Scott Arnall: Ipswich man faces court after threatening Centrelink staff

An Ipswich man has faced court after harassing and threatening Centrelink staff for months, calling them ‘f**ckheads’ who did not give a ‘rat’s ass about human life’.

Frustrated with Centrelink, an Ipswich man incessantly harassed and threatened staff over a period of six months, a court has heard.

Scott Arnall, 49, from Brassall appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday February 4, where he pleaded guilty to one charge of using a carriage service to menace and harass.

The court heard that between June 1 and November 23 last year, Arnall called and emailed Centrelink staff more than 20 times.

His emails were explicit, with one reading: “If someone doesn’t help me pay these f**king bills so I can at least go and spend Christmas with my terminally sick mother and my father who has cancer, then I may as well end it all.”

In the same email, he referred to Centrelink staff as “f**kheads” who could not give “a rat’s ass about human life”.

The court heard Arnall was going through a “rough patch” when he made the calls and sent the emails; his income had been affected by a workplace injury and COVID-19 and his mother and father were both ill.

The court heard police had spoken with Arnall and attended his address a number of times for like offences before finally charging him.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said she had taken into account the fact Arnall had been warned by police as well as the stress the staff on the receiving end of the “menacing” would have felt when deciding an appropriate sentence.

She acknowledged Arnall was trying to get Centrelink’s attention, but said she was sure everyone who contacted the service would think their problem needed attention.

“People are not generally ringing Centrelink unless they need assistance,” she said.

She said the constant harassment was “unfair” to the staff who were no doubt already overwhelmed, but decided issuing a fine would neither assist Arnall nor Centrelink.

Arnall was convicted and released on recognisance to be of good behaviour for 18 months.