Zak Gillespie: Brooms Head man in court for threatening neighbour previously attacked dad of murdered teen
A North Coast man who once attacked the father of a murdered teen has faced court again after threatening to cut a dog’s head off and pointing a loaded speargun at his neighbour.
Police & Courts
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A Clarence Valley man threatened to cut off his neighbour’s dog’s head before pointing a speargun at the victim while he was barbecuing outside.
Brooms Head resident Zak Gillespie fronted Maclean Local Court on Thursday.
In 2020, Gillespie faced court for an unrelated incident in which he was found guilty of attacking Peter Stace – the father of murdered teenager Lee Ellen Stace – with an umbrella.
On this occasion, the 41-year-old pleaded guilty to being armed with the intent to commit an indictable offence.
Gillespie has a lengthy criminal record, according to court documents.
He also threatened to put his ex-partner’s pet cat in a crab trap, sent her a number of harassing text messages and let down the air in her car tyres.
Gillespie found himself in hot water after he “took issue” with his neighbour’s dog.
He “ranted and raved abuse over the fence” for hours on end on the afternoon of November 24, police state in the documents.
“I am going to kill that dog, I am going to cut that dogs head off and throw it over the fence,” Gillespie said.
When the neighbour went outside to barbecue, Gillespie threatened: “That f--king dog is going to get killed”.
The situation “escalated” when the neighbour suggested he would throw a spatula at Gillespie.
Gillespie yelled: “Come out the front and fight, I’m going to kill you and your dog.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” he said.
After indicating he would throw rocks, Gillespie fetched a speargun.
Police state he “loaded the speargun, pulling back the rubber strap and locking it into position”.
Gillespie leaned over the fence, “pointed the spear gun at the victim’s head and yelled ‘I’m going to kill you’.”
On December 5, Gillespie handed himself into police admitted threatening the neighbour.
Magistrate Jeff Linden said in court: “There are always two sides to a story.”
But he said Gillespie’s offending was “quite serious”, particularly because he armed himself with the speargun.
Gillespie was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community correction order.
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