A father who gunned down his two teenage children as they cowered in fear in their own home obtained the gun through the police firearms registry but could have been stopped.
John Edwards, 68, killed his children Jack, 15, and Jennifer, 13, earlier this month before turning the gun on himself.
Since the horrific incident, The Daily Telegraph has reported that Edwards repeatedly failed background checks at a number of gun clubs.
He was successful in obtaining a Commissioner’s Permit from the firearms registry, an organisation which had powers to override a history that would otherwise be flagged in a standard application.
John Edwards (pictured), 68, killed his children in their Jack, 15, and Jennifer, 13, with grans he had obtained after being granted a Commissioner’s Permit
Edwards had an apprehended violence order on his record but because it was more than a decade old the registry would not be able to override any past failures in the application process.
However that one protection order ultimately gave the registry the power to deny Edwards a Commissioner’s Permit on discretionary grounds, something that was not done.
The Firearms Regulation 2017 outlines the process for the ‘discretionary grounds for refusal’ for a pistol permit.
‘The Commissioner may refuse to issue a permit to a person unless the person has successfully completed such firearms training and safety courses as the Commissioner considers to be appropriate in respect of the permit concerned,’ it reads.
Mandatory refusal of a pistol permit application is handed down if it’s discovered the applicant intends on using a firearm to hunt, fish or farm.
The second instance in which the permit can be refused is if the gun will be used for personal protection.
Jack, 15, (pictured left) and Jennifer, 13, (pictured right) were shot in killed in their Sydney home last week
‘The Commissioner may refuse to issue a permit authorising the possession or use of a firearm if the Commissioner is satisfied that the applicant intends to possess or use the firearm for personal protection or the protection of any other person or for the protection of property,’ the act reads.
Shooters Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak said the system in place had failed.
‘He is not unique in that he applied for a licence with an expired AVO and ongoing domestic issues, and after he got his full licence he then applied and got two PTAs, permissions to acquire,’ he said.
The Ku-Ring-Gai Pistol Club rejected Edwards’ application for membership in 2017 due in large part to his history, which potential members are compelled to divulge in their application forms.
It’s believed Edwards was denied entry to a number of other gun clubs before finally being accepted by the St Mary’s Indoor Shooting Centre after he was granted the Commissioner’s Permit
It’s believed Edwards was denied entry to a number of other gun clubs before finally being accepted by the St Mary’s Indoor Shooting Centre after he was granted the Commissioner’s Permit.
The club released a statement in the wake of the tragedy, expressing their deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by the double murder.
‘Privacy obligations do not permit the centre to publicly disclose the details of individual applications, other than to say they are assessed and processed in strict accordance with the legal requirements overseen by the NSW Police Firearms Registry,’ the statement read.
The permit allowed Edwards to train at the club, a step required on the path to being a licensed gun holder in New South Wales.
The permit allowed Edwards to train at the club, a step required on the path to being a licensed gun holder in New South Wales
The Daily Telegraph alleges that after this process Edwards was able to purchase the guns that he would go on to use on his own children in the brutal double murder suicide.
The NSW Government website states a Commissioner’s License can be granted if a legitimate reason for owning a firearm exists, ‘but the legislation does not provide a specific permit or licence and the Commissioner considers it appropriate’.
The Firearms Regulation 2017 also outlines the reasons an applicant would be disqualified from obtaining a license.
They include offences relating to firearms, prohibited drugs, public order or assaults against law enforcement officers and violence.
Others are offences related to sex crimes, robbery, riot, affray, terrorism and being part of a criminal group.