Your support helps us tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to big tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the finances of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word,’ which shines a light on American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to analyze the facts of the exchange. message.
At such a critical moment in American history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to continue sending journalists to tell both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to block Americans from our reporting and analysis with a paywall. We believe that quality journalism should be available to everyone, and paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes a difference.
An American woman will spend a year in an Australian prison sneaking around in a gilded gun in her luggage last year.
Liliana Goodson, 30, pleaded guilty to charges of illegally importing firearms and ammunition into the country.
SydneyA local court in the Downing Center sentenced her to 12 months in prison, of which four months will be in permanent detention.
The woman arrived at Sydney Airport in April 2023 Florida to attend clown school and was arrested at the airport after customs found a 24-carat gold-plated gun in her bag.
Goodson told the court she had brought a gun worth $3,000 (£2,353) for her own protection.
She was charged with violating customs laws that prevent weapons from being brought into the country.
When asked by the customs officer at the airport if she was carrying anything prohibited, she replied that she was not, and when asked about the gun, she claimed that she had forgotten it, the court was told at a previous hearing.
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” Goodson replied when the officers asked, “What about the gun in your bag?”
However, her phone’s search history revealed that she had researched online about “can I have a gun in my suitcase?” and even set a calendar prompt in her phone to remind her to “put the gun in the suitcase”.
She told the court she had brought the gun into the country for her own protection, but claimed she was “afraid” to use it and would only have the “whip of the gun” in case of emergency.
“If that hadn’t been done, I probably would have just hit the gun,” Goodson told the court.
She said she plans to keep it under the passenger seat and his license is back in Alabama.
The court was told that in recent years she had used banned substances, such as psychedelic drugs, synthetic cannabis and crystal meth.
After the hearing, Goodson was taken into custody and asked to remove all jewelry before being handcuffed.
She was also fined $1,000 and ordered to undergo drug counseling upon her release from prison.
Magistrate Susan Horan pointed out on Monday Australia‘s strong control laws and said there is a need to deter similar offenses in the future.
“Australia has a strong stance against firearms,” she said.
Australia has some of the world’s strictest gun laws brought in after the shooting in the Tasmanian town Port Arthur killed 35 people in April 1996 and wounded 23 more.
The new laws banned the sale and import of all automatic and semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, forced most buyers to provide a legitimate reason for ownership and wait 28 days for the purchase to be completed.
It also resulted in a mandatory gun buyback with the Australian government seizing and destroying nearly 700,000 guns. That move alone halved the number of gun-owning households in the country.