Stun guns, smoke grenade, ammo found in soldier’s bedroom

A Brisbane soldier suffering from PTSD after a tour of Iraq has been fined after being found with a military arsenal at his home.

Jack Kurtis Sheehan leaves Brisbane Arrests Court.

A soldier who served in Iraq and PNG has faced a double punishment after being found with a stash of weapons at his Kangaroo Point home.

Jack Kurtis Sheehan, 24, pleaded guilty to two explosives and weapons charges in the Brisbane Arrests Court this morning.

The court heard Dutton Park police found a smoke grenade, military machinegun rounds and two electric stun guns after searching Sheehan’s unit earlier this year.

A police prosecutor told the court that after officers found the stun guns in a bedroom cabinet, Sheehan told them he had no idea how they got there.

He then claimed they belonged to a former housemate who had moved to England about six weeks before Sheehan moved into the room.

But when police found rounds of ammunition used by the Australian military he admitted they were his.

“He admitted they were left over from an exercise and he should not have had them,’’ Sgt Williams said.

Sheehan’s barrister, Peter Trout, said his client had served in the army for six years and as a result of two overseas tours had now been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr Trout said his client was a licensed gun owner and had an appropriate safe for those weapons, and it was notable he had not been charged with any offence in relations to that.

“As a result of these charges my client has faced an internal disciplinary process in the army, has been hair follicle tested (for drugs) and put on suspension,’’ Mr Trout said.

“He was self-medicated at the time for PTSD and is now getting (psychological) treatment.

“He knew he should have given the stun guns back but he had no intention of using them (or the smoke grenades) or carrying them around.’’

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Mr Trout said his client was a responsible weapons holder and was very remorseful of his actions.

Magistrate P.J. Byrne said he took into account Sheehan’s early guilty pleas to both charges and said the incident, while regrettable, had turned into a good thing as Sheehan now was seeking proper medical treatment for his condition.

He also took into account that Sheehan had also been separately punished by the Army.

He fined Sheehan $400 and ordered no conviction be recorded.