Luke Wayne Hunter sentenced for axe-wielding outburst, Maroochydore

An axe-wielding meth addict scared those who witnessed him wondering a Maroochydore street yelling death threats after a financial disagreement prompted him to attack a woman.

An axe-wielding meth addict who was yelling threats in Maroochydore and drew blood from a woman’s face with the brim of his hat has avoided jail.

Luke Wayne Hunter was given a six month prison sentence with immediate release on parole in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday after he pleaded guilty to three charges including assault occasioning bodily harm.

Police prosecutor Stuart Lydford told the court Hunter caused witnesses great fear when he was walking along Hinkler Parade, Maroochydore with a long handled axe on August 25.

Sergeant Lydford said Hunter was yelling ‘where the f--k are you c--t?, I'm going to kill you now’ while holding the axe.

“He has walked onto the road where he has swung the axe hitting the bitumen, snapping the head of the axe,” he said.

Hunter was bleeding from his right hand when police found him walking in the middle of the road.

The blade and the head of the axe were located on the road and footpath.

The court heard Hunter also caused a woman’s face to bleed when he attacked her after they had an argument over money.

“He removed his cap from his head swinging it towards the victim’s head hitting her in the left eye with the brim of the cap,” Seregant Lydford said.

“He did this a second time hitting her on the bridge of the nose with the brim of the cap causing the skin to bleed.”

Luke Wayne Hunter leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court after pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.

Police later attended the man’s unit where they found a hanging noose and a marijuana plant.

The court heard Hunter had previously been sentenced for assault occasioning bodily harm.

Solicitor Ben Rynderman said the 27-year-old was medicated for depression and anxiety and suffered from PTSD after an incident where he was threatened to be set on fire.

He said his PTSD prompted the offending.

“He occasionally flips out and loses control of his actions,” Mr Rynderman said.

He said Hunter, who has been using meth from the age of 18, acted poorly and had demonstrated his remorse in his early plea of guilty.

Mr Rynderman said the noose inside Hunter’s unit could suggest he was suffering from mental health issues at the time.

He suggested a lengthy period of probation as an appropriate punishment or asked for a prison sentence to be suspended or combined with immediate parole.

Magistrate Christopher Callaghan said Hunter had been drinking earlier in the day and his intoxication would have played a role in his behaviour.

He said the offending was too serious for a probation order.