, used to kill Mr McPherson.

Humbles is serving at least 18 years in jail for the murder.
Cullen was given a non-parole term of three years and nine months for supplying the gun and for drug offences.

The District Court was told Cullen came from a good family but dropped out of studying law after he got hooked on drugs.
Judge Paul Muscat said guns had no place in a civilised society and should be totally banned to prevent them falling into criminal hands.

Outside court, the murder victim's father Mark McPherson praised the judge's anti-guns stance.

"A total prohibition - maybe one day we might be able to get somewhere close, but in the meantime it is those unregistered and illicit firearms out there that are the concern," he said. "I would just say to people, hand them in. If you've got them hand them in because it will only end up in grief for you."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-09/charles-cullen-8-years-jail-gun-sold-liam-humbles/5800988
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The disposition of this case and the thoughts in regard to guns sounds about right to me...
 
In the US it's what they call straw purchasers who legally buy guns then give or sell them to criminals.
 

why- you don't know if the weapon was stolen. woman next door borrows your car, goes crazy runs down some school kids they arrest you , please don't give me the tired, "cars, swimming pools, bicycles, etc. are different, when its your inability to separate inanimate objects from animate
 
I don't know what supplied means. Was the supplier a co-conspirator, did they act in collusion to commit the murder, did the supplier have knowledge that the gun was going to be used for that?, was he a previous friend (using the term loosely). How was it supplied? did the guy say, "here take this", or did the suppliee say "this is nice can I have it?"

term straw purchaser doesn't really mean anything (used by liberal gun control freaks who don't or have never purchased/owned firearms to support gun confiscation).. On form 4733 in the US the person is asked it the gun is for someone else or for themselves, if the person lies and channels the gun, they commit a felony at the point, (lied on form 4733) and charged etc accordingly. If the gun is used in a crime, the "transaction" or channeling is looked at to determine the intent of the "supplier" (in your terms).

most criminals who are involved with weapons charges, face other charges, and the weapons charges which are more severe, are dropped during the plea bargain process for a guilty plea on a group of lesser charges.

The supplier had drug charges however the gun stuff got all the press. A lot going on here not reported.

However in the USA, it would being very easy to get a retrial simply based on the bias of the judges comments.
 
Charles Alexander Cullen, 21, pleaded guilty to three offences relating to the supply of the pistol, used by then 17-year-old Liam Patrick Humbles on New Year's Eve in 2012.
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I see you've read the article but there can be no retrial because he pleaded guilty to the charges. The judge's comments were made at sentence and had no effect on whether he was guilty or not. He could appeal on severity of sentence but there would be no retrial because no errors in law occurred.
 
can't comment on what games the DA was playing on the charges, his guilty plea is a hash plea. Judges comments are not irrelevant in the US. Many times the judges will expound on a point of law, or setting an example. If they are smart they stay quiet and keep political comments for another time. I still have no information what supply means in the context of the post.
 
so why was the guy involved with the teen? Did the teen think he didn't have to pay for his drugs? a lot not said, did the supplier give the other guy the gun because the dealer was not giving him his drugs. does Aussie law have pre-trial investigations?

do illegal drugs have a place in civilized society? (judges list was pretty short) surprised CNN was the reporting agency
 
I imagine the three charges were all related to the one offence. I have no further information either. We would need to ferret out the court transcripts which I'm not about to do for this point. The judge's comments did seem to me to be more outspoken than is usual in this case. especially since there was no trial evidence heard.
 
rt3 said:
so why was the guy involved with the teen? Did the teen think he didn't have to pay for his drugs? a lot not said, did the supplier give the other guy the gun because the dealer was not giving him his drugs. does Aussie law have pre-trial investigations?

do illegal drugs have a place in civilized society? (judges list was pretty short) surprised CNN was the reporting agency
Click to expand...

As I said earlier, I know no more than is reported in the news.

The Australian justice system involves charges being made on behalf of the Crown by police prosecutors from the office of DPP (similar to your DA's office). We don't have a system of grand juries.

Not sure what you mean by the drug question - illegal drugs are just that - illegal.
My link was to the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission). CNN must have just picked up the story.
 
rt3, I've found a bit more information relating to the shootings and murder, for which another man, 17 yo at the time, has been sentenced to life in gaol with a non parole period of 24 y 2 mths.

Cullen supplied the gun and was also a drug dealer who supplied the shooter with the weapon, a .22 pistol

Make up your own mind because it is now 1.00 am over here (daylight saving) and I have to get up fairly early tomorrow.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...846038801?nk=c3b50c6ae8666a61e6a07e8dfa4f9aa9

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...-lewis-mcpherson/story-fni6uo1m-1226840714540
 

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