Benjamin Sproule in court over drug, weapon charges
A former police officer was busted growing cannabis plants inside his Bairnsdale home, while he also had explosives and a sword hidden at the property.
Bass Coast News
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A former police officer and father of two was busted with a mini arsenal of weapons including a sword, nunchucks and explosives inside his Gippsland home.
Benjamin James Sproule, 52, faced the Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to cultivating and possessing cannabis, possessing an explosive substance and possessing a prohibited weapon.
In August last year, police searched Sproule’s Bairnsdale property, where he told officers there were a number of cannabis plants growing in the loungeroom and he was arrested.
Police also found dried cannabis, cannabis seeds, a set of nunchucks, a sword underneath his bed, three plastic boxes containing soil and a box containing 20 explosive detonators he didn’t have a licence for.
Officers also seized two iPhones and an iPad at the property.
In an interview, Sproule refused to give the passcodes for all three devices to police, the court heard.
Defence lawyer Daniel Taylor told the court Sproule had genuine remorse for the offending and had no priors.
Mr Taylor said his client grew up in Nigeria and worked in childcare, hospitality, assisted at the Paynesville Op Shop and had been a police officer.
“He did 10 years of service to the Victorian community in what really is one of the toughest jobs going around,” Mr Taylor said.
“He then developed PTSD.”
Mr Taylor added Sproule had been off drugs for about five months and had received drug and alcohol counselling.
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Magistrate Stephen Lee said the offending was serious because it involved public safety issues and that Sproule would be “pretty aware” of weapons being an ex-police officer.
“You didn’t let the police see the passcode on your devices, which shows you’re hiding something,” Mr Lee said.
Sproule was placed on an adjourned undertaking for two years without a conviction and was ordered to pay $1500 to the court contribution fund.
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