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 to 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 located inside a passcode-protected strongroom alongside several firearms, including one modified to fit it. Stevens noted Murray had a prior conviction 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, stating the silencer was not used for criminal purposes. He highlighted the family's trauma, including Gus's disappearance, saying, 'It's been an extremely difficult time for my client. A grandchild went missing on the property late last year.'
Magistrate Roderick Jensen imposed a fine of $10,500 and disqualified Murray from holding a firearms licence for five years. Gus was last seen playing at the family's station on 27 September. Police declared his disappearance a major crime in February, naming a resident as a suspect but ruling out his parents.
