Former army cadet Aedan Kurt Ruth convicted in ACT Magistrates Court after road rage incident

Aedan Kurt Ruth, 19, faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday for sentencing.

He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of concealing and attempting to conceal evidence, possessing an offensive weapon with intent to commit an offence, and possession of an unauthorised weapon.

An agreed statement of facts shows on May 31, Ruth was driving his red Honda Civic with the distinctive Queensland number plates JOHNDOE, eastbound along Hindmarsh Drive, Narrabundah, with a passenger in the front seat.

A Toyota HiLux, driven by a man with his eight-year-old son in the back seat, was travelling behind.

The two vehicles increasingly engaged in what special magistrate Margaret Hunter described as "road rage"-style behaviour, including flashing headlights, sharp braking and attempting to overtake one another.

Ruth then pulled out a firearm, which was later revealed to be a Glock pistol gel blaster, with the window down and raised it so the imitation gun was visible.

The other driver, who was in the overtaking lane at the time, was fearful.

Later that day, police contacted the Royal Military College at Duntroon, where Ruth lived at the time.

Ruth was escorted by army officers to a room to wait for police to arrive.

While waiting, Ruth contacted two people via Snapchat asking them to remove the gel blaster from his vehicle, offering one $2000 to do it. Both declined.

He then asked a fellow cadet, who allegedly agreed and hid the firearm behind a dumpster.

The alleged co-offender, who has also been charged, is accused of burying the firearm several hours later on Mount Pleasant and marking a nearby tree with an 'X'.

After an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers alerted police the weapon had been removed from Ruth's vehicle, the other cadet came forward and led police to where it was buried.

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Special magistrate Margaret Hunter said while Ruth was "impulsive", his actions were serious and deceptive.

"The most serious offence in my view is the deceptive conduct in trying to get someone else involved and implicating someone else who has now been charged," she said.

"The defendant suffers from a mental illness ... it affected his decision making on the night in question to some degree."

The magistrate took into account that Ruth had been discharged from the army for the offending and recent mental health diagnoses.

Ruth was convicted, placed on an 18-month good behaviour order and fined $4000.

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