Matthew Patrick Cross, 42, pleads guilty in Bundaberg court

A drunk father-to-be, who blamed the Covid vaccine on the death of his unborn child, took his anger out at a Bundaberg hostel. *Warning: Distressing content

Drunk and spiralling over his pregnant partner’s decision to have the Covid vaccine despite his objection, a man threatened to kill others staying at backpacker’s hostel.

Matthew Patrick Cross, 42, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to public nuisance and wilful damage.

Representing himself, Cross told the court he was from Brisbane but had come to live in Bundaberg to make money because he had a baby on the way.

He claimed on the day of the offences, he was upset because his partner suffered a miscarriage back at their home in Brisbane.

“She had the Covid vaccine and I told her not to get it, and I told her not to get it, then a day later she miscarried my first child,” Cross said.

“I’m very upset about that.”

The court heard Cross was living at the Cellblock Backpackers, also known as DingoBlue, on March 30 when he became intoxicated after work.

Cross came out of his room into the communal space around 6:30pm when he started becoming confrontational, abusive and aggressive towards other residents.

During his rant, he threatened to kill residents, causing people to leave the area and return to their rooms.

He then got into a heated argument with the manager outside his room and was asked to leave.

Cross went back to his room where residents witnessed him elbowing the window, causing it to crack in multiple places.

Cross started to make a scene in the courtroom, asking Magistrate Edwina Rowan why the doctor would have said the vaccine was safe.

When she interrupted his rambling, he became agitated.

“No one can answer my question,” he said.

Cross told the court he was supposed to be on a pension due to a brain injury but couldn’t fill out the paperwork so he had to be on a Centrelink benefit instead.

Ms Rowan told Cross she took into account his early pleas of guilty and emotional state at the time of the offence.

For public nuisance, Cross was fined $350 and $100 for wilful damage, referred to SPER.

He was also ordered to pay $200 remittance to the Cellblock Backpackers, also referred to SPER.

Convictions were recorded.

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