Australian Dad Defends Family With Bow & Arrow (Video)

Bundaberg residents have gone to war in the street, in a major feud captured on video.

Australian Dad Defends Family With Bow & Arrow (Video)

The incident in the news report occurred on Sunday morning, 25th Oct 2015. The family claim this started over kids bullying theirs, and that they have been harassed by their neighbours for years. It all finally comes to a crazy crescendo on Sunday when his son is hit by an adult. Dad and son retaliate and attack the guy with a wooden stick and a Pogo stick. Finally Dad brings out his compound bow and tells everyone to go back inside their boxes as his wife calls the police.

As most here know, it is illegal to own a firearm in Australia unless you are licensed and have an approved reason for owning one (farming & sport for example). It is illegal to own a crossbow, but it is not illegal to own a compound bow.

I know it's easy to quickly judge this family by first looks, but compassion can change lives. It looks like a pretty crazy and intense scene all-round, full of people with many problems - mentally, socially, and emotionally.

I'd like to know what others think. Did this Dad and his son go too far in their own defense?

So check out the news report. Sorry it's a Facebook video, I can't find a local news catch-up link on the Channel 7 website. It would be great if someone here could help out with that.

a reply to: MsVen

Isnt it obvious? they need guns to protect themselves.

a reply to: MsVen

and i thought we only had hick redneck white trash in America, this proves we are are the same and need to get over our petty differences

The people involved are posting on the thread - including two who claim to be the father and son. They have been posting footage from the days before which the news didn't show.



Sounds like they just want people to leave them alone.

Dude was swinging a baseball bat outside their house. There's kids inside.

I'm sorry, I think I should have posted this in "social issues and unrest" .... perhaps a mod can move it?

a reply to: DOCHOLIDAZE1

Yep these type are the rear end of what`s known as Aussie bogans.

Actually I remember seeing these same guys having neighborhood disputes years ago on a current affairs program and their still at it. Someone move or they probably enjoy living like that the lot of them.

a reply to: gps777

Are they thought of as backwards, like some think of our Hillbillies?
THEY aren't really ,they are just poor.

*Takes a deep breath*

Before this goes too far ... there might be some rule here about 'deception' ... I want to reveal myself as one of those in the footage. I'm prepared for the name calling, don't worry.

I am the mother of the family under siege. I'm embarrassed about my appearance as I do have health issues and by that day I was pretty damn stressed and tired. I am still exhausted. I also understand that media chooses sensationalism over any true investigative journalism these days.

However for 6 years I have successfully home schooled my children because of these people, and I am also going to begin a uni degree in about two weeks with my eldest daughter (who has a job as well).

I was born and raised in Sydney and thru matter of circumstances of life I've ended up stuck here in this hellhole. Prior, we were living in a remote country town with a local support network for our triplets, and a hospital, shop, and school just a few blocks up the road. We don't drive. Now we live 7 kms from the closest shop. Forcing our family to move here was cruel.

Anyway, I need to go to the police station as they are finally willing to take my evidence about the incident on Saturday with the baseball bat. Wish me luck as I run the gauntlet on my electric bike.

In addition, I just want to post something my partner shared for me on Facebook this morning, in response to all the assumptions and abusive comments in the thread. Take it or leave it, my friends. BBS.

============================================

If it is the will of Bundy I will take a drug test against that Alex fella who likes to make up weirdo lies about my beautiful 9 year old triplet girls who've never been able to defend themselves against any of this. I'll take a drug test against any of the people involved ... but are they willing to step up too?

There seem to be people coming from all over Bundy to join Alex's crusade against my children. We told our friends to stay away.

I'm wondering how big the "Bundy Crew" really needs to be until they are satisfied that my triplets are so terrified they wouldn't dare go near any of their houses.

I'm wondering why they have never let my girls play in our own front yard or at the park in peace. I'm wondering why neighbours called the police on my triplets, who were 5 years old at the time, for drawing hop-scotch squares on the road in front of our home while we supervised. I'm wondering why the "Bundy Crew" insist on being so sick and cruel to 9 year old girls. I'm wondering why the Bundy kids bullied and beat my son since he was 6 years old, to the point we now successfully home school all our kids - 6 years strong now.

But I'll take that drug test any day .... right now! I haven't been able to sleep again tonight because all I want is for someone to come take that drug test.

I wonder how any mother would look (let alone a home schooling mother of higher order multiples), after having been under siege with her family for days in their home ... having had no sleep and not much to eat because of such stress (not to mention getting attacked every time you tried to go shopping)? I wonder how she would look?

I've slept probably 12 hours total, if that, in the last 7 days. I had slept maybe 3 hours in the three days previous to the footage which appeared on TV.

