Ipswich dad Rhyss Luke Bryant sentenced for violent teacher threat, weapons stash

A dad’s extensive weapons stash which included guns and cherry bombs has been revealed in court after he threatened to bash a teacher’s skull in at an Ipswich primary school.

Rhyss Bryant leaving the Ipswich Courthouse in 2019. Picture: Ross Irby

An Ipswich dad saw red after he discovered his son was being bullied at school by another student and threatened to bash his teacher’s skull in, a court has heard.

When police later raided the single father-of-two’s house, they uncovered an “extraordinarily concerning” weapons collection scattered throughout the rooms.

North Ipswich resident Rhyss Luke Bryant, 32, pleaded guilty to 11 charges at Ipswich Magistrates Court on February 17, including threatening violence and several counts of unlawfully possessing various weapons.

The court heard the threatening violence offence occurred when Bryant went to pick up his son from North Ipswich State School on March 25, 2021.

Police prosecutor Jonathon Waddington said Bryant had been concerned that his son was being bullied at school and he confronted teacher Jacob Nay.

Bryant asked him to arrange a meeting between Bryant and the parents of the other student involved but Mr Nay suggested Bryant should wait for the other parents at their child’s daycare.

Mr Waddington said Bryant then threatened Mr Nay that if he didn’t set up the meeting, he would follow him to the carpark and “bash his skull in”.

Bryant was arrested and released on bail shortly after.

Rhyss Luke Bryant threatened a teacher at North Ipswich State School (pictured).

“It’s ironic that your concern at the time was the bullying of your child but your reaction at the time was effectively bullying someone else by threatening violence,” Magistrate Rob Turra told Bryant.

The court heard that in August last year, police executed a warrant and uncovered multiple firearms and ammunition stashed throughout Bryant’s house.

Mr Waddington said they found an unlocked wooden box under Bryant’s bed, which contained a 0.223 caliber firearm, a pump action 12 gauge shotgun, a bag of cherry bombs and an assortment of ammunition.

Also in his bedroom, police found three 3D printed push knives, along with two shortened longarm rifles and a crossbow under the bed.

The court heard police also discovered a shortened 12 gauge shotgun in a folding chair bag in the laundry, an R laser light, approximately 20 grams of cannabis seeds, three pipes that smelled of cannabis and an electric grinder.

The court heard Bryant had never held a firearm licence.

Mr Waddington said two of the firearms had been reported stolen from separate locations.

He said Bryant had provided police with what they called “fanciful” accounts of how he had taken some of the rifles off drug dealers and had found one on the side of the road.

Defence lawyer Renee Smith said there was “obviously no excuse” for her client possessing the weapons.

In relation to the threatening violence charge, she said her client accepted he “let his anger get the better of him”.

“He was very concerned about his child being bullied and felt as though that wasn’t being dealt with appropriately,” Ms Smith said.

She said her client had been using cannabis at the time but had completed a drug program during his 175 days in presentence custody.

The court heard Bryant had a relevant criminal history since 2013, including multiple drug and weapons offences.

Rhyss Bryant faced court in 2019 on a charge that he fired arrows at cars parked on his street. Picture: Ross Irby, 2019

When he threatened his son’s teacher, he was still serving a suspended sentence for an October 2020 conviction for possessing dangerous drugs.

The court heard Bryant had also been sentenced in 2019 for discharging a weapon in a public place after he shot crossbow bolts out of his house due to his frustration with cars in his driveway.

“It is extraordinarily concerning that you persist in having these weapons loaded and unsafely kept around your home,” Mr Turra told Bryant.

He sentenced Bryant to 12 months imprisonment, with immediate parole eligibility and 175 days time-served.

Bryant’s four month suspended sentence from 2020 was also activated and required to be cumulative to the 12 month sentence – meaning Bryant effectively received a total sentence of 16 months imprisonment.

Bryant’s full list of charges included: threatening violence (discharge firearm or other acts), two counts of unlawful possession of a weapons category A, B or M, one count of unlawful possession of a weapons category D, H or R, unlawful possession of weapons category C or E, possessing a restricted item (the laser pointer), authority required to possess explosives, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of utensils or pipes, and two counts of receiving tainted property (firearms).

Originally published as Ipswich dad Rhyss Luke Bryant sentenced for violent teacher threat, weapons stash