The grandmother of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont has been fined $10,500 after pleading guilty to possessing a gun silencer, an offence unrelated to the boy's disappearance eight months ago.
Josie Murray, 75, appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday, where she admitted one aggravated charge of possessing a sound moderator. The device was found during a search of the family's Oak Park station homestead in South Australia's far north on 15 January.
Prosecutor Tania Stevens told the court the silencer was inside a passcode-protected strongroom alongside several firearms, including one modified to fit it. Stevens noted Murray was previously convicted in 2010 for failing to securely store firearms, after a fugitive trespassed and stole an unsecured weapon, later using it to take his own life.
Defence lawyer Andy Ey argued against a custodial sentence, saying the offence was not akin to a 'James Bond movie' scenario. He highlighted the family's trauma, including the missing boy, and said Murray's aunt had been held hostage during the 2010 incident.
Magistrate Roderick Jensen imposed a $10,500 fine and disqualified Murray from holding a firearms licence for five years. Gus was last seen playing at the family's property on 27 September. Police declared his disappearance a major crime in February, naming a resident as a suspect but excluding his parents.
