‘I’ll stab you’: Man sentenced after threatening to stab teens

A Roma man faces court after he threatened a group of teenagers with a knife outside a McDonalds. But despite pleading guilty, he claimed it was a very different story. DETAILS:

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A man was given a year-long probation order after pleading guilty in the Roma courthouse to pulling out a knife and threatening to stab a group of teenagers outside McDonalds, telling the Magistrate they were taunting him.

Wayne Andrew Alston pleaded guilty to five offences in the Roma Magistrates Court on Wednesday, March 31.

The court heard at 1.30pm on March 7, a group of teenagers were on their bikes outside McDonalds on Bowen Street when they asked Alston for $1.

“The defendant engaged in a verbal altercation with the victims and the defendant told them to ‘f--k off’, the victim yelled back at him calling him a ‘c--t’, and said ‘I’m going to bash you’,” police prosecutor sergeant Heather Whiting told the court.

“The defendant said to one victim ‘I’ll stab you’, after taking out a knife from his camouflage bag and making a cutting action over his neck.

“The victims, fearful of the defendant, ran into McDonalds.”

Later that day at 5pm, the victims were at Subway on McDowall Street when they saw the defendant across the road.

Sergeant Whiting said Alston told the teenager “I’m going to get you”, before the victims ran into The Club Hotel and found safety.

The teenagers recognised Alston as the ex-partner of their current neighbour and contacted police.

Sergeant Whiting said police conducted an interview with the defendant who confirmed having a verbal altercation with the victims, however denied pulling out a knife or threatening to stab them.

Alston told Magistrate Peter Saggers that he did not have a knife on him, but was carrying a pen.

“They chased me from McDonalds for two-and-a-half blocks, abusing me and throwing rocks at me, I told them that I had a pen and I’d write on their forehead ‘dickhead’,” Alston said.

The Magistrate told Alston that if he intends on pleading guilty, that he has to accept the charges.

Alston accepted the charges, saying he did not want to waste the court’s time.

Sergeant Whiting said when police searched his address on March 13, officers did not locate a knife but found three clipsal bags containing cannabis and a drug utensil.

“He became aggressive towards police and called them ‘c--ts’, ‘I’ll knock you c--ts out, let‘s crack on’,” sergeant Whiting said.

He was further charged with possession of dangerous drugs, possession of a drug utensil and obstructing police.

The prosecutor said the defendant’s actions on March 7 and the 13th were the biggest concerns.

“Going armed to cause fear, you don’t see very often and he’s done it towards juveniles which is concerning,” she said.

“There may be underlying issues which may be able to be addressed on a probation order... it’s going into the realms of a sentence of imprisonment, however a suspended sentence would hang over his head and I’m not sure if that would address any underlying issues.”

The Magistrate asked Alston whether he would consent to a probation order.

Alston said as long as the “kids” left him alone and he could do it after work, he would abide by a probation order.

The defendant apologised for his behaviour towards the police on March 13 and said he understood it was wrong.

Magistrate Saggers informed Alston about laws pertaining to people carrying knives, comparing it to problems in southeast Queensland.

“You say there wasn’t a knife, the prosecution says there was, and if you’re armed, there’s a risk - young blokes jump on you and take it from you and put it in your chest and that’s what’s happening in the southeast corner,” he said.

Alston represented himself in court and pleaded guilty to going armed in public, public nuisance, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of a drug utensil and obstructing police.

He was given a 12-month probation order, a conviction was recorded and the drug items were forfeited to the state.

Originally published as ‘I’ll stab you’: Man sentenced after threatening to stab teens