Coffs Harbour: Zachary Mills, 30, pleads not guilty to stalking and destroying property

A Coffs Harbour man has pleaded not guilty to stalking and damaging property after police allege an argument over text messaging resulted in threats to burn a man’s house down. Here’s what we know.

Zachary Mills, 30, has pleaded not guilty to charges of stalking and damaging property. Picture: NSW Police

An unemployed Coffs Harbour man has denied he threatened to kill a man and burn down his home on Christmas Eve.

Zachary Mills, 30, entered pleas of not guilty in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday to charges of destroying or damaging property under $2000 and stalking and intimidating for an alleged incident on December 24, 2023.

Police will allege that Mills and the man had an argument over text before Mills attended a property and began calling out to him.

According to court documents, a witness at the property told police that Mills threw a rock at the door, damaging it in the process, and that when the man opened the door Mills lunged at him with a dark coloured object in his hand.

Police allege the accused told the man: “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to burn your house down.”

Court documents state that Mills denied instigating the fight and told police that he acted in self defence.

Mills remains in custody and has been ordered by Magistrate Julia Virgo to appear via audio visual link on October 29 when the stalking and destroying property case will continue.

Got a news tip? Email: toni.news.com.au

Originally published as Coffs Harbour: Zachary Mills, 30, pleads not guilty to stalking and destroying property