STATE OF TASMANIA v BRODIE LEE DUDMAN 31 OCTOBER 2025
COMMENTS ON PASSING SENTENCE BRETT J
Brodie Lee Dudman, you have pleaded guilty to an indictable crimes of dealing in firearms when not the holder of an appropriate licence and failing to notify the sale of a firearm. This all arises out of the sale of a particular firearm. It came to the attention of police because being subject to a family violence order, you had to surrender your firearms and obviously you did not have this one to surrender.
I do accept that the crime you have committed is at the lower end of the range because you knew who it was going to, you knew that it was a person who was otherwise licensed to hold firearms and presumably would be responsible when he dealt with it. It could have been sold to him in a lawful way through a dealer as I understand it. I accept that those facts reduce your personal moral culpability, however it is obviously a serious matter because it is an indictable crime and that is because the legislature have realised that people who manufacture, deal and sell firearms unlawfully are generally doing so in an environment where those firearms will end up in the wrong hands. The use of firearms by criminals in our Tasmanian society is in the Court’s experience at epidemic levels and is a matter of great concern to the community, to the safety of the community and in my view, must not be tolerated and must be dealt with. Anybody that commits this crime at all, is contributing to that problem. However, I accept that the particular circumstances in this case do place it at the lower end of the range of seriousness.
I accept what your counsel has said that you are remorseful, you have entered a plea of guilty, you did enter a plea of guilty at an early stage because it was entered in the Magistrates Court. You now find yourself before the Supreme Court dealing with this matter. I accept also, by and large you are a person of good character. You have far too many speeding offences on your record for my liking but insofar as your responsibility in respect of the use of firearms is concerned you have not broken the law before. I take that into account.
You will be convicted of this crime and the offence to which you pleaded guilty. That conviction will have an impact on you as part of the punishment, and you will also have to pay a fine.
You are convicted of these offences. I fine you the sum of $1,000 which is payable within 28 days.