A Brisbane electrician has been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing prohibited weapons, which he fitted to his car like a character from a spy movie.
On Friday afternoon, Simon John Hickey pleaded guilty to multiple charges pressed against him, including possessing false identity information to commit an indictable offence, the manufacturing of prohibited weapons without a permit, and the possession of prohibited weapons without a permit.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Magistrate Annette Sinclair detailed the nature of Hickey’s weapons offences, which involved decking out his car in a way where prohibited weapons could be deployed at will.
Sinclair reportedly explained that on August 28, 2019, Hickey was found by QLD Police to have possessed a license containing his picture, but a completely different name, which could not be found on any records.
His car was then examined by police, which lead to them finding caltrops, which are those tyre-flattening road spikes often seen in movies. However, the caltrops were fitted in such a way that they could be deployed at will from the back of Hickey’s car as he drove.
On top of this, Hickey was found to have a device in the back of his car which also allowed him to hide his number plate at will. Think of it as a modern-day vehicle straight from an action movie, but illegal.
Defence Barrister Ben Barrack reportedly defended Hickey with claims that he grew up with a violent upbringing, which ultimately resulted in PTSD and other mental health issues.
Magistrate Sinclair took this defence into consideration, reportedly saying that she accepts that Hickey fitting his car with weapons and carrying a false license may have come from a place of hyper-vigilance and fear for safety.
Hickey was sentenced to 18 months in jail, and it was made clear that special circumstances were at play in this case due to his mental health.
