Trevor Fieldsend: Dubbo man narrowly escapes jail time after scaring his mother with a hammer, knife and torch

A paranoid Dubbo man who believed his mother was conspiring to shoot him has been sentenced after he locked her inside their home, turned off the lights and armed himself with a hammer and knife.

A Dubbo man who appeared to be in a state of paranoia and intimidated his mother with an assortment of weapons was sentenced on Wednesday.

Trevor Fieldsend, 39, appeared in Dubbo Local Court, supported by family, maintaining his plea of guilty from last month where he was granted bail for a charge of stalk or intimidate, intending to cause fear of physical or mental harm.

According to documents tendered in court, the victim was talking to a friend on the phone and rinsing her hair out in the bathroom sink of her Narromine home, when she noticed Fieldsend in her peripheral vision, with a “hammer raised up next to his head”.

Trevor Fieldsend was sentenced in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, July 27 after pleading guilty to a stalk or intimidate intending to cause fear of physical or mental harm, domestic violence charge.

The victim asked Fieldsend “what are you doing?” to which he replied, “I can hear you on the phone, you and Geoff are trying to find someone to shoot me”, court documents reveal.

A short time after walking away Fieldsend returned, this time armed with a hammer, a knife and a torch.

“The victim could tell that (Fieldsend) was under the influence of an illegal drug and became fearful of the accused, mainly due to him holding a knife and a hammer,” police facts state.

“The accused proceeded to turn off all the lights in the house, locked all of the doors and windows, and sat in the lounge room with the victim.”

Fieldsend continued to mutter that people were coming for him and trying to kill him.

“Although (Fieldsend) at no point threatened the victim, she was still intimidated by the accused’s actions and due to the house being so dark, was unable to find her way outside,” police facts state.

“Feeling like she was trapped inside, the victim managed to send a text message from her phone to another person which stated ‘get police here now’.”

This person contacted police who arrived shortly after to find the house in “absolute darkness”.

The victim made her way outside and spoke to police, explaining what happened, saying she needed Fieldsend out of the house and she was feeling uneasy and fearing for her safety.

“Police attempted to talk to the accused, who was clearly paranoid. He was not responding to police and refused to stay out of the house.”

Officers saw Fieldsend carrying a large torch, which he continued to use to light up the yard, saying that someone was coming for him.

He finally spoke to police and was later detained for the purpose of a mental health assessment, and conveyed by an ambulance to Dubbo Base Hospital where he was arrested at 1pm on Tuesday and placed into custody at Dubbo Police Station.

Fieldsend’s lawyer, Rachel Wong, appealed to Magistrate Theresa Hamilton saying her client has made considerable efforts to clean up his act with drugs being the standout “problem” with his behaviour and that his sentencing assessment report (SAR) was “quite positive”.

“(He) has recognised that drugs are the problem, and he has taken steps to fix the drug and alcohol issues,” Ms Wong said.

Ms Wong continued her submissions to Magistrate Hamilton saying that Fieldsend had continued to engage with cognitive behavioural therapy as a way of addressing his mental health issues.

She added that he had a strong support base from family members, including his aunty who he was currently living with.

The court heard that there was a job waiting for Fieldsend “subject to what happens (at court)” and despite there being conditions in an AVO prohibiting him from seeing his mother, he plans to go back and live with her which she has welcomed.

In her final submission, Ms Wong said Fieldsend should remain in the public.

While noting that Fieldsend was already on a community corrections order for a separate offence, Magistrate Hamilton highlighted the SAR which she described as being “largely favourable”.

She said that Fieldsend had shown insight into the effects of his behaviour and that he had made progress in addressing his issues, including undertaking employment.

In the SAR, it was revealed that Fieldsend had also completed 30 hours of community service that was required of him.

“The community would be better served if he continued with that progress,” Magistrate Hamilton said.

“I am not going to send you to jail today but with your history if there is any further offending like this, you may go to jail.”

Although noting his behavioural improvements, Magistrate Hamilton sent out a stern warning to Fieldsend saying that he was only heading in one direction if he continued this type of offending, pleading to him to continue his treatment for his mental health problems.

In sentencing, Magistrate Hamilton allowed for Fieldsend’s prior community corrections order to continue alongside a fresh 18 month order for this offence.

She also amended the AVO conditions, allowing for Fieldsend to see his mother, although he cannot be in her company within 12 hours of drinking alcohol or taking drugs.