Jay Matthew Morton pleads guilty to firing gel blaster at Mackay Bunnings

A father must perform hundreds of hours of unpaid community service after he fired off a gel blaster outside Bunnings causing fear for a nearby mother and her child.

A magistrate has “politely” told a Mackay father his opinion after he fired off a gel blaster outside Bunnings, causing fear for a nearby mother and her child.

“I think last time I said you were giggling like a schoolgirl, I think that was being insulting to schoolgirls,” Magistrate Damien Dwyer said, slamming the 37 year old for “acting like a child and a drongo”.

The tradie had been driving back from a gel blaster activity session with a local club when he pulled into the Richmond store so his son could run inside and grab a soldering iron.

Jay Matthew Morton pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including going armed to cause fear and carrying an exposed weapon in a public place after an incident at Bunnings.

As Jay Matthew Morton waited outside, he was captured on mobile phone footage getting out of the car with the gel blaster and firing it five to seven times.

He had pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court in March to a raft of charges including going armed to cause fear and carrying an “exposed weapon” in a public place on October 2, 2021, but matters were adjourned to April 20 to be finalised.

Morton’s lawyer Aaron Sellentin, of Barron and Allen Lawyers, previously told the court his client had been trying to remove any residue from the end of the gel blaster after it had been used earlier at the club.

Mr Dwyer said he did not accept this claim after rewatching the footage.

The 37-year-old father must now perform 200 hours unpaid community service.

“I don’t accept after looking at that again that at any time you were trying to clear that gun,” Mr Dwyer said.

“I particularly looked at it everywhere to see if I could see you looking to see if it was clear and it just simply wasn’t where.

“I think you just being absolutely idiotic. Your actions were idiotic, foolish and as I said, you acted like a drongo.

“And I’m trying to be as polite as I can in finding words to describe you.”

Mr Dwyer ultimately accepted there was no real danger to anyone in this instance and it was not premeditated.

“I think all matters can be dealt with by a community service order,” he said.

Morton must complete 200 hours community service.

He was also disqualified from driving for seven months for drug-driving with meth and marijuana in his system.

Convictions are recorded.