Ex-serviceman Aaron David Marriage found guilty after threatening Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young
Audio of a police interview with a Gold Coast man who sent threatening messages to the Premier and her chief health officer has been released. LISTEN HERE >>>
Police & Courts
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A NAVY ex-serviceman - self-described himself as the “Wolf of Bargara” - has been found guilty of threatening Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her chief health officer.
The threats included calling the leaders “scum” and saying he would “personally wipe you from the face of the earth... get ready for war”.
After being found guilty on Wednesday, Aaron David Marriage told the Southport Magistrates Court: “If I had intention to do it… I have been out 18 months now… I would have done it by now.”
The Nerang man sent multiple threatening messages to the Queensland Premier’s Facebook page on September 14 last year.
Marriage pleaded not guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court in July to two counts of using a carriage service to make threats.
Magistrate Gary Finger handed down his decision on Wednesday, finding Marriage guilty on both counts.
“There would be a lot of people in Australia who are frustrated with border closures… you won’t be the first and you won’t be the last,” he said.
“Threatening the Premier and chief health officer and police officers at the border is not the way to go about it.
“Every view should be respected but this is not the way to go about it… you cannot send these messages like you did.”
Magistrate Finger sentenced him to four months prison with immediate release and a $2000 good behaviour bond.
One message sent by Marriage read: “If your police try and stop me, I will run down the road block in my truck, I don’t care if the police get killed. That’s something for you to worry about.”
Another message said: “This whole total control rant you are carrying with is ending now. F**k you and Jeannette Young, you are scum. I will personally wipe you from the face of the earth. Get ready for war.”
In another message sent in June, Marriage said Ms Palaszczuk “was not pretty enough to be a goddess” and that she could not order people around.
The messages were allegedly sent in response to the border restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
A police interview with Marriage was played to the court during the one-day trial in July.
In that interview Marriage told police: “You know I find this a joke and a waste of money and time.”
He said he had no intention of carrying out the threats.
Outside of court Marriage told media he was not happy with the outcome.
When asked if he wanted to apologise to Ms Palaszczuk he replied: “Why would I, she threatened my 15-year-old child first.”
Marriage had claimed in court that Ms Palaszczuk had threatened to jail him or his son if they crossed the border to visit each other.
Marriage also claimed outside of court that police had the right to refuse the “unlawful order”.
He did not explain what the unlawful order was.
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