War vet’s threats lead to probation

A 45-YEAR-OLD Iraq War veteran who made threats to harm a police officer in Millmerran has been placed on two years’ probation.

Peter Leslie Dymmack had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after his time in Iraq, his solicitor Leigh Rollason, of Robertson O’Gorman Lawyers, told Toowoomba District Court.

Mr Rollason said his client had struggled to find an inhouse treatment program despite applying to numerous centres throughout Queensland but he had been receiving treatment as an outpatient.

Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie said the matters stemmed from an incident at a Millmerran school where Dymmack had gone on February 25, 2020, and threatened a teacher.

When police investigations into the incident led to no charges being laid against the teacher but a charge of causing a disturbance at an education facility was laid against Dymmack, he became agitated.

During a conversation at a Millmerran service station on January 28, 2021, he said that he wasn’t going to go to court and threatened to shoot the policeman should he show up to arrest him, Ms Petrie said.

When police went to speak with him, Dymmack was found with 3g of cannabis and pipes for smoking the drug and a shortened firearm and a WWII inoperative rifle had been found at a friend’s home that he had placed there, she said.

Dymmack pleaded guilty to all charges.

Judge Katherine McGuinness noted a psychologist’s report said Dymmock’s mental health disorders had impaired his judgment at the time and ordered no convictions be recorded.