The sentencing of Matua Parkinson in the Whakatāne District Court today marks the completion of a collaborative effort by Police and the Firearms Safety Authority-Te Tari Purēke to hold firearms offenders to account.
Parkinson is a former firearms licence holder who pleaded guilty in June to unlawful possession of five Alfa Carbine rifles which he supplied to an unlicensed person.
Parkinson, aged 49, admitted travelling from his Tauranga home to two Gun City stores in Auckland where he paid almost $11,000 in cash for five Alfa Carbines in June 2022. The firearms have not been recovered.
Detective Inspector Albie Alexander said Parkinson's offending put the public and Police at risk.
"Parkinson has held high positions of responsibility in the community, including an elected health board official and been captain of the All Blacks Sevens. Alongside such roles he was also required to meet the legal obligations to be a fit and proper person to hold a firearms licence," DI Alexander says.
"Any diversion of lawfully purchased firearms to unlicensed people, potentially gang members, criminals or extremists, poses a significant safety threat to the public and to frontline Police officers.
"The National Organised Crime Group is aware of multiple examples of sawn-off Alfa Carbine rifles being used to commit crimes, including homicides. More than 70 percent of firearms seized from offenders are standard rifles and shotguns, easily obtained by a so-called 'A-Category' licence holder.
"Today's sentencing brings an end to court proceedings involving Parkinson, but the full impact of his offending is ongoing as the Alfa Carbines he supplied to unlicensed people remain in circulation and are most likely in the hands of criminals.
DI Alexander says Police and colleagues from the Firearms Safety Authority-Te Tari Purēke collaborated to revoke Parkinson's firearms licence and remove all firearms from his possession when his alleged offending became known in 2023.
Firearms Safety Authority Executive Director Angela Brazier says the law requires licence holders to act in the interests of personal and public safety and maintain their fit and proper status at all times.
"Holding a firearms licence is a privilege reserved for those who follow the law. The vast majority of licence holders are law abiding who have no trouble meeting their responsibilities.
"For a criminal few, offending will become a lot harder over time with the new Firearms Registry. When fully rolled out it will help flag unusual patterns of firearms purchasing in real time and help to reduce the flow of lawfully held firearms to the illegal market," says Angela Brazier.
