Wyong: Fiacre Munezero sentenced for impersonating cop with a fake gun

In what a magistrate has described as “unusual circumstances”, a man impersonated a police officer and held a fake gun to the head of a train passenger just hours after being struck by a car.

Fiacre Munezero was sentenced after threatening a passenger on a Wyong-bound train with a replica firearm. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

A man was “very clearly” under the deleterious effects of drugs when he held an imitation pistol to the head of a train passenger and demanded the victim’s Opal card while pretending to be an undercover cop, a court has heard.

Fiacre Munezero, 26, of Newcastle West, faced Wyong Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to being armed with intent and impersonating a police officer.

Following his pleas a further charge of possessing an unregistered firearm was withdrawn and dismissed.

But it was the “somewhat unusual circumstances” which led up to the offending that had a magistrate scratching her head.

The court heard Munezero had been released from custody for unrelated offences on July 21 last year.

Munezero faced Wyong Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: file

He was just two days into his parole when he was struck by a car in Newcastle and was taken to John Hunter Hospital.

The court heard Munezero checked himself out a few hours later before boarding a Gosford-bound train.

Munezero was taken to John Hunter Hospital after being hit by a car in Newcastle. (File photo)

An agreed set of facts states prior to the train reaching Wyong, Munezero entered a carriage about 3am and approached a man sitting by himself.

“The accused produced a black replica firearm and pointed it at the victim,” the facts state.

“The accused announced to the victim that he was an undercover police officer and demanded the victim produce his Opal card.”

Meanwhile a real off-duty police sergeant was also in the carriage and saw the entire thing before calling Triple 0.

Munezero threatened a passenger with a replica firearm. (File image)

About 3.40am police arrived at Wyong Station where the train was stopped and officers found Munezero in the toilet.

“The accused admitted to pointing the replica firearm at the victim stating he was a police officer,” the facts state.

“The accused made comment that he was only playing, When police asked the accused how he would feel if someone pointed something that looked like a firearm at him, the accused admitted that he would feel scared.”

Officers noticed Munezero was injured from his earlier encounter with a car and he was taken to Wyong Hospital under police guard.

Munezero’s solicitor Brian Quinn said his client had significant mental health issues which were triggered by his illicit drug use.

Magistrate Kirralee Perry said while she accepted Munezero had longstanding mental health problems, the sentence assessment report stated there was little connection between his mental state and his offending at the time.

“You were clearly on drugs on the night and you were on drugs when you got hit by a car,” she said.

“The problem in these matters is your mental health was `stable’.”

Ms Perry said even if the victim later realised the gun was fake it would have been “incredibly threatening and incredibly intimidating to have that replica firearm pointed in their face.”

She sentenced Munezero to three years jail with a non-parole period of two years.