Townsville Australian Defence Force soldier found with viles of testosterone

A Townsville soldier was booted from the ADF when military police seized several “vials containing a substance” from his residence. Read the details from court.

Male body builder injecting himself with steroids in the shoulder. GENERIC IMAGE.

A Townsville soldier was booted from the Australian Defence Force when military police seized several “vials containing a substance” from his residence, court documents reveal.

In April last year search warrants were executed on a member who held the rank of a private, at his live-in accommodation in Townsville.

Military police found a number of items, including two vials that analytical testing revealed were a discrete form of testosterone.

Testosterone is a prohibited substance, namely an anabolic steroid.

He was charged, and pleaded guilty, to two counts of possessing a non-trafficable quantity of a prohibited drug.

“The prosecuting officer submitted that, in this case, the punishment of imprisonment would be unnecessary and inappropriate,” a review of the original hearing, held at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane in February, found.

The soldier’s defending officer told the Defence Force Magistrate that the defendant was a first-time offender, had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity, co-operated with investigations and was genuinely remorseful.

However, despite those mitigating factors the defendant’s lawyer made clear that his client wanted to leave the force and urged the magistrate to favour the punishment of dismissal.

The Defence Force Magistrate found that the defendant’s behaviour was “objectively serious”.

“The involvement with prohibited substances is incompatible with an effective and efficient ADF,” the document states.

“A strong message needed to be sent to others who may be like-minded.”

But the magistrate also said that had the soldier wanted to continue serving in the ADF, he would have considered imposing a period of detention.

“This would have been consistent with the manner in which the DFM had dealt with other members convicted of similar conduct and who had the benefit of similar mitigating features,” according to court documents.

“However, in the circumstances of this case, the DFM accepted the submissions made by the Defending Officer and dismissed the defendant from the Defence Force on both charges”.

Late last year The Townsville Bulletin reported more and more Australian soldiers were taking part in the dangerous new trend of using experimental performance enhancing drugs.

At the time an Australian Defence Force spokeswoman said the use of prohibited substances was not condoned.

“The use of prohibited substances does not align with Defence values, or an effective and efficient Defence Force and can undermine health, safety, discipline, morale and security. Defence takes all incidents of the use of prohibited substances seriously,” she said. The ADF Prohibited Substance Testing Program is used to identify and discourage the use of prohibited substances.

Originally published as Townsville Australian Defence Force soldier found with viles of testosterone