Those whacky crossbow toting Aussies

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-09-07 05:50am

Holy Shit!

Mobile saves man from killer arrow
By Suzanne Klotz
September 6, 2004

A MOBILE phone carried in a shirt pocket saved a man's life when it stopped a crossbow arrow fired by a drug dealer, a court heard today.

Michael Brown escaped with nothing more than an injured finger in the attack outside Ipswich, west of Brisbane, on December 16, 2002, the Supreme Court was told.

Prosecutor Tim Ryan said Brown, 33, was targeted by Robert Troy Scanlon, who believed him to be a police operative.

Scanlon, 31, was sentenced to 12 years' jail by Justice Phil McMurdo after pleading guilty to attempted murder and drug possession.

Mr Ryan said Brown had approached Scanlon for 10 pounds of marijuana, but had bought only an ounce, returning a second time to purchase another ounce.

Scanlon threatened Brown that he would kill him if he turned out to be a police informant, Mr Ryan said.

The court heard Scanlon planned the attack on Brown, buying the crossbow at an archery store and practising before hiding it in bushland north of Ipswich.

Scanlon lured Brown to the spot at night and fired the arrow, but it became lodged in his mobile phone and he fled.

Defence barrister Sean Barry denied Scanlon had tried to kill Brown because he thought he was a police informant.

But Mr Barry told the court he was not able to say what Scanlon's motive had been.

He said his client, although not normally a drug dealer, had been approached by Brown for drugs at his work as a spray painter in Ipswich.

Justice McMurdo said he took into account that Scanlon did not initiate the drug deal.

AAP

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2004-09-07 07:01am

Charged with Atempted Murder and drug Possession, but not carrying a weopen? hows that work?

Post by **Edi** » 2004-09-07 07:16am

Dartzap wrote:Charged with Atempted Murder and drug Possession, but not carrying a weopen? hows that work?

Because you don't need a license to possess a crossbow, hence it is legal to own one and carry it with you. They can't charge you with what's not in the lawbooks.

Edi

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2004-09-07 07:17am

Bah, i suppose...

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2004-09-07 11:06am

*checks to see if it's legal to kill someone with a compound bow & arrow in Canada*

Post by **Beowulf** » 2004-09-07 11:57am

aerius wrote:*checks to see if it's legal to kill someone with a compound bow & arrow in Canada*

*doesn't even attempt to look it up*

It's as legal as me successfully strangling you to death.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2004-09-07 11:59am

Beowulf wrote:*doesn't even attempt to look it up*

It's as legal as me successfully strangling you to death.

There's probably some obscure law somewhere that states I can do it as long as the guy's wearing a kilt or something.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-09-07 01:37pm

aerius wrote:
Beowulf wrote:*doesn't even attempt to look it up*

It's as legal as me successfully strangling you to death.
There's probably some obscure law somewhere that states I can do it as long as the guy's wearing a kilt or something.

In York you may shoot a Scotsman who is within the city walls with a longbow on any day excepting Sundays.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-09-07 01:41pm

The obvious solution to this crime wave is to ban sharp pointy things now.

(In all seriousness, that's the first time I've ever heard of a crime being committed with a crossbow...)