Former ADF rifleman Wade David Crawford’s `ice’ addiction after Afghanistan

A former army rifleman “self medicated” with ice to stop him sleeping and avoid “night terrors” he developed from serving in Afghanistan, a court has heard.

When police pulled Wade David John Crawford over outside Central Coast Leagues Club in September last year his hands were trembling, his voice was shaky and he was avoiding eye contact.

Officers formed the view the former Australian Defence Force rifleman was under the influence of drugs.

And he had good reason to be nervous.

A search of the Hyundai i30 he was driving uncovered 9.25g of methylamphetamine, an extendible baton wedged between the passenger seat and the centre console and $6330 in cash.

He was charged with possessing enough prohibited drugs to be deemed “supply” along with possessing a prohibited weapon and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

But when he failed to return a rented Toyota Camry on November 24 and failed to turn up to Gosford Local Court the following day on those charges a warrant was issued for the 32-year-old’s arrest.

Brisbane Water police found him later that afternoon at Settlers Tavern, West Gosford.

A search of the hire car uncovered 16.13g of methylamphetamine and he was charged with a further count of possessing a “deemed supply” amount of prohibited drugs.

Crawford maintained the drugs were for his own personal use and pleaded guilty in the Local Court where he was jailed for 14 months with a non-parole period of seven months.

He faced Gosford District Court on Wednesday where he appealed the severity of the sentence, telling the court he’d become addicted to ice since 2014 following a 10-month tour of Afghanistan and two tours of Malaysia which left him with post traumatic stress disorder.

Brisbane Water police found Crawford later that day at The Settlers Tavern at West Gosford. Picture: Google

“It helped me cope with the night terrors,” he told the court of the drug’s ability to keep him awake.

He said he had spent seven months at Dooralong Rehabilitation Centre but relapsed on ice following a relationship breakdown and the loss of his job as a delivery driver because of Covid.

Crawford said he had a job as a labourer lined up and he had since made up with his partner, who wrote a letter to the court stating he could live with her at Bathurst, where he would work in a timber mill.

The court heard Crawford wanted to move away from the Central Coast where he had grown up to get away from “old friends” who kept drawing him back to drugs and crime.

Crawford was found in possession of crystal meth on two occasions. (File image)

The court heard Crawford’s criminal history began after he left the Army with fraud, goods in custody and drugs offences before he was jailed for a year and eight months for robbery in company in 2017.

Judge Tanya Bright said while his criminal history did not entitle him to any leniency she was “cautiously optimistic” he would not commit any further offences if he could stay off the drugs.

Judge Bright upheld his appeal and ordered he serve the balance of his sentence of nine months and 18 days by way of an intensive corrections order.

“He has served his country at a very significant personal cost,” Judge Bright said.