A camouflage-clad Nathaniel Train, driving a black 4WD carrying loaded guns and military knives, broke through the NSW border gate into Queensland in December last year.

The COVID-19 border breach — along with other evidence that the former school principal potentially broke laws relating to the possession and disposal of weapons during the same incident — was reported to Queensland police less than a year before Train was involved in a deadly shooting that resulted in the deaths of two young police constables.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has said she did not have the "full extent of information" about whether the Trains were known to police, what weapons they had or details of domestic violence allegations.

A Queensland farmer in the Goondiwindi region who asked not to be named said he had contacted police about the incident after finding Train on a flooded road near the border.

The farmer said Train had tried to ram his black Toyota LandCruiser through the border gates.

When that failed, the farmer said Train used an angle grinder to cut the padlock on the gates and drive into Queensland.

The man said he watched Train as he began dumping items from his car into floodwaters.

"He jumped out of the car and started ditching all the stuff out of the car and throwing it into the creek. I thought, 'that looks sketchy.'"

Train returned to his vehicle to take guns, a bow and arrow and some military-style "Rambo" knives before getting into their vehicle, the farmer said.

The farmer said he found documents near where the vehicle had been, including some that identified him as Nathaniel Train and outlined his work history at a NSW school.

He said he contacted police about the vehicle and the border breach, fearing the car might have been stolen.

Police told him because the vehicle had not been stolen, there was nothing they could do, he said.

Weapons strewn across flooded creek bed
Hours later when water began receding beside the vehicle, the farmer said they began finding weapons.

He said that among the items Train had ditched in the creek were at least three firearms – "short scrub sort of weapons" and ammunition.

He said the firearms were retrieved from the water and found to be loaded.

He said he contacted police about the weapons and they were eventually taken away.

"They were short-range weapons,'' he said.

"We assumed they were either stolen or unregistered. I rang the police a day after to report it."

As of this Friday, Train's Toyota LandCruiser 200 series was still on the farmer's property.

Checks on the 4WD's registration plates have revealed the vehicle had been registered in NSW until October 28, 2022.

Shop owner John Miorandi said he had heard of someone who had "smashed through the gate and was coming to Talwood".

"We heard, there was Fijian farm workers out there and when the flood went down … they said, 'Hey look at all this stuff next to the fence.'

"There was a heap of stuff there, like a lot of stuff and when the water was going lower and lower they started finding guns".

The farmer said Train's former wife, who lives in NSW, now wanted the vehicle back.

Mr Springborg said the council would have reported the breach to police.

He said there was also a camera on the bridge, which would have recorded the incident and supplied the footage to police.

"That's how the police apprehended quite a few people,'' Mr Springborg said.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) said it would not be providing comment while the Ethical Standards Command conducted a major investigation into the incident.


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-17/qld-police-shooting-nathaniel-train-ramme...

Gareth Train was known to Police - he'd had run ins with them before....

I remember that COVID cross border crash through being reported in the news media as I was travelling with a group of friends out that way around that time.

Whilst we were in St. George a border hopper who had hitch hiked there(got a short lift from a copper near the border it was said) was being investigated.

You never know the type of people getting about.

Further to this stupid move by the Police Union & it's President Ian Leavers.....

there are the 2 children of Nathaniel & Stacey Train
that should have an inheritable right to that property before any of this nonsense is considered.

Proceeds of crime ............... confiscated in lieu of punishment via sentencing or fining or both and to cover costs of the police operation.

Police took a statement about former school principal Nathaniel Train in connection with weapons offences and a COVID-19 border breach almost eight months before he was involved in shooting dead two constables and a neighbour.

This was despite information having been given to Queensland police months earlier about Train's possession of firearms and breaching of the Queensland border in the Goondiwindi region in December 2021.

During the incident he was suspected of illegally dumping the weapons in floodwaters before travelling north into Queensland with other weapons.

The ABC has confirmed that as part of enquiries, Goondiwindi police took a statement on April 29 that clearly identified Train as being involved in the incident.

The statement taken by a Goondiwindi general duties officer, and sighted by the ABC, noted that Train had identified himself by name and said he was the principal of Walgett State School.

It was given by a resident who had given Train a lift through floodwaters to nearby Talwood on December 17 last year.

The resident also revealed Train was travelling with weapons and had borrowed his phone to make a call.

Weapons suspected of being dumped by Train

Weapons suspected of being dumped by Train, that were found next to where he swamped the vehicle, were given to police some days after the border breach occurred and when the flood subsided.

An image of the dumped weapons seen by the ABC shows them to be two rifles and a shotgun. One of the rifles is camouflaged and has a telescopic sight.

A licence would have been necessary for legal possession of the firearms in Queensland or New South Wales.

Police 'unable' to comment
Police have not provided any detail about the border breach and illegal disposal of firearms.

Earlier this week a spokeswoman said it was inappropriate to comment while the matter is being investigated and out of respect for the sensitivities of the families involved.

The ABC contacted QPS on Tuesday about the Talwood resident's statement being given eight months before and what happened with their enquiries.

A QPS spokesperson said they had previously provided a statement and "were unable to make any comment any further at this stage due to the investigations underway".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-20/queensland-police-shooting-border-weapons...

Baronvonrort wrote on Dec 20^th, 2022 at 9:21pm:



Gareth Train was known to Police - he'd had run ins with them before....

I remember that COVID cross border crash through being reported in the news media as I was travelling with a group of friends out that way around that time.

Whilst we were in St. George a border hopper who had hitch hiked there(got a short lift from a copper near the border it was said) was being investigated.

You never know the type of people getting about.