In sentencing for weapons offences under the Weapons Act 1990 (Qld), interstate sentencing decisions (particularly from New South Wales) are relevant sources of principle given the national approach to firearms regulation. The manufacture of weapons using 3D printing is a serious aggravating factor warranting general deterrence. Hypothetical risks to the community from unsecured weapons are a relevant sentencing consideration under s 3 and s 50(2) of the Act. The special leniency principle in AB v The Queen does not apply where an offender's admissions merely confirm what police have already discovered during a search, rather than confessing to previously unknown criminal conduct.
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