Andrew Keys: Coffs Harbour man denied firearms licence after tribunal finds he threatened co-worker over Covid mask

A northern NSW metal worker who has been denied his gun licence threatened to kill a workmate for not wearing a Covid mask, a tribunal determined.

Professor Geoffrey Walker determined it would “not be in the public interest” for Keys to hold a gun licence.

A Coffs Harbour metal worker who has been denied his firearms licence threatened to kill a workmate for not wearing a Covid mask, a tribunal has found.

Andrew Keys, 55, appeared in a Civil and Administrative Tribunal lawsuit fighting to regain his firearms licence, with the final decision handed down on April 20.

The tribunal heard Keys was enthusiastic about guns, had no history of firearms contraventions or adverse reports, and a very limited criminal history.

The tribunal determined Keys threatened a workmate.

Keys was an employee of Allied Air Conditioning and Refrigeration in Coffs where he worked as a sheet metal worker in the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

The company’s HR manager Brock Wilson testified in the case heard before Professor Geoffrey Walker that Keys had a history of being difficult.

“He would often refuse to follow directions or refuse to do tasks because he felt they were beneath him,” he said.

“(I) was aware that there was some friction and interpersonal issues between the applicant and others in the workplace, particularly in relation to mask-wearing.”

In August 2021, James Daley, a junior employee, was not wearing a mask at work.

“(Keys) made a threat to him about not wearing his mask,” the decision states.

“He had said ‘Put your mask on, my wife has just had surgery and has no immune system, so if I get it from you and she gets it and dies, I’ll kill you too’.”

Key’s move to renew his firearms licence was rejected.

According to Mr Daley’s testimony, he initially “shrugged off” the threat, but became concerned and decided to record notes on his phone about any future threats.

A few weeks later, the junior worker heard Keys make a clear threat against his direct manager, Ross Currell, because he was told he could not take work gear home, the decision states.

Keys approached Mr Daley and said: “I’m sick of being treated like a f---wit. I’d like to bring in my rifle and shoot him in the head. I’d love to bring in my 22 with a 10-round mag and unload on him,” the tribunal heard.

This led Mr Daley to report Keys‘ behaviour.

In his testimony, Keys said he might have made a threat against the junior worker for not wearing a mask.

“I was annoyed and pretty hard on him at the time, but later apologised,” he said.

“I also mentioned … that I was picking up a new .22 rifle, but did not say anything about bringing it to work or shooting anyone.”

The tribunal heard Keys was not pleased to see his co-worker not wearing a mask during the Covid pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nicholas Eagar

Keys “categorically denied” making any threats towards his manager.

He was stood down from the job pending investigations on August 15, 2021 and the matter was reported to police.

In his decision, Professor Walker said there had been previous threats in the workplace - not always involving firearms - but staff brushed them off as down to workplace tension.

“On the preponderance of the evidence, I find that the applicant did make the threat as alleged on August 12, 2021 and that it was not an isolated incident,” he said.

“If it had been an isolated incident, it might have been possible to discount it as a spontaneous outburst on the spur of the moment, but it was not isolated.

“The applicant had made a threat to kill (the junior worker) about a week before over the issue of mask-wearing.

“ ... I find that it would not at present be in the public interest for the applicant to hold a firearms licence,” he concluded.