Justice Peter Applegarth slams govt for failing veterans in prison

A judge has slammed the prison system for failing to support veterans behind bars after a hero suffering from PTSD was denied essential therapy after his post-war life descended into crime.

An elite army medic who attended to more than 100 deaths, treated amputations and watched as his hero was shot dead, was denied essential therapy and left to rot in jail with a judge slamming his treatment by the corrections service.

Christopher James Finn, 35, completed three tours of Afghanistan and witnessed prolonged “death, destruction and human suffering”.

He turned to drugs and crime due to his mental illnesses and has spent the last few months in Woodford Correctional Centre.

Finn was a second-in-command of an elite team of soldiers and a team medic during his service between 2004 and 2016.

He witnessed unthinkable carnage, treating every possible type of injury including gun shots and blast burns, and watched many comrades and civilians die in front of him.

Finn suffered immense guilt when he watched his “hero” Cameron Baird VC die when he pushed in front of him during an operation and was shot.

He also suffers survivors’ guilt after a comrade was “blown to pieces” when he stood on a concealed bomb just three metres behind him.

He had to have pieces of his friend’s bone fragments surgically removed from his neck.

Finn returned from war with complex post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, which Justice Peter Applegarth said was a “direct causal link” to his criminal behaviour.

QLD Judge Justice Peter Applegarth.

In a scathing review into Finn’s sentencing handed down last month, Justice Applegarth slammed the prison system for failing to support veterans put behind bars, saying severe overcrowding and lack of treatment for traumatised ex-soldiers is putting lives at risk.

Justice Applegarth said the failure to provide dedicated support for veterans in prisons and severe overcrowding issues, which saw Finn sleep on a thin mattress on the floor of his cell, was not good enough.

“Is the status quo in terms of his place of incarceration, his circumstances there, and the denial of essential therapy for his war-caused mental illness the best that a grateful nation and the State of Queensland can do for this courageous veteran?,” he said.

Cameron Baird consults a map during Bravo Company’s final Afghan Rotation.

Finn pleaded guilty to 38 charges including trafficking in the drug ice and party drug GHB during a year-long crime spree, but is yet to be sentenced.

He’s been in prison since last year without access to specialised treatment for his severe PTSD, which Justice Applegarth said would “exacerbate his war-caused mental health conditions, jeopardise his rehabilitation”.

“I should not need to remind the Department of Corrective Services of its obligations under the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) to treat Mr Finn with humanity (s 30) and of his right to access health services without discrimination.

“Due to overcrowding and other systemic issues, Correctional Services struggle to rehabilitate offenders as well as they might. This diminishes the protection of the community.”

His frustrations have been echoed by other veteran support agencies who say ex-servicemen and women are left behind in jail, but Queensland Corrective Services says the blame lies with the former LNP federal government.

Veterans Benefits Australia founder Tom Bailey said ex-servicemen and women suffered a unique set of challenges in the outside world which were “amplified” in the isolation of prison.

“There is a much higher prevalence of PTSD … much higher rate of stress and anxiety. They already feel very isolated and feel that disconnect.”

Mr Bailey said the government owed veterans more and specialised services should be provided whenever needed, no matter the circumstances.

Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan. Picture: Dan Peled

Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said work was underway to help Finn, but said the previous LNP government was to blame for the lack of services inside the state’s prison system.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for delivering programs to veterans.

“It was a failure of the previous Liberal National government to refuse to accept responsibility for veterans while they were incarcerated,” Mr Ryan said.

“We will work with our Federal counterparts to ensure all Queensland veterans receive the services and supports they need and deserve.”