Australia AUSTRALIA - 4YO AUGUST (GUS) Missing from rural family home in Outback, Yunta, South Australia, 27th Sept 2025

[SouthAussie]

“Nobody wants to see this case solved more than Gus’s mum and dad. The police officers who have been dedicated to the investigation and every person who was involved in this research, there’s a strong emotional investment in coming to a resolution for this particular investigation,” SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.

Stevens played down the possibility of an imminent arrest in the case.

Gun charge Gus Lamont’s grandparent facing revealed

The 75-year-old has been hit with an unrelated charge as police probe the four-year-old’s disappearance.

7news.com.au

 

[spiritualdreaming]

“Nobody wants to see this case solved more than Gus’s mum and dad. The police officers who have been dedicated to the investigation and every person who was involved in this research, there’s a strong emotional investment in coming to a resolution for this particular investigation,” SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.

Stevens played down the possibility of an imminent arrest in the case.

Gun charge Gus Lamont’s grandparent facing revealed

The 75-year-old has been hit with an unrelated charge as police probe the four-year-old’s disappearance.

7news.com.au

The charge is one count of possession of a sound moderator that fits onto one of her guns.

“This is an aggravated offence as the moderator fits a firearm in their possession,” police said in a statement.

If found guilty, the maximum penalty is a $75,000 fine or 15 years’ jail time.

Hmm I wonder what the minimum penalty is?

 

[JLZ]

The charge is one count of possession of a sound moderator that fits onto one of her guns.

“This is an aggravated offence as the moderator fits a firearm in their possession,” police said in a statement.

If found guilty, the maximum penalty is a $75,000 fine or 15 years’ jail time.

Hmm I wonder what the minimum penalty is?

Most offences, there is no minimum penalty. Having a minimum is called "mandatory sentencing provisions" and it's controversial. I would say lawyers, judges disapprove of politicians taking over that aspect of their job. But I might be overgeneralising.

 

[SouthAussie]

The charge is one count of possession of a sound moderator that fits onto one of her guns.

“This is an aggravated offence as the moderator fits a firearm in their possession,” police said in a statement.

If found guilty, the maximum penalty is a $75,000 fine or 15 years’ jail time.

Hmm I wonder what the minimum penalty is?

I don't know, but they must go pretty low. I posted some examples from a South Australian lawyer further back.

$1,000 fine for someone who had an unregistered gun in his shed.
$5,000 fine and firearm license suspension for someone who had a license but not for the category of self-loading shotgun that was found, unsecured, in his vehicle
4 years prison for aggravated possession for someone who had a loaded handgun of a high category in his vehicle, with drugs and ammunition in the vehicle, during a drug raid

The police say the charge against Josie is aggravated, and it is not a loaded gun, and it doesn't sound as if the silencer was on the gun when found, and it is illegal to be in possession of a silencer in this state - so I couldn't begin to guess how that will be viewed for any sentencing.

imo

 

[AmoryK]

I don’t think the accident/incident was related to guns. I’ve always, perhaps wrongly, assumed it was an accidental death.

Thinking about such happenings, for most the caregiver could just come clean. I mean, accidents happen, don’t they? There must be some extra element of negligence involved, MOO. Even if, for example, Gus was banned from playing on the trampoline but his grandparents secretly let him when she wasn’t with him, SM could just say he slipped out and got onto it while she was in the house then fell off. However, something like drowning would be negligence, eg if a child of that age were left unattended in a bath for a significant number of minutes. It’s not an everyday accident like a fall. A child could only drown in a bath if there was a freak accident or negligence.

I’ve read of such cases and the parent in question has owned up immediately, but this case isn’t a parent. Perhaps thoughts and feelings change when it’s not a parent.

 

[dennistakes14theteam]

I don’t think the accident/incident was related to guns. I’ve always, perhaps wrongly, assumed it was an accidental death.

Thinking about such happenings, for most the caregiver could just come clean. I mean, accidents happen, don’t they? There must be some extra element of negligence involved, MOO. Even if, for example, Gus was banned from playing on the trampoline but his grandparents secretly let him when she wasn’t with him, SM could just say he slipped out and got onto it while she was in the house then fell off. However, something like drowning would be negligence, eg if a child of that age were left unattended in a bath for a significant number of minutes. It’s not an everyday accident like a fall. A child could only drown in a bath if there was a freak accident or negligence.

I’ve read of such cases and the parent in question has owned up immediately, but this case isn’t a parent. Perhaps thoughts and feelings change when it’s not a parent.

I’m not sure that it was negligence, I’m thinking something more nefarious because otherwise why not just call the police / ambulance

 

[AmoryK]

I’m not sure that it was negligence, I’m thinking something more nefarious because otherwise why not just call the police / ambulance

Shame? Imagine having to tell the parent of the child that they drowned silently while you did X chore or watched TV. And what would the caregiver tell the ambulance when they called? That Child was in the bath and drowned because they hadn’t stayed with him? No 4yr old drowns in the bath.

