Gambling problem behind former footy captain’s vile tirade at parents

He went on a violent rampage, smashed up their house and threatened to kill them. But the parents of this former captain of a Werribee football club, ice addict and gambler have stood by their son, pleading for his him to be freed from jail.

Former Glen Orden Football Club captain Joshua Radcliffe fronted court after he threatened to kill his parents. Picture: Facebook

A former captain of a Werribee football club with a chronic gambling problem who smashed up his parents’ home and threatened to kill them has been freed from jail.

Joshua Radcliffe, 29, served 74 days behind bars after he went on a violent rampage on March 23, demanding his folks hand over money and destroying their belongings.

But he was released last Wednesday and placed on a community corrections order when his parents pleaded with a magistrate to let him come home.

The Werribee Magistrates’ Court heard Radcliffe, a former captain of the Glen Orden Hawks, sent a series of vile text messages to his dad, including “hurry up and die you maggot”, “you’re f*****g dead when I get home, dog” and “have mum at home with $600 waiting for me or this car goes through your bedroom window”.

His terrified mother rang her husband to tell him Radcliffe was “going off his head and smashed up the place”, including throwing objects at her.

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The family were forced to flee the home until police were able to track down and arrest Radcliffe the next morning.

When interviewed, Radcliffe told cops he “got angry” and started throwing things around his room and “something must have flown out of my room and hit mum”.

“If she said I threw it at her, she’s a f*****g idiot. If I’m going to throw something at her, I’m going to make sure it hits her,” he told police.

Radcliffe’s lawyer told the court her client had a “solid work history” across several demolition companies and had been a longstanding member of the Glen Orden Football Club, serving as captain for three years.

She said Radcliffe had a “huge gambling addiction” and had three years ago “turned to ice to cope” after his two best friends died within a month of each other.

But she said Radcliffe hoped to clean up his act and wanted counselling for his addictions, as well as having his name added to the list of people banned from entering gambling venues.

Radcliffe had also been attending drug and alcohol counselling while in custody, the court heard.

Magistrate Costas Kilias said it was “a particularly nasty series of messages” Radcliffe and sent, and fined him $1000.

Radcliffe was also placed on a 12-month community corrections order where he must complete 100 hours of unpaid community work.

“Stay out of trouble, do the work, get back to work and thank your parents for sticking by you in these tough times,” Mr Kilias said.