Guy Jeffery Harding pleads guilty to stealing, public nuisance, fraud

‘Tensions were running high’ when a former boyfriend came back on the scene, leading to a domestic disturbance that had neighbours coming out onto the street.

A man who told police he would kill his girlfriend has been sentenced for several charges relating to the incident.

Worried neighbours called the police on a household where a man shared a house with his girlfriend and her ex-partner after a noisy argument broke out.

An Ipswich court heard the most disturbing aspect of the incident was when the defendant made threats to kill a woman.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull told Ipswich Magistrates Court the comments made by Guy Harding should not be regarded as flippant remarks.

He said the threats, which Harding made to police officers at the scene, were made in the context of a domestic violence incident.

The court heard Harding experienced difficulties while living in a shared house with his girlfriend and her former boyfriend.

Guy Jeffery Harding, 33, from Bundamba, pleaded guilty to seven charges including two counts of stealing at Riverlink in North Ipswich; fraud; public nuisance; and two counts of obstructing police.

The court heard stealing charges involved a set of knives being taken from a homewares store at Riverlink on May 1, and clothes from Best & Less on June 2. The fraud involved unpaid fuel.

Harding appeared from jail via video-link.

Sgt Turnbull said Harding had been held in custody for three weeks and police did not seek that he spend more time behind bars.

“The time in custody would be a jolt to his system,” he said.

Defence lawyer Amy Zanders said the Ipswich-born labourer instructed that at the time of offending a former partner of Harding’s then girlfriend had come back on the scene.

“When the three of them were together the tensions were running high,” Ms Zanders said.

“He was using illicit substances at the time.

“His instructions are there was an argument with her. He said what he said out of anger.”

Ms Zanders said he was no longer seeing the woman and would live with his parents at Boonah when released.

Magistrate Leanne Scoines said when police attended the house, Harding had been in an aggressive state, pacing around.

Ms Scoines said his behaviour caused people to come out of their homes to see what was happening. Handcuffs had to be used to take him to the watch-house.

“You made statements to police that you intended to kill her. Police were concerned about her safety,” Ms Scoines said.

“You were found hiding under a bed. You were extremely aggressive to police, belligerent.”

Ms Scoines said he was a fully grown adult at 33 who was residing in somewhat unusual living arrangements with “the combustible set up not working”.

She said there was no excuse for his conduct that day, and noted that the experience of being held for 21 days had likely settled his mood.

Harding was convicted and sentenced to a 10-month probation order for the public nuisance, obstructing police and domestic violence offences.

He was also sentenced to a concurrent six-month probation order for the stealing and fraud charges.

He was given immediate release from custody. He was also ordered to pay $399 compensation for the stealing charges.