Seaforth man Travis John Leahy pleads guilty in Mackay court to stalking policeman

A miner used a bone to pin a veiled death threat to the window of a policeman’s car in a series of ‘bizarre’ stalking tirades against the officer after he felt unjustly targeted.

A Seaforth miner who told a court a local policeman was unfairly targeting him took it upon himself to exact vengeance.

He sent veiled death threats written in Latin and pinned messages to the officer’s car with a bone.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard Travis John Leahy had a string of offences in Seaforth leading up to his day of “bizarre” stalking.

The court heard Leahy was at Seaforth Bowls Club on Christmas Eve when he was asked to provide proof of vaccination.

But Leahy got upset and began abusing staff, calling them derogatory names.

An elderly patron tried to intervene, but Leahy became aggressive and punched them.

He then took out a knife from his pants and lunged at the patron several times.

The court heard the Seaforth policeman tried to take up with Leahy about the incident, triggering a tirade of rage where he stalked and threatened the officer on February 6.

Travis John Leahy pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court on April 8 to stalking, public nuisance, going armed so as to cause fear, possessing a knife in a public place, possessing weapons and drink-driving. Picture: Facebook

Leahy wrote a letter to the officer in Latin, which translated to say “this page be your holy destruction or death, and I look at you and curse you and hope for your destruction or death”.

Leahy used a bone to pin a message to the officer’s car window.

The court heard Leahy also threw a rock into the police station with another letter reading “I’m sorry – have a safe trip to heaven” while he yelled “f--- you you stupid c--t”.

The miner left a series of phone messages on the police station’s phone.

In one of the phone messages, Leahy told the policeman he knew the officer was building a house in a remote area.

When police went to apprehend the miner later that day, they found him driving with a credit card knife, and a hatchet in the car.

He was breathalysed and returned a 0.06 blood alcohol concentration.

The court heard Leahy was arrested and had spent 51 days in custody.

He pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court on April 8 to stalking, public nuisance, going armed so as to cause fear, possessing a knife in a public place, possessing weapons and drink-driving.

In a victim impact statement, the officer told the court this intimate knowledge of his personal life — knowing where he was building his home — made him feel scared for himself and his family.

Leahy’s lawyer Robyn Cathcart said her client felt like he was “the subject of a witch hunt” and wanted to be left alone.

“He was feeling paranoid, he said pressure built up in his head and he just erupted,” Ms Cathcart said.

“In his mind, he thought the officer was actually targeting him, it’s not to offer an excuse, but to explain the circumstances of this bizarre behaviour.”

Ms Cathcart told the court her client had been seeing a psychologist in custody and was taking new medication.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan acknowledged the behaviour seemed “very out of character” for the 47 year old.

“This behaviour is bizarre,” Ms Hartigan said.

“This is probably intimately connected to whatever your mental health issue is that is being investigated at the moment.”

But Ms Hartigan said there were very real impacts for the police officer involved.

She ordered a restraining order be put in place for five years, mandating Leahy have no contact with the officer and stay 200 metres away from the officer’s work or home.

Ms Hartigan sentenced Leahy to 15 months in jail with immediate parole.

He was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Convictions were recorded.