I'm willing to take a drug test against Alex and the "Bundy Crew" today ... NOW ... Bring it on! But are any of them willing to step up too?

BTW It was our house, reporting assault on a minor, who called the police to the matter on Sunday morning. Seems that in their gleeful eagerness to get footage with their phones, they forgot to call the cops about their shear terror.

a reply to: MsVen

Was going to make a little joke posting but will refrain from doing so.
Wish you all the best and that the harassments are over quickly

Someone would have been shot if this same thing happened in America. . .

The same anger that prompted the guy to grab the bow would have been the same for a guy here in the USA to reach for his gun.

Was the bow justified? Probably not, they weren't in any real life-threatening danger.

The thing is, the man went for a weapon that can kill with the intent to fire it -- in America someone probably has a pistol instead of a bow at hand.

Not everyone that owns a gun is responsible enough to own one, just like how not everyone who owns a bow is responsible enough to own one.

a reply to: MsVen

Not sure what to say to this,due to having got into it with our neighbors over the years. And yes I have hopped a few fences in my time to get in someone's face. I just can't deal with people taking a baseball bat to a dog,I don't care if it is their dog or not. And the damn humane society is useless in those cases.

So I will reserve judgement on this unless I can get both sides of the story and how it all started.

The participant should limit her public statements on the matter.

a reply to: cavtrooper7

Backward? hadn`t really thought of those types as backward or poor.

Give them a lot of money and they will still be the same way, TROUBLE.

Good luck to anyone who finds themselves in the unfortunate situation of neighbors such as that.

If they couldn`t talk and become civil and neighborly to each other and settle things 7 odd years ago and its still raging on to the point of killing one another till this day and no one moves location within that length of time??

a reply to: MsVen

The vid titled "bogan retreat prequel" the guy with the beard was talking and wasn`t aggressive, if that young guy holding the camera didn`t start abusing and calling him every name under the sun and talked civilly, maybe just maybe progress could have been made.

How many times have you guys appeared on news or tv shows, you`ve been on a current affairs and when neighbors turn bad or what ever they call it.

Do you get paid by these tv shows you keep appearing on over this type of conflict?

What do you think would be achieved by posting and airing your dirty laundry on ATS ? when there are always two sides.

originally posted by: MsVen

Bundaberg residents have gone to war in the street, in a major feud captured on video.

Australian Dad Defends Family With Bow & Arrow (Video)

The incident in the news report occurred on Sunday morning, 25th Oct 2015. The family claim this started over kids bullying theirs, and that they have been harassed by their neighbours for years. It all finally comes to a crazy crescendo on Sunday when his son is hit by an adult. Dad and son retaliate and attack the guy with a wooden stick and a Pogo stick. Finally Dad brings out his compound bow and tells everyone to go back inside their boxes as his wife calls the police.

As most here know, it is illegal to own a firearm in Australia unless you are licensed and have an approved reason for owning one (farming & sport for example). It is illegal to own a crossbow, but it is not illegal to own a compound bow.

I know it's easy to quickly judge this family by first looks, but compassion can change lives. It looks like a pretty crazy and intense scene all-round, full of people with many problems - mentally, socially, and emotionally.

I'd like to know what others think. Did this Dad and his son go too far in their own defense?

So check out the news report. Sorry it's a Facebook video, I can't find a local news catch-up link on the Channel 7 website. It would be great if someone here could help out with that.

I think one of the things can could be done is to allow certain classes of people to own personal defense devices at that are non leathal but effective.

For example, is this family felt they have been harrassed for years then they should be able to take their case to a minor court where there is no legal representation who could consider the merits of their cases, make relative enquires etc. If that court found the family was at risk of violence from the other family they could be permitted by the court, to own a tazer, or a MACE for example.

What Im saying here is that the law should recognise the gross imbalance that can exist between a person at risk and a potential threat.

Women living alone, old men living alone, a disabled person etc. The needs to recognise that these people have a very reduced ability to defend themselves.

No one is suggesting that these classes of people should have an automatic right to such weapons but the law should provide for their case to be eavluated and given due consideration on a case by case basis.

Another suggestion I will offer is that as these negihbourhood disputes become more and more serious, the above court should have the power to order one or both families to sell up and move a minimum distance away from that street. In the case of a rental property, the court could initate termination of the renatal agreement and oder evection take place.

Such action should only be able to be taken after sufficient a warning periods has has expired and the court is satisfied that the harrassment has not ceased.

Wes, I know, these days such a law could be abused too but some right of appeal or input from neighbours, compulsory mediation etc could also be options the court could order before eviction or forced sale is ordered.

