Luke James Petrides faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court after being found with handgun, air rifle and drugs

The 40-year-old was under stress and sleepless when he was twice found unconscious in his car on same day. See what happened in court.

A 40-year-old Toowoomba man found unconscious in the driver’s seat of his car along with a loaded homemade handgun and drugs has been placed on two years’ probation to help with his mental health issues.

Luke James Petrides had initially been found behind the steering wheel of his car about 2am, April 30, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told.

Police also found five vials of substance and medications that were not prescribed to him, the court was told.

Handed a 24-hour driving suspension for drug driving, Petrides was released on bail but was again found unconscious in his car about 1.25pm the same day.

Luke James Petrides leaves Toowoomba Courthouse with his partner after being sentenced in Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

This time a police search of the vehicle found a homemade .22 handgun that was loaded and operational, an air rifle, medications for which he had no prescription and some of the drug GHB, the court was told.

Petrides, who police found unresponsive, had also been driving while under the 24-hour suspension.

He pleaded guilty to a total 10 offences.

His solicitor Joe McConnell, of McConnell Saldumbide Lawyers, told the court his client was going through some mental health and personal issues at the time which led to him falling back into illicit drug use.

Petrides had no recollection of the events and had woken up in hospital, he said.

His client had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and had other mental health issues but since these incidents he had taken steps to address his problems and was attending the Alcohol and Other Drugs Service and receiving trauma counselling, he said.

At the time Petrides was working two jobs to cope with financial constraints and was functioning on very little sleep, the court was told.

Magistrate Louise Shephard noted Petrides had a limited criminal history and had not had convictions recorded in the past and ordered these convictions not be recorded.

Ms Shephard placed Petrides on two years’ probation, with conditions that include random drug testing, and disqualified him from driving for a total three years.

Originally published as Luke James Petrides faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court after being found with handgun, air rifle and drugs