Homemade gun, drugs, cash: Noosa builder bailed for rehab ‘health retreat’

A Noosa builder who was on bail for drug and weapon charges has been granted bail to go to a “health retreat” after his terrifying DIY project was exposed by police.

Benjamin Robert Osborne is on bail to attend a “health retreat”.

A Noosa builder who was on bail for drug and weapon possession when he allegedly made a gun at home using items from Bunnings, online store Temu and a 3D printer, has been granted bail to go to a “health retreat”.

Lawyers for Benjamin Robert Osborne, a former semi-professional snowboarder, were in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Thursday where they applied for bail before Justice Thomas Bradley.

Osborne has been in custody since early November after he was charged with drugs and weapons offences after a police raid on his Sunshine Coast home.

Company records show he is a former sole shareholder and director of Osborne Coastal Pty Ltd, a building company based in Blairgowrie on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

The Maroochydore Magistrates Court has previously heard he bought springs for the gun from Bunnings, a barrel from TEMU and a 3D printer for stocks and trigger.

He is charged with the possession of 2.7g of the drug ice, 50mL of GHB (also known as fantasy) and 4.2g of cocaine, which police allege he had for a commercial purpose.

The Wagga Wagga-born man was also found with $4000 in cash.

He sought bail on a total of 16 charges including drug possession, one count of manufacturing a weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon while unlicensed.

Solicitor Trent Playford, for Osborne, submitted the 42-year-old from Cootharaba in the Noosa Shire, did not have the drugs for a commercial purpose.

Mr Playford said his client wanted bail so he could spend a month at a “health retreat” to help him rehabilitate from his “substance use disorder” from using the drugs ice and cocaine.

“I accept he seeks bail on very serious offences in relation to the manufacturing of the firearm. It is conceded that generally the case against him, those charges themselves, are quite strong,” Mr Playford told the court.

When Osborne’s home was raided in November he was already on bail for possession of rifles, ammunition, commercial amounts of ice, 1.5L of GHB, 25kg of iodine granules and 30L of an acid.

He was also allegedly in possession of five mobile phones with the encrypted application Threema on them when he was arrested, and he refused to give police access to the phones, the court heard.

Mr Playford submitted that it was unclear how many of the five phones were “active”.

He told Justice Bradley that Noosa psychologist Janelle Bardsley had visited Osborne in prison and diagnosed him with “severe substance abuse disorder” from cocaine.

“Is that a recognised condition? cocaine?” Justice Bradley asked Mr Playford.

“No, substance use disorder is,” Mr Playford said.

“Because it is not something I have come across before … there is usually some underlying condition” Justice Bradley replied.

Mr Playford said Ms Bardsley indicated Osborne had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism.

“He has an extraordinary amount of support from his father, who is present in court today, and who arranged for him to be treated in custody by a private psychologist Ms Bardsley which is exceedingly rare. and demonstrative of his significant support in the community,” Mr Playford told the court.

Osborne has previously completed rehab at Toowoomba centre Sunrise Way.

Prosecutor Andy Iordache opposed bail.

Mr Playford submitted that Osborne’s criminal charges were unlikely to be finalised by the court until the end of 2025.

Mr Playford told the court that Osborne may enrol in a second rehab facility “after the completion of the health retreat”, for perhaps as long as three months.