Thread: Sentencing over thermal shooting death.

"Safe as houses" them thermals. A mans life is only worth 3yrs jail, less than half likely to be served. I suppose I should be gratefull he didn't get home detention or "community service"

Maybe I need to get a thermal just so I can spot all the thermal shooters first and avoid them. Should only be legal for professional pest controllers and gps logged for operation.

"Oh but I'm safe as, I identify my target every time"..... yeah, everybody is a "good driver" too .....

I agree it's a shit result.
I feel for the kid, follows dad's advice and now has to carry the guilt burden.

complacency kills.

Im amazed at the 40% reduction in sentence for "good character" with previous conviction that would not allow him to have a licence and 1.4kg of weed packaged up in his house, along with other firearms unsecured!
Bit of a joke really, what do you have to do to make you "of not good character"?

Originally Posted by Bhess

Im amazed at the 40% reduction in sentence for "good character" with previous conviction that would not allow him to have a licence and 1.4kg of weed packaged up in his house, along with other firearms unsecured!
Bit of a joke really, what do you have to do to make you "of not good character"?

Have too many speeding tickets when you try to renew your FAL ?

one has to feel for a child entering adolescence minus his father because of the childs actions .lets face it kids are pretty brutal if they sense one has some sort of issue .
do not get me wrong -fathers actions reek of familiarity breeds contempt etc etc and so hes faced the beak for those consequences .a lesson in constant vigilance for us all is it not .
on a more sombre note it also calls into issue the efficacy of much vaunted night sights etc etc currently available or being spruiked by various firearms dealers. .I had s ome experience with ye old starlight scope in my military career but never felt 100%comfortable with the image . no I did not actually fire rounds using it only ever had a brief encounter with SUIT sight on my SLR

no winners there none - everyone lost

I know this is going to be an emotive subject but please guys let's keep this tidy thanks

Take note of the line that states...

The boy shot several possums, but only after Peters had checked and confirmed the target with a hand-held monocular.

He did not do this when the fatal shot was fired, striking Atkins in the forehead.

and the judge...

Justice Peter Churchman said Peters had been “reckless”.

Aggravating features included him not identifying or confirming the target, despite knowing there were other people in the area, the judge said.

A dreadful tragedy for everyone concerned and I feel very much for all involved.
It does highlight the need to ALWAYS check when having someone else shoot under, effectively, your licence, you are held to account as though you had the rifle in your hand.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

Should only be legal for professional pest controllers and gps logged for operation.

OH dear, you think they are safe? This approach seems like another version of "Ban this Ban that make everyone safe". Also incase you haden't noticed it was missuse of a firearm, so I can only assume you are talking about the firearm.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

Maybe I need to get a thermal just so I can spot all the thermal shooters first and avoid them. Should only be legal for professional pest controllers and gps logged for operation.

completely disagree here although a thermal handheld for spotting "potential" targets and a night vision for 100% identifying and shooting are far safer combo

Deer in a NV at 130m

Yes you could identify that deer out in the open with a thermal aswell
However if the deer was semi in the bush you will only see blobs of heat in a thermal (which “could be anything “) with a nv you can probably identify it if say just it’s head was visible
as always if in doubt do not pull the trigger it's better to no meat than causing a tragedy like this

Iv knowing Churchman for many yrs.Even stayed at his place a few times in Dunedin when I was working down there yrs ago.He is a highly regarded Judge in the high courts.You couldnt get a fairer judge in the courts making sentencing decisions these days.Hes no fool.

It would be interesting to know if either party had permission to hunt from "a road" or was this illegal hunting?. Do any forestry companies allow night shooting these days?

Poor 10 year old,he will have nightmares for yrs.You are right BTH,there's no winners here,everybody lost.

after reading the list of indiscretions the jailed has committed Im beginning to think his stance as a role model is putting it mildly substandard. If it was only one id be a little less harsh but hells bells theres at least 3FUBARcategory ones there which frankly he seemd unconcerned with . doesnt do his case any good!
yes ,as said there are no winners in this case.