Former Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders fined $2k after pleading guilty to firearm offences

West Australian

8 hours ago

Former Broome bishop Christopher Saunders has been fined $2000 after pleading guilty to firearms charges.
The charges relate to Saunders' failure to properly secure ammunition and a firearm, with Magistrate Deen Potter describing his storage practices as 'extremely lax.'
Broome Magistrates Court was on Monday told that hundreds of rounds of ammunition were found inadequately stored in Saunders' home, office and vehicle, including 500 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition hidden inside a camera bag.
A CZ bolt-action rifle was also discovered unsecured in his car during travels in southern WA in January last year.
Appearing via video link, Saunders' lawyer Tony Hager asked the court to consider his client's age — 75 — and the fact he had no prior criminal record.
In handing down the fine, Mr Potter noted changes to firearm laws since Saunders obtained his licence and said that while the offences were serious, they warranted a financial penalty rather than a jail sentence.
More than 1200 rounds of ammunition and a shotgun were allegedly uncovered in Mr Saunders' Broome home in December 2023.
The charges are part of a broader WA police investigation into historical child sexual abuse allegations against the 75-year-old.
Saunders was first arrested in February last year, after an investigation ordered by the Pope found he likely sexually assaulted four youths, while potentially grooming another 67 over 50 years.
He now faces a total of 39 charges, including alleged child sex abuse, firearms offences, and assault, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.
WA Police allege Saunders indecently dealt with a male child between 2009 and 2010, amid a series of charges involving multiple complainants and incidents spanning more than a decade.
His arrest in January led to six new charges, including sexual penetration of a child under 13, indecent dealings, and common assault, bringing the total number of charges against him to almost 40.
Saunders first drew national attention last year when he became the highest-ranking member of the Catholic Church in Australia to be accused of sex crimes since Cardinal George Pell's acquittal by the High Court in 2020.