Just puttin ideas out there.

originally posted by: earthling42
a reply to: MsVen

Was going to make a little joke posting but will refrain from doing so.
Wish you all the best and that the harassments are over quickly

Thank you for the positive sentiment.

Having said that, please feel free to be cruel or be kind. I haven't posted this at ATS to pussy foot around. I may not have many posts here, but I do know this community. Call me trash, hick, bogan, or whateva. Insulting comments about the footage wouldn't have been against ATS policy before you knew it was me. I doubt there could be anything said much more worse than the assumptions and things already being said about me on social media.

Yes, things you say may make me upset and angry, and I might even cry, but I went into this thread fully aware of that.

Because of my build and life-long "women's health" problems, I already know what people think of me, even though they are wrong. I've lived with that impression for my entire adult life - I'm fairly used to it. But this time the whole world is jumping to conclusions and judging me because I'm thin and they are unaware of my "women's health" problems. I was prepared for this as soon as the news crew arrived on my doorstep .... but are there any ladies here who can relate to how that might feel?

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Someone would have been shot if this same thing happened in America. . .

The same anger that prompted the guy to grab the bow would have been the same for a guy here in the USA to reach for his gun.

Was the bow justified? Probably not, they weren't in any real life-threatening danger.

The thing is, the man went for a weapon that can kill with the intent to fire it -- in America someone probably has a pistol instead of a bow at hand.

Not everyone that owns a gun is responsible enough to own one, just like how not everyone who owns a bow is responsible enough to own one.

Hi Mystic. I agree with much of your post, though I'll protest that Leslie never really had any intent to fire. He tells me he was pretty exhausted and somewhat nervous. The bow was not even properly drawn. Any archer who views the footage should be able to see that.



I was already on the phone to 000 when footage shows Leslie retreat to the house saying "call the police". He is still holding the pogostick he used to defend our son after he was hit by Alex. Only then does he ask for the compound bow which was always kept in the cupboard of our bedroom.



He comes out with his bow and chases them all back inside their boxes. Once they all go in, I take the bow from him and put it away in the cupboard again. We wait a few minutes for the police to arrive. Leslie was quite aware he was going to be arrested. He has not been charged with assault or for bringing out his bow.

Not everyone who owns a baseball bat is responsible enough to own one. I don't even know if there is a baseball club in Bundy. And if there is, I highly doubt these guys play. We have however, practiced archery for several years now as a home school sport.

I allowed police to enter my home and showed them where it was kept. I allowed them to enter a second time to confiscate it and our arrows. We expected this.

I do not want to say too much about my opinions on Australian firearm laws. I will say however, that I understand why the 2nd amendment was included in the American constitution. In addition, if laws were different here, my family still has zero desire to own a gun.

originally posted by: Dimithae
a reply to: MsVen

Not sure what to say to this,due to having got into it with our neighbors over the years. And yes I have hopped a few fences in my time to get in someone's face. I just can't deal with people taking a baseball bat to a dog,I don't care if it is their dog or not. And the damn humane society is useless in those cases.

So I will reserve judgement on this unless I can get both sides of the story and how it all started.

It is fair to reserve judgement.

The footage you see in the news report is 98% their footage. I feel like "our side" has not been shown or really told at all yet. "Looking over the fence" (or whatever I say) was only the end of a rant at my neighbour who is oblivious that her kids had been looking through our side loungeroom window, and were also filming us in our backyard as they were looking over the fence! Yer ... it was getting a little creepy. BTW Alex doesnt even live next door to us. We are always in our own yard when he comes onto her property next door to abuse us over the fence.

We talked with the media for quite some time when they visited. Only a few seconds of our footage is shown on the news. Our footage is edited to look like nothing - neighbours simply lined up in their yard across the road. And our footage which showed the guy swinging his baseball bat around on Saturday is cut not to show it. Let's be honest. This is Australia. There was a bow and arrow!! As I had expected and warned my children before the report was even broadcast - the media will always choose the sensational angle.

We believe the news may have edited the neighbours footage so that it does not show Alex hitting my son. But I've never seen it, and much of the time that kid had his camera shoved up in my face ... so who knows? One of triplets saw her brother get hit. She saw his camera fly out of his hands and swing around his neck until it rested on his back. This turned off his camera and he lost the footage he was filming. Alex didn't like it that my boy was saying "Boo" to his face. Why would my boy be doing that though?

Anyway, here's Alex looking sideways at my son the day before ...



As to what started it? Seven year long story short - kids bullying. But I'm not really sure why for some, the mentality continues past junior high school.

I dont expect any of this to alter your right to reserve judgement. Cheers!

a reply to: MsVen

This shows their behaviour towards random strangers.