Cairns tradie Harlan Jack Colin Wilson, 28, jailed for ‘meth haze’ burglary of 20 weapons in a gun safe

A tradie who once had a “promising life” ahead of him has been jailed for 7.5 years after stealing his dad’s gun safe with 20 weapons in an “ill-conceived plan” fuelled by a methylamphetamine addiction.

Harlan Jack Colin Wilson, 28, was found passed out in a stolen car with a cache of weapons.

A man who passed out in a stolen car with 17 weapons – also stolen – was in the throes of a spiralling meth addiction when he formed an “ill-conceived plan” to steal his father’s gun safe.

Harlan Jack Colin Wilson, 28, formerly an electrical apprentice, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Cairns District Court to seven charges related to the burglary of a gun safe containing 20 weapons and ammunition while he was on a methylamphetamine “binge”.

Among the stolen weapons were category A, B and H firearms, including handguns.

Crown Prosecutor Shauna Farrelly said when police located Wilson passed out in the stolen car on a Palm Cove street, some of the guns had been removed from the safe with a silver pistol on the front seat and two others in the console. None were loaded.

Three of the weapons have not been recovered.

Defence barrister Martin Longhurst said the young man had a promising future before drugs took hold of his life.

He went to school in Cairns until year 10 and took up an electrical apprenticeship.

“This is not someone who had a history of violence. He was a working man. This is really someone who struggled with addiction,” Mr Longhurst said.

He said the theft of the gun safe from his father was an “ill-thought-out plan” that Wilson regretted immediately.

Harlan Wilson pleaded guilty to a number of charges relating to the theft of a gun safe from his father in Cairns District Court.

At the time of the burglary, Wilson was in debt because of his addiction, and threats had been made on his life.

Mr Longhurst tendered a handwritten letter from Wilson and four references from family and associates, including Wilson’s former employer.

In sentencing, Judge Joshua Trevino KC described the offences as “very serious” and said general deterrence was important because of the risk of the weapons falling into the wrong hands, and causing danger in the community.

He said it could be inferred Wilson took the guns with the intention of selling them on the black market.

The court was told Wilson was on parole for drug charges from 2022 at the time of the August 2023 offences

“Your current circumstance demonstrates the corrosive impacts that the drug methylamphetamine can have,” Judge Trevino said.

“After your release on parole in 2022, you were able to return to work and you were addressing your drug addiction with Narcotics Anonymous, but you began using again.”

Wilson pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a motor vehicle, burglary and stealing, unlawful possession of a weapon with aggravation, possession of a dangerous drug, contravening an order to provide access to his phone, and two summary offences of possess a utensil and driving under the influence of a drug.

Judge Trevino imposed an “effective sentence” of 7.5 years, ordering that Wilson serve the 2.5 year sentence for which he was on parole at the time of the offending, followed by a five-year prison sentence for the burglary and stealing offence, to be served cumulatively.

Judge Trevino said Wilson would be eligible for parole in August 2025, which takes into account the 476 days Wilson has already served.

Originally published as Cairns tradie Harlan Jack Colin Wilson, 28, jailed for ‘meth haze’ burglary of 20 weapons in a gun safe