Max Cook pleads guilty to stalk intimidate in Byron Bay Local Court

The Ocean Shores man walked towards a victim holding a tomahawk in front of him and said ‘my name is Max and don’t you forget it.’

An Ocean Shores man has been sentenced after he intimidated two victims wielding a tomahawk.

Max Cook, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of stalk or intimidate in Byron Bay Local Court on Monday.

According to court papers Cook’s first victim was driving on Mill Rd towards Huonbrook Rd, Huonbrook where he noticed a man in a beanie or hoodie walking towards the road with a tomahawk in his hand on November 9, 2020.

The victim stopped and said “hello, how are you, sorry I’ve forgotten your name”.

Cook walked towards the man holding the tomahawk in front of him and said “my name is Max and don’t you forget it.”

The victim said he was intimidated by Cook’s demeanour and aggression and believed Cook may have attacked him.

He drove off and called 000.

The second victim and her three children aged 14, 11 and 7 were driving out of their Mill Rd property when one child, who recognised him, said “Max is carrying an axe and shouting.”

The woman increased her speed and drove off and Cook ran after her for a short time, wielding the axe.

The victim was shaken by the event and would not return to her home until the police said it was safe.

Police attended Cook’s address to arrest him, however Cook ran into dense bushland and was unable to be located.

The next day they returned with Police Dog AJ who was able to locate Cook before he was arrested.

In court on Monday Cook’s lawyer said at the time of the offence he’d lost his job, his car broke down and he was living with his father in a fairly tense relationship and was using drugs.

She said on the day in question Cook had gone for a bushwalk with a tomahawk with him and was lacking self awareness with how he presented himself.

The court heard Cook had been in custody between November 10, 2020 and March 24, 2021 before attending rehab for six months.

The defence said Cook was insightful and remorseful for his crimes and wanted to continue with intervention.

Cook was sentenced to six months imprisonment, back dated to start on November 10 and expire May 9, and to a six month community corrections order with a condition to abstain from drugs.