Man is jailed after breaking into an army depot and living there for two days – after bizarrely facing court dressed as The Joker

A man who squatted in an army depot for two days posing as a field marshal has been jailed for almost two years.

Reece Joshua Sturgeon, 42, was sentenced to 21 months in prison in the Kununurra District Court in Western Australia on Friday on charges of burglary and stealing a motor vehicle.

The Perth man broke into the North West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) depot in the state’s north in February and posed as a senior official.

He accessed a key box and used the key inside it to enter the administration building where he stayed for two days, drinking rum and eating in the kitchen, the ABC reported.

Sturgeon also wore a uniform during his stay and moved a car to a car wash.

When a member of the Australian Defense Force confronted him, Sturgeon identified himself as a field marshal “on a very special mission.”

Sturgeon represented himself in the Kununurra Magistrate Court when he entered a guilty plea to five charges on March 1.

Three of the charges were subsequently dropped and Sturgeon was denied bail because he had a criminal history.

Sturgeon gained access to the North West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) depot (pictured) where he posed as a field marshal ‘on a very special mission’ in February

Sturgeon’s lawyer, Justine Fisher, told the court her client had walked 1,043km from Broome to Kununurra with his pregnant dog on a “spiritual journey” before ending up at the depot in the rain. reports the ABC.

Mrs Fisher said the sudden rain forced him to the depot.

‘[Sturgeon] He seems to be getting himself into trouble quite spontaneously,” Ms Fisher told the court.

She added that while Sturgeon held “somewhat unconventional and unorthodox views,” he had never been diagnosed or hospitalized for mental illness.

Sturgeon did not steal anything from the depot during his stay and said his intention was to only talk to depot staff about “goals and sustainability.”

Ms Fisher said Sturgeon regretted what he had done and planned to move back to Perth to live with his parents.

Sturgeon had previously represented himself in court dressed as The Joker when he painted a CCTV camera in 2020

Judge Alan Troy said the facts were “somewhat bizarre” but there must have been “sophistication involved” for Sturgeon to enter the correct lockbox PIN.

Sturgeon will be eligible for parole within 10 months, given the time he has already served.

Sturgeon was previously found guilty of manslaughter after driving his car into a group of teenagers walking along Perth’s Scarborough Beach in 2006.

Yuan Zheng Feng, 17, was killed in the crash.

Sturgeon then appeared in court dressed as The Joker as he was accused of spray-painting a CCTV camera as part of a ‘street performance’ in 2020.

Sturgeon later claimed that the incident was a misunderstanding and that he was simply creating performance art.

“I think everyone will sleep well tonight, especially me,” he said.

When asked why he was dressed as a DC comic book villain, he denied knowing who the character was.

“Who is The Joker,” he asked.