Transsexual former soldier jailed after she hid huge stash of explosives, guns and ammunition at her home 'to prepare for World War 3'- yards away from police station

Joanne Morris was jailed for seven years after police discovered the explosives at her home 

A transsexual former soldier has been jailed after hiding a huge stash of explosives, guns and ammunition at her home - yards away from a police station.

Joanne Morris, formerly known as Paul, kept detonators and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in flowerbeds at her cottage in preparation for 'World War Three'. 

The 48-year-old from Bloxwich, West Midlands, was jailed for seven years at Wolverhampton Crown Court. 

She will serve her sentence in a male prison despite identifying herself as a woman and being referred to as Joanne throughout court proceedings. 

The court heard how police swooped on her property after noticing a dozen packages from America bearing accessories for firearms. 

Officers discovered the largest firearms haul of its kind in 10 years at the cottage which Morris shares with her wife of 26 years. 

Almost 2,000 rounds of ammunitions including 476 bullet point cartridges designed to expand on impact were seized alongside 239 bullet heads, 15 detonators, a 12-bore shotgun and seven sticks of explosives. 

Some of the equipment was taken when Morris served with the Royal Engineers between 1983 and 1992. 

Air guns, night vision goggles, a silencer, smoke grenade, harpoon and two samurai swords were also discovered.  

One hundred officers took three days to search the property with army bomb disposal experts also called to carry out controlled explosions at the scene.

Morris pleaded guilty to four charges of unlawfully possessing ammunition and one count of possessing a shotgun. 

She was jailed for seven years by a judge who described the hoard of explosives as 'lethal' after already spending time in a male prison where she has been 'verbally abused' and 'threatened with rape', the court heard. 

Almost 2,000 rounds of ammunition were found at the property in the largest haul of explosives West Midlands Police had seen for 10 years 

Police searched the property after noticing a dozen packages from America which bore firearms accessories 

Judge John Warner said: 'I accept your transgender issues will have had a profound impact on the way you have lived your life.

'This was the largest haul of ammunition seized by West Midlands Police in the last ten years.

'Properties had to be evacuated, a controlled explosion was required to make the location less dangerous.

'It’s accepted that there has been no link traceable to terrorist groups or organised crime.

 

'But it was a very, very dangerous, indeed potentially lethal, situation that was created by your possession of these items in an unprotected, unsuitable and unauthorised environment. 

'Some people have a fascination with guns and other weapons. That has undoubtedly been a long-standing situation in your case.

'These matters are of very high seriousness. Outside of the field of terrorism and organised crime, this is a wholly exceptional case given the nature of the material recovered. 

One hundred police officers and army explosives experts were called to search the property in Bloxwich 

It took police and army experts three days to complete the lengthy swoop on Morris's home 

Morris will spend three-and-a-half years in prison and the remainder on licence.    

Prosecutor Hugh O’Brien Quinn said surrounding houses and the nearby Bloxwich police station had to be evacuated as police searched Morris's home.  

'Army explosive experts had to be called in. 

'Neighbouring properties had to be evacuated as did Bloxwich police station which is a short distance away.  

'The plastic explosives were fairly stable but storing them in a residential area carried a significant risk to live.

'If the quantity of one of the P4 plastic explosives were initiated, it would cause significant damage to buildings and properties nearby. 

'If the entire quantity were initiated the number of casualties and damage would be substantial.' 

Mr O’Brien Quinn said Morris claimed the plastic explosive sticks and detonators came into her possession when she served with the Royal Engineers between 1983 and 1992.

She told police she had panicked and buried the explosives in woodland near her barracks in Wiltshire but returned 20 years later.

Morris then claims to have hypnotised herself to find them before driving home with the weapons in her car.    

Brian Dean, defending, said the defendant had accumulated the bullets and ammunition between 1994 and 1996 when she was a member of a gun club in mid-Wales.

He said she had 'accidentally taken leftover rounds home' and had stored them in the loft before panicking when she realised they were still there last year.

Morris's wife, Karen, has stood by her husband throughout the trial, he added. 

'She has been married since 1988 and is still together with her wife who has been supportive of her for 26 years.

'She has had transgender issues since childhood. She has been on hormone replacements since 2000.

The property is a stone's throw from Bloxwich Police Station. Morris will spend three-and-a-half years in a male prison 

'She has a powerful desire to live and be recognised as a woman. She is a quiet, private person who is shy in company.

'She keeps herself to herself and finds it hard to go out because of the looks and stares she attracts.

'Joanne Morris is a gentle soul and this obsession has not and is never likely to be something which would cause anyone else any harm.'

Morris reached the rank of Lance Corporal and served in the Falklands and Belize before leaving the Royal Engineers in 1992.

She then worked as a medic in the Territorial Army before training as a nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, West Mids., from 2003.

Morris left the profession for a year after she was attacked by a patient in 2009 before returning to work at an NHS ambulance call centre.  

Detective Sergeant Craig Newey, of West Midlands Police, said after the hearing: 'Chemical warfare protection suits and ration packs were found at the address.

'One hypothesis was that Morris was preparing for some kind of World War III "doomsday" scenario.

'Whatever the motivation, Morris’ military obsession on leaving the army had clearly reached dangerous levels - but that threat was swiftly nullified thanks to the joint efforts of borders staff, police and the bomb disposal unit.'

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