Brendan James Blatchly sentenced for attempted arson, threatening violence, wilful damage

A Sunshine Coast court has heard how a former truck driver terrorised his ex-partner after they recently separated and bashed a man he knew as he slept in a car.

Brendan Blatchly (pictured in 2018) was sentenced in the Maroochydore District Court on May 29 for terrorising his ex partner and bashing another man he knew with bolt cutters.

A Sunshine Coast court has heard horrific details into a Sunshine Coast man’s reign of terror against his ex-partner after they recently separated, as well as another man he knew.

Brendan James Blatchly, 55, appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on May 29, where he pleaded guilty to six charges spanning three days in March 2020.

The court was told Blatchly’s spree began on March 23 last year when he vandalised his ex-partner’s car at night after they had broken up.

Crown prosecutor Joana Dias said he had texted the woman prior to the vandalism and threatened to sue her workplace for slandering his reputation to a customer.

Early the next day Blatchly attacked a man he knew who was sleeping in his car with his girlfriend at Happy Valley, punching him in the head and striking him with bolt cutters.

He also smashed the driver’s side and rear windows of the car, as well as the car itself.

The victim was taken to hospital for a mild head injury.

Maroochydore Courthouse. Picture: Patrick Woods.

It was not shared in open court whether this man was related to Blatchly’s recent break-up.

Ms Dias told the court Blatchly then sent a series of threatening texts to the victim later that morning, calling him a “parasite” and threatening to “feed him to the sharks”.

The next day, Blatchly threatened his ex-partner over text, saying “put all my things back or die” and warning her she had “nowhere to run” because the interstate borders were shut due to Covid.

He then sent her a link to the Rebels motorcycle gang, Ms Dias said.

Blatchly then went to her workplace later that morning at a service station and bought a set of matches before going outside and spraying lighter fluid onto a hose connected to a gas bottle.

The woman was not at the workplace at the time.

He struck several matches and flicked them at the flammable liquid, but was pulled away by the collar by witnesses and pinned to the ground while waiting for police.

He was arrested at the scene and placed in custody.

Defence barrister Nathan Turner said it was not likely the gas bottles would have ignited, even if the lighter fluid did.

He said his client was a former truck driver with two children in their 30s.

Mr Turner said Blatchly was diagnosed with bipolar and was mentally unwell at the time of the offence. He also had a gambling addiction but had sought help.

He now lives near his elderly mother and spends half his days caring for her, Mr Turner told the court.

Blatchly pleaded guilty to one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, two charges of wilful damage including one as a domestic violence offence, one of threatening violence in the night, threatening violence (domestic violence) and attempted arson.

He was sentenced to two hand a half years behind bars, suspended immediately for two and a half years.