Zachary Joseph Weir built explosives devices out of curiosity with no intention to cause harm, a court has heard

A refrigeration mechanic who pleaded guilty to manufacturing and possessing explosive devices did so out of curiosity with no intention to hurt anyone, a court had heard.

The Messenger - Zachary Joseph Weir pleaded guilty to manufacturing explosives. Picture: Ben Cameron

A refrigeration mechanic who made explosive devices was “embarking on a course of inquisitiveness, not realising the seriousness of what he was doing”, a court has heard.

Zachary Joseph Weir, of Andrews Farm, returned to the Adelaide District Court last week after pleading guilty in 2021 to a count of the manufacture, and possession, of explosive devices after he used firecrackers and ball bearings at his property on September 4, 2020.

In sentencing submissions, Mr Weir’s defence counsel said his client had no intention to hurt anyone when he built the devices.

“This offence, while serious, is an example of someone who is very good with his hands and who has an intellectual capacity to make things with his hands, embarking on a course of inquisitiveness, not realising the seriousness of what he was doing,” he said.

“In his mind … he was simply making something to be used on a farm of the sand dunes to explode but not seeking for a moment to hurt anybody.”
The court heard Mr Weir was an NDIS carer for a sick man and worked full time with working hours which impinged his ability to participate in court-ordered supervision requirements and miss required drug testing.

Zachary Joseph Weir pleaded guilty to manufacturing explosives. Picture: Ben Cameron

The defence counsel told the court Mr Weir had seen a professional for the purpose of dealing with a substance abuse issue and some underlying mental health concerns including anxiety and depression.

“He understands if he was fortunate enough to receive a sentence other than actual imprisonment that he would need to continue working within the same arm of community corrections and would need to preference supervision above all other aspects of his life,” Mr Weir’s lawyer said.

Prosecutor Emma St Clair said while the prosecution’s position was initially that a suspended sentence was appropriate, the two progress reports from August and October raised “concerning aspects”.

She said Mr Weir had provided unsatisfactory reasons for failing to attend supervision.

“He appears to have only attended two out of six appointments for drug testing, one of those two occasions resulted in a positive test.”

Judge Rauf Soulio requested a final progress report and warned defence council about the importance of full compliance of supervision.

“Have a word to Mr Weir to reinforce what you’ve already mentioned that is the importance of making arrangements to leave work early enough to attend early enough so that the drug tests requested can be provided and I’ll view unfavourably the inability to attend on time for tests,” Judge Soulio said.

The matter returns for sentence in February, 2023.