Ian Ross Heron in court for social media abuse

A fuming four-wheel-drive owner was at a standoff with an auto-repair shop when he started sending chilling warnings to staff via Facebook. Now his actions have landed him in court.

Ian Ross Heron, 61, leaves Hervey Bay Magistrate Court on February 1, 2024.

A pensioner who warned workers at a mechanical repair business he had weapons and was “hunting” one staffer over the condition of his car has been sentenced.

Ian Ross Heron, 61, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Thursday to using a carriage service to threaten, menace or harass.

The court heard from October 1 until November 30, 2023, Heron abused the employees of Pialba Auto Electrics and Air Conditioning on Facebook after being dissatisfied with their service on his Toyota LandCruiser.

The vehicle was said to be “highly valuable” to Herron due to its specific alterations which meant he could still hold a licence despite his poor eyesight.

The service cost $2000 and was at the Islander Road shop for four weeks when he picked it up.

Enraged by the condition of the car when it was returned to him, Herron made numerous posts on Facebook across the next months in which he told the staff to “leave town”, called them “lying a******s” and accused them of having a “prejudice to pensioners”, the court heard.

Police prosecutor Sonia Edwards said Herron also wrote online, “I have got ammo now” and warned he was “in possession of a powerful bow and arrow and a slingshot” and “I am hunting the c***, run”.

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When confronted by police officers at his home, Heron “made full admissions to being angry and agreed that his words were offensive”.

“He said he had no intention to ever follow his words with actions,” Mrs Edwards told the court.

Duty lawyer Virgina Ukpavi said Heron “had no prior history in front of the court” and “was now going through the proper legal channels in his attempt to resolve the situation”.

She said before this incident “prior interactions between the two parties had been positive” with Heron having had his car serviced at the business multiple times.

She also told the court Heron was receiving a disability pension worth $1100 per fortnight in addition to a payout he received in June.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie said Heron’s behaviour “of hiding behind a laptop to let out his anger” was “cowardly” and “gutless”.

She fined him $1100 for the offence and a conviction was recorded.