Man sentenced over military explosives found in drug raid

A Halfway Creek man has faced Grafton Local Court where he was sentenced for possessing explosives without a lawful purpose

Court generic, Lady Justice statue

A HALFWAY Creek man who alerted police to the presence of military-grade explosives buried in PVC pipes on his property following a drug raid has been sentenced in Grafton Local Court.

Brian James Dunn, 55, had previously pleaded guilty to cultivation of marijuana, possession of ammunition without proper authority and two charges of possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose.

According to police facts, 12.50pm on February 28, 2019, detectives from the State Crime Command's Drug and Firearms Squad, which established Strike Force Hyperion to investigate the cultivation of marijuana across NSW, attended a property on Franklins Rd after a number of marijuana plants were spotted by PolAir, the NSW Police aerial support branch.

Officers spoke to Dunn, who admitted to cultivating 23 marijuana plants, which were all in excess of 2m tall.

Following the drug raid Dunn told police he wished to declare other items on the property, in the interest of public safety.

Around 1km away from the main property in dense bushland, Dunn pointed out an area where a number of PVC pipes were buried that contained 57 sticks of low grade explosives and one sheet of military grade explosives.

The following day, with assistance from the NSW Police Rescue & Bomb Disposal Unit, the pipes were recovered and taken from the property.

Police also found 10 boxes of .223 ammunition and hundreds of 9mm rounds.

Dunn's solicitor Mark Savic said the explosives came as a result of Dunn's association with an outlaw motorcycle gang, and they had been buried for more than 10 years with no intention to use them.

Mr Savic also said his client made full admissions of the location of the explosives to protect the community and ensure they didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden said while the charges were serious, the voluntary disclosure of the explosives was a mitigating factor in sentencing.

Dunn was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order, including 100 hours community service. He was also fined $750.

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