A judge sentenced a man for selling shortened firearms and asserts that the case should serve as a warning to others that such offending will result in “harsh” jail sentences. Matt John Marks, 34, faced Brisbane Supreme Court for sentencing on Jan. 22 after pleading guilty to drug dealing and illegal gun sales. Marks admitted to one count each of trafficking and possessing dangerous drugs and three counts of unlawful supply of weapons in the high-powered rifle, rapid-fire shotgun, or handgun categories. Justice Peter Callaghan told Marks that Queensland laws required him to spend at least two-and-a-half years in custody for charges involving the supply of shortened firearms. Shortened firearms are defined in Queensland as a rifle or shotgun that has been reduced in length to less than 75 centimeters. The judge emphasized that his hope is that word will spread of the penalties imposed for weapons offenses.
The crown prosecutor revealed that Marks had sold mainly methamphetamine along with cannabis to at least 44 customers over the course of about seven months up to late October 2021. The serious nature of the offense was attributed to the frequency of the drug supply, the sale of drugs on credit, and references to using a debt collector, with a confirmation that the profits primarily went into his own drug consumption. Defense barrister Daniel Boddice noted that Marks had demonstrated good behavior in the two years since he was arrested. However, Justice Callaghan stated that the decision was out of his hands, and sentenced Marks, of Alberton in the Gold Coast’s rural north, to four years’ imprisonment to be suspended after serving two-and-a-half-years in custody. The judge strongly discouraged involvement in shortened weapons or any unauthorized dealing in firearms, emphasizing that the penalties are severe.