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

A magistrate blasted a tradie for ‘giggling like schoolgirl’ after he fired off a gel blaster outside a popular hardware store, causing fear for a nearby mother and her child.

A magistrate blasted a Mackay father for “giggling like schoolgirl” after he fired off a gel blaster outside Bunnings causing fear for a nearby mother and her child.

A mobile phone video played in Mackay Magistrates Court captured Jay Matthew Morton getting out of a car out front of the popular Richmond store with the gel blaster and firing about five to seven times.

The 37-year-old tradie pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including going armed to cause fear and carrying an “exposed weapon” in a public place on October 2, 2021.

Jay Matthew Morton (middle) 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 a Mackay Bunnings.

But Magistrate Damien Dwyer questioned if the allegations made up all the elements for the going armed charge, which could carry a maximum penalty of two years jail if convicted.

Prosecutor Harry Coburn said the conduct clearly showed “a reckless disregard” even if there was no actual intention to “inspire terror”.

The court heard he faced the blaster towards the sky and the ground when firing.

Defence solicitor Aaron Sellentin, of Barron and Allen Lawyers, said Morton had been driving back from a gel blaster activity session with a local club when he pulled into the Mackay Bucasia Rd Bunnings so his son could run inside and grab a soldering iron.

“He’s made the poor decision to get the gel blaster out,” Mr Sellentin said.

“And the reason he did fire it … he was removing the residue from the end of the gel blaster after it had been used at the activity club.”

Morton fired a gel blaster five to seven times which was captured on mobile phone footage.

“I have difficulty accepting that after seeing the video,” Mr Dwyer said.

Mr Sellentin said his client did not point the gel blaster at anyone.

“He wasn’t looking at the gun to make sure all this residue had gone, he was … laughing and giggling like a schoolgirl,” Mr Dwyer said.

“Just a childish, stupid prank.”

The court heard Mr Sellentin had made a submission to Mackay prosecutions regarding his client’s going armed and carrying exposed weapon charges, but it was rejected.

Morton, a single father, had been on a three-month suspended sentence for being a public nuisance when this offending occurred.

Mr Dwyer said this conduct was akin to “a very serious version of a public nuisance”, but he ultimately adjourned the matter over concerns linked to the going armed to cause fear charge.

Mr Dwyer told the court the only thing prosecution had to back up the charge was his guilty plea. He adjourned matters so he could read up on legislation in relation to that charge.

Morton will be sentenced on April 20.