Thread: Gun shot fired in Gun City Car park

Slap on the hand with a wet bus ticket!

Experienced hunter Michael Graham accidentally fired rifle in Christchurch carpark - National - NZ Herald News

A keen hunter who accidentally fired a rifle into a parked car outside a Christchurch gun shop has been left red-faced and been fined $300 today.

Michael John Graham, 50, had taken the high-powered .308 to Gun City in Christchurch to have it serviced on April 9.

But as he was taking it out of his vehicle, he accidentally bumped the trigger.

It fired a shot that travelled through the door of his car and into a woman's vehicle parked beside it.

Graham, of Kaiapoi, earlier pleaded guilty to firing the rifle with reckless disregard for the safety of others.

Today at Christchurch District Court defence counsel Andrew McCormick said Graham was an experienced hunter who has held a firearms licence for 15-20 years.

He was embarrassed and apologetic, McCormick said.

Judge Josephine Bouchier said the shooting resulted in significant trauma for the victim.

She fined Graham $300 and ordered him to pay the victim $984 as reparation.

thats bloody ridiculous. $300 plus a grand reparations is a joke

And no revocation of his FAL?!!

But still, he is a "keen hunter" (WTF has that got to do with his defense) so I guess, like rugby players with some of their antics, we shouldn't be too harsh on the poor fellow.

In the meantime, we as members of this forum have had a wee insight into the suffering of the victims, who could easily have been dead.

I'm surprised also that he legal man didn't apply for and receive name suppression.

Makes the red stuff boil.

I read it, up to the Judge to hand out a suitable fine ( to light in this case ) but I just can't for the life of me get over the wording " bumped the trigger " WTF was it doing loaded in the first place ?
Had it been loaded in the shop as well ? or did he decide to load it in the car park..... unbelievable.

I just hope these Judges are about if I ever do anything stupid.
Sorry sir, I was just walking along with my loaded rifle when I bumped the trigger..........WTF

Originally Posted by viper

I read it, up to the Judge to hand out a suitable fine ( to light in this case ) but I just can't for the life of me get over the wording " bumped the trigger " WTF was it doing loaded in the first place ?
Had it been loaded in the shop as well ? or did he decide to load it in the car park..... unbelievable.

It hadnt made it into the shop it was loaded presumably from the last time he used it . .Nice thing to have pointing at every person he drove past on the way there.....

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

One of the great things about the rules is that you generally have to fuck up more than one to hurt someone. Yes people make mistakes but you need to make a number at the same time ie not treating the firearm as loaded, not pointing in a safe direction, Loading a firearm before being ready to fire etc...

You are describing "Swiss cheese" accident avoidance.

Each one of the 7 firearms rules is a separate slice of Swiss cheese with holes. You now have 7 layers to protect you against accidents, but none of the layers are perfect by themselves, hence the holes. The more layers you remove... the greater the chance that somewhere a series of holes line up and let misfortune through.

It is true as someone above said that you can never be safe enough and that the seven rules are the bare minimum. Next time I'm at the gun shop, I'll get one of them orange nylon thingame markers to always stick in the chamber to flag an open unloaded action. That will be my personal 8th rule.

Originally Posted by Cordite

You are describing "Swiss cheese" accident avoidance.

Each one of the 7 firearms rules is a separate slice of Swiss cheese with holes. You now have 7 layers to protect you against accidents, but none of the layers are perfect by themselves, hence the holes. The more layers you remove... the greater the chance that somewhere a series of holes line up and let misfortune through.

It is true as someone above said that you can never be safe enough and that the seven rules are the bare minimum. Next time I'm at the gun shop, I'll get one of them orange nylon thingame markers to always stick in the chamber to flag an open unloaded action. That will be my personal 8th rule.

@Cordite

That's a very good explaination of James Reasons Swiss Cheese Model.

And yes your right Graham had to fuck up several times in a sequence of events in order for the rifle to discharge.

$300 fine is woefully inadequate, almost embarrassingly so.

Cheers
Pete

so how much would be ' enough ' for you guys ?

i have no idea

R.

Loss of licence for a period of time should be a minimum. The fact that no-one was injured was pure chance.

Originally Posted by stug

Loss of licence for a period of time should be a minimum. The fact that no-one was injured was pure chance.

That has become a very busy little area over the last few years. You'll notice quite a few of those white vehicles with the go faster stripes and xmas lights on the roof hanging around there a lot of the time.

Originally Posted by rossi.45

so how much would be ' enough ' for you guys ?

i have no idea

R.

@rossi.45

When you compare the seriousness of this event with say a fine for no registration on a car at $200 there seems to be something not quite right.

I'd have have thought this man would have also lost his licence, as to my mind he has proved he is no longer a "fit and proper person"by demonstrating a disregard for the basic firearms rules.

Cheers
Pete

No point doing a witch hunt, or a warlock hunt as in this case. Better to take an airline approach and see what might be learned, rather than just vilify someone who I think feels rather shitty at present.

As per above, I personally have taken away from this that I'm definitely getting an orange nylon chamber flag (what's the gizmo called??) to use in any gun I carry or store, basically whenever the chamber is empty (which is most of the time). It will also signal "responsible gun owner".

Your employ judges. Let them judge. He got off light but you got to move on or you will become s miserable moaning old prick. Life is too short.


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heres a very simple explanation -where was the god forsaken common variety common bloody sense huh ??????obviously not there .geez still loaded from last time he used it -well fuck me says a lot about his atitude to firearm maintainence too me thinks.
just suppose for a wee minute a kiddie or youngster gained access to this "hunters"car-right doesnt bear thinking about........... a .308 round soft flesh enclosed space.............
oh yes we can be pedantic and rationalise all we like but at the end of the day,
this is not a fucking good look!!!
If this guys mates start takin the piss,then hes bloody lucky.