More than that, perhaps one person (the caregiver involved) wanted to come clean but the other convinces them it would do no good. What’s the point? He’s already gone? It wasn’t your fault? You’ll just be making it worse for the Mum?, etc.

 

[SouthAussie]

I’ve read of such cases and the parent in question has owned up immediately, but this case isn’t a parent. Perhaps thoughts and feelings change when it’s not a parent.

I have wondered if there was a possible misconception that their daughter would hate them, not want to see them ever again, if a fatal accident happened to Gus while in Shannon's care. (And maybe it isn't a misconception. IDK)

But if Gus had wandered off and lost himself, maybe Jess wouldn't view them adversely.

Which has likely all fallen apart for them now, if that's what they thought.

imo

 

[washysmum]

Why had concrete RECENTLY been laid
if this farm/station is empty and allegedly nobody lives there?

Do the grandmothers take care of this farm as it is said to belong to family?

Besides,
the media showed some old ramshackle shed.
Was it the place with recent concrete??

How strange!!!

JMO

 

[washysmum]

I was taken back by the recently poured concrete. I’m equally concerned now the charge against J has come out as having a silencer, no need for that on a farm? And would make sense why I shot might not be heard.

 

[washysmum]

I wanted to acknowledge and applaud this comment. Pretty much daily I think about how the parents must be feeling, the trauma and grief, confusion, how their lives have changed forever. It makes me so sad for them. Sending them virtual support.

Beautifully said.

 

[rvlvr]

I was taken back by the recently poured concrete. I’m equally concerned now the charge against J has come out as having a silencer, no need for that on a farm? And would make sense why I shot might not be heard.

Lots of good reasons to use a silencer on a farm - protecting your hearing is one, avoiding startling pests and livestock another.

 

[washysmum]

Can we have a link to this msm report that Jess has left Josh again?

I too recall reading on DM that a neighbour reported she had moved I don’t have a link, but I don’t think we really have any idea how their relationship works or what’s going on with it, or if it’s actually relevant to the case since they are both not suspects

 

[Ellery84]

Gun charge against grandparent of Gus Lamont revealed

Police charged the 75-year-old earlier this week after a search on the remote Outback sheep station.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Ellery84]

Why had concrete RECENTLY been laid
if this farm/station is empty and allegedly nobody lives there?

Do the grandmothers take care of this farm as it is said to belong to family?

Besides,
the media showed some old ramshackle shed.
Was it the place with recent concrete??

How strange!!!

JMO

We don’t know who takes care of Bullyaninnie, and we are not supposed to discuss it.

 

[washysmum]

Shame? Imagine having to tell the parent of the child that they drowned silently while you did X chore or watched TV. And what would the caregiver tell the ambulance when they called? That Child was in the bath and drowned because they hadn’t stayed with him? No 4yr old drowns in the bath.

More than that, perhaps one person (the caregiver involved) wanted to come clean but the other convinces them it would do no good. What’s the point? He’s already gone? It wasn’t your fault? You’ll just be making it worse for the Mum?, etc.

Shame for sure. Before I had my own son, decades back I was watching a friends two kids, I left the baby on the bed to get a nappy, no idea at the time, she rolled off and had a blood nose, I told the parents the older one had pushed her off the couch because I was to ashamed to admit what happened.

 

[gerardo20]

Josie Murray, grandparent of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont, has been charged with possessing an illegal gun silencer

I don't think any of us had silencer on our radar...
They have legitimate use on farms to reduce hearing damage for users.

 

[WhisperingEyes]

I have wondered if there was a possible misconception that their daughter would hate them, not want to see them ever again, if a fatal accident happened to Gus while in Shannon's care. (And maybe it isn't a misconception. IDK)

But if Gus had wandered off and lost himself, maybe Jess wouldn't view them adversely.

Which has likely all fallen apart for them now, if that's what they thought.

imo

Also, imo, one or both grandparents were then worried about losing all contact with the baby sibling. If an accident happened with Gus that was due to negligence, the grandparents would have not only lost Gus, but the newest grand baby that they've fallen in love with as well if they disclosed what happened to Jess and/or Gus' Dad. They were possibly trying their best to cobble together what is now left of their family.

 

[washysmum]

I don't think any of us had silencer on our radar...
They have legitimate use on farms to reduce hearing damage for users.

Oh I didn’t think of this

 

[SouthAussie]

"Unfortunately, it is no defence to the charge of possessing a silencer to say:

• I bought it when it was legal; [they were not illegal until 2013]
• I haven’t used it since it was made illegal;
• I had forgotten it was even in the shed;
• I didn’t know I even had it anymore.

While none of the excuses above provide a defence, they may help to keep you from getting a prison sentence on guilty plea if any or all of the above are the case."

Firearms Silencers – Don’t get caught out! - Northside Lawyers

Firearm Silencers – don’t get caught out! As criminal lawyers, we have become aware of a significant increase in the number of enquires with us about firearm offences. The South Australian Police do conduct regular firearms safety audits of people with firearms licences, and I believe are doing...

northsidelawyers.com.au