Guilty plea over handgun in pub

A WOMAN who drunkenly carried a handgun into a pub and told security she was going to shoot the man who broke her granddaughter’s legs pleaded guilty to a range of charges in Launceston yesterday.

Supreme Court Justice Robert Pearce heard that Punchbowl woman Katrina Gail Chick, 53, entered The Commercial Hotel in Launceston and began talking to a security guard on October 5, 2018.

The guard heard her say, “I’m going to shoot this guy, he broke my granddaughter’s legs”. Chick was witnessed by patrons of the hotel to be carrying a gun, which she tucked into her top before police arrived and arrested her.

Chick has pleaded guilty to being unlawfully armed in public, handling a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, handling a firearm without a licence, having an unregistered firearm and resisting police.

Police determined the gun was a blanks pistol, in working order, but unable to fire projectiles. The 6mm gun required a category H firearm licence.

Crown prosecutor Luke Brett said the fact the gun could only shoot blanks minimised the danger to the public, but the public who saw the gun were not to know that.

In Chick’s defence, lawyer Fran McCracken said Chick never intended to hurt anybody, but wanted to be arrested so she could escape her stressful family.

She said Chick knew the man she believed hurt her granddaughter would not be there, and only told security she was going to shoot the man so she would be taken seriously and be arrested.

Ms McCracken said the incident was a “cry for help”.

Chick has been in custody since the incident and is expected to be sentenced on Monday.