A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to six months in prison after being found with an explosive device on a train in Wollongong. Lindsay Harris appeared in Wollongong Local Court charged with possessing an explosive device at the station last Thursday.
Police stopped Harris on the train between Cringila and Wollongong for not having a valid ticket. A search of his backpack revealed a red container filled with railway detonators labeled 'danger explosives' with a fuse protruding from the top. A small amount of methylamphetamine was also found.
Harris's lawyers told the court he had struggled with homelessness and had lived in a tent for two years. Magistrate Michael Stoddart noted the incident occurred during peak hour at a busy station, saying the consequences of detonation would be devastating.
The court heard Harris admitted to previously using an explosive device to start a fire but was too afraid to use this one. He was on bail for an affray charge at the time of arrest and had failed to report to police since mid-May.
Magistrate Stoddart said the maximum penalty was five years but sentenced Harris to a fixed term of six months, reduced for his guilty plea.
