No supervision for man who stockpiled chemicals and fantasized about mass killings

A Melbourne man who stockpiled chemicals and harbored fantasies of carrying out mass killings will be released into the community with no supervision, a judge ruled this week. The 21-year-old has spent 677 days in custody after pleading guilty to two explosives possession charges. During police raids on his home, officers discovered precursor chemicals for explosives, along with a tactical vest, ammunition, and coded notes detailing plans to bomb universities and derail a train. The man had also created a manifesto expressing a desire for revenge against former classmates. The FBI alerted Australian police in 2024 after finding disturbing online posts made by the man. County Court Judge Douglas Trapnell stated the man had been "punished enough" by his time in jail. The judge rejected a prosecutor's request for a sentence that included compulsory therapeutic treatment, emphasizing the man's lack of prior convictions and his prolonged period in custody. The man, whose name is suppressed due to mental health orders, will return to live with his parents. Psychologist Michael Davis testified that the man has autism spectrum disorder and schizotypal personality disorder, which affect his empathy and social skills. Davis noted the man's attraction to extreme ideologies, both far-left and far-right, stating, "As long as it's extreme he's drawn to it." The judge criticized prosecutors for delays in the case, particularly after the man offered to plead guilty last year.

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He's been punished enough. I don't want him there for another minute.