A woman who "deeply regrets" packing a gun in her bag before she flew to Australia will face sentencing in December following further delays in her court case.
Liliana Goodson admitted illegally importing an unauthorised illegal firearm and illegally importing ammunition as she faced a hearing earlier this year.
The 30-year-old was arrested at Sydney Airport in April 2023 after being questioned by Australian Border Force officers about the 24-carat gold-plated pistol, worth about $3000, in her luggage.
The court was previously told Goodson came to Australia to attend clown school.
On Friday when Goodson was listed to be sentenced, Downing Centre Local Court was told she has more recently focused her creative efforts on music and has produced a dozen songs for an album she's working on, in addition to volunteering at an art centre.
"That creative side is coming back out now … she's capable of rehabilitation … and she wishes for me to convey to the court how sorry she is for what she's done," her lawyer Chris Davis told the court.
"It's taken her a while to get to this point but she's here and she is sorry she packed the gun and shipped off the ammunition to this country, and she deeply regrets the course of action that she took."
The separately shipped ammunition was the wrong calibre for the gun.
Magistrate Susan Horan questioned Goodson's report of being "drug-free" after noting she did not appear to be "following the proceedings terribly well".
"When there's no independent evidence I can't accept that from the bar table," Ms Horan said.
Mr Davis said Goodson wanted to get tests to support her claim.
Prosecutors opposed an adjournment after earlier telling the court a picture of the gun "speaks for itself".
"This is a very confronting piece of firearm, which in my submission would terrify anyone presented with it," crown prosecutors submitted.
Goodson claimed the gun was for her own protection.
"Protection by such means of having a firearm, is not the laws of Australia … a stance perhaps some Australians take pride in," prosecutors said.
The case will return to court in December.
