Magistrate berates man for ‘terrorising’ commuters with sword at train station

A sword-waving, drug-affected “sword collector” who so terrified commuters they sought shelter at a train station in the north of Brisbane has been locked up.

A man has been jailed for terrorising commuters with a sword.

A DRUG-AFFECTED man who waved an unsheathed sword around while “raving incoherently” at a train station has been jailed.

Bryce William Borda, 34, pleaded guilty to a number of charges including going armed so as to cause fear, obstructing a watch-house officer and wilful damage when he appeared via video link at the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on October 31.

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The court heard Borda had caused commuters to “seek shelter” when he swung a sword around and yelled incoherently at the Narangba Railway Station at 4.40pm on August 4.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Shannon Bryce said Borda was described by members of the public to have appeared drug-affected, had thrown the sword into nearby bushes, only to collect it and board a train.

Borda refused to comply with a watch-house officer’s directions while in custody on August 8.

Sgt Bryce said Borda also “donkey kicked” the toilet in his cell numerous times causing it to leak.

Borda’s defence solicitor Lynn Stafford said her client was a devoted and compassionate father and sword collector.

Ms Stafford also said her client had a five page criminal history and a substance abuse problem.

“He was intoxicated at the time; he did not believe he was behaving inappropriately,” Ms Stafford said.

“He was merely transporting the sword home and playing with it at the time and understands that that may have caused some concern with the general public.”

But magistrate Trevor Morgan did not accept Borda’s being “intoxicated on a substance” as an excuse.

“Almost everybody living in Australia lives under a heightened sense of fear of terrorism,” Mr Morgan said.

“The consequence of you going to a railway station, waving a sword around in the air and raving incoherently means it is a very serious offence because you terrified everybody present.

“People there were taking shelter, understandably.”

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Borda, who committed the offences while on parole for a series of offences dating to June 25, was sentenced to 12 months jail.

Mr Morgan said he expected Borda to remain in custody for three-four months while his parole eligibility was established.