CQ concreter Joshua Ronald T Hart sentenced after threats to police

A Central Queensland concreter launched a tirade of abuse at police officers, telling one ‘I will rape your wife’ - but his threats got even more disturbing after that.

Concreter Joshua Ronald T Hart, 25, was sentenced in Yeppoon Magistrates Court after making sick threats to police. Generic image.

A Central Queensland concreter who threatened to rape a police officer’s wife, has faced court.

Joshua Ronald T Hart, 25, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on Thursday to obstructing police.

The court heard that on March 24, police attended a Yeppoon residence where an intoxicated T Hart yelled at police and abused them.

Police prosecutor Claudia Neill-Ballantine said police warned T Hart to stop his abusive behaviour but he refused and continued his “tirade of abuse.”

Ms Neill-Ballantine said police tried to put T Hart in the back of a police vehicle but he “actively resisted” so he was restrained and put in handcuffs.

The prosecutor said once at the police station, officers removed the handcuffs as they believed T Hart had calmed down.

“(T Hart) again started to get abusive and violent with police, raising his hands in a threatening manner, verbally shouting and (was) threatening towards all present police,” Ms Neill-Ballantine said.

The prosecutor said T Hart refused a lawful request to undertake a pat-down search and he was warned about obstructing police.

Ms Neill-Ballantine said T Hart continued to threaten and abuse police, and he resisted all attempts to be searched.

“While (T Hart) was inside the cell, he continued to yell at police, stating quote: ‘I will rape your wife, your family, kill them and chop them up’.”

Yeppoon Courthouse.

Ms Neill-Ballantine said police entered the cell and T Hart became “violent and verbally aggressive” to police.

“Two officers had to restrain (him) to facilitate the search.

“(He) stated he did not care if police charged him - he will remember the officer’s face and bash them on the street.”

The court heard that T Hart had similar offending on his criminal history - his last being in 2023 when he received imprisonment with immediate parole for offences including obstructing police.

In relation to the current offence before the court, Ms Neill-Ballantine said it was a “serious example of the charge given the nature of the threats being made.”

Solicitor Sean Gibbs said T Hart was currently working as a concreter.

“He works six days a week and he works long hours,” Mr Gibbs said.

“He’s lived in Yeppoon since January of last year - he made the move (from south-east Queensland) for a fresh start.”

Mr Gibbs said on the day of T Hart’s offending, he had worked and drank “very little water” during the day.

The solicitor said T Hart and others ended up at the Parkhurst Tavern where they were drinking alcohol, and T Hart couldn’t remember getting home to Yeppoon.

“He has instructed me he’s very ashamed of his conduct - particularly in relation to the words that he used towards the police officers,” Mr Gibbs said.

“He’s devastated that he used that language.”

Prior to imposing penalty, Magistrate Lance Rundle told T Hart: “... sitting here watching you, you actually do look remorseful, particularly when the facts were being read out.”

Mr Rundle also asked T Hart if he had a partner and T Hart confirmed he had a female partner.

The magistrate then said: “If you were at your workplace as a concreter, and someone said that about your girlfriend or your wife, how do you think you’d feel? You wouldn’t like it.”

T Hart responded: “Yeah.”

Mr Rundle fined T Hart $750 and a conviction was recorded.