Fresh blow to golden gun smuggler

An American woman facing sentencing after attempting to smuggle a 24-karat gold-plated handgun worth $2000 into Australia is working on a music album, a court has been told.

Liliana Goodson appeared before Downing Centre Local Court on Friday after pleading guilty to two charges of intentionally importing prohibited goods, being the firearm and ammunition.

The 29-year-old had initially fought the charges at a special hearing which was told Ms Goodson had come to Australia to “get into clown school” and Googled that it was “OK” to bring the pistol.

The Floridian did not declare the weapon on her arrival card, with Australian Border Force officers discovering the Colt-45-style pistol in her luggage as it passed through the X-ray machine.

During submissions, Ms Goodson’s lawyer said she had been reliant on synthetic cannabis to self-medicate for past trauma and it was in that state of mind that she decided to pack the weapon.

“She packs the gun into the suitcase while there is this state of paranoia in her mind; the abandonment of her animals (pet dogs), the abandonment of herself,” her lawyer told the court.

“She says she came to Australia because she thought it was a safe place, but she also packed the gun for her own safety and to protect herself … even though the bullets were for a different gun.”

Since clean, her lawyer added: “She is working on an album and has produced 12 songs. Its that creative side that is coming back out now she is no longer on the synthetic cannabis.”

The police prosecutor agreed “trauma underpinned (Ms Goodson’s) need to feel protected”, but disputed claims she made to ABF that she had forgotten the weapon was in her luggage.

Under interview, Ms Goodson later admitted to planning to store the gun under the seat of her car as she had done in the US, and had co-operated with police during their investigation.

The matter was due to proceed to sentencing on Friday but was waylaid after Ms Goodson’s lawyer called for an adjournment so that his client could take a drug test to prove her sobriety.

The American-Peruvian has been stranded in Australia since charges were laid in April 2023, and told the court on numerous occasions she had been sleeping rough, including on trains.

Video was played during the special hearing earlier this year of her initial with police during which, when asked about the gun, she said it was “not even in the back of my mind at all”.

“I had very little life experience … so a lot of things that are common sense to some people are not common sense to me. It skipped my mind that something could happen,” she said.

Ms Goodson claimed to have little knowledge of Australian gun laws but believed once here she would be able to apply for a firearms permit, and said she had had it for self defence.

“I’m going to be honest, I’m scared of shooting it (the gun), but in LA if you just brandish a weapon people will like scatter … I would probably just pistol whip until I got training again,” she said.

Ms Goodson, when placed under arrest, said “it was a dumb mistake and there was no intention to harm” and earlier admitted to having in her bag a “cat spine, squirrel feet and rabbit pee”.

She will return to court for sentencing next month.