Monday 25 February 2008

Brisbane teacher jailed for possessing explosives

A Brisbane school teacher has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to possessing explosives, detonators and two incendiary devices.

Forty-two-year-old John Howard Amundsen was arrested in 2006 on the day he sent a threatening email to the Queensland Police Service's counter-terrorism unit claiming to be an Al Qaeda operative.

He also pleaded guilty to forgery and making threats.

Today, the District Court in Brisbane heard Amundsen suffered from Autism Spectrum Disorder and was prone to retreating into a fantasy world.

Prosecutor Glen Rice told the hearing Amundsen's activities were part of a strategy to win over his former girlfriend's parents, whom Amundsen blamed for the relationship's failure.

Amundsen told the court he was sorry for his actions and felt humiliated.

Judge Gilbert Trafford Walker ordered Amundsen would be eligible for parole after serving three years.

That means he will be due for release in just over a year, given time already served in pre-sentence custody.

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