Wide Bay Burnett labourer sentenced over alcohol fuelled threats

A young Wide Bay Burnett man claimed to have no memory of a booze-fuelled outburst during which he threatened to stab several people including children.

The young man appeared in the Bundaberg Court House.

A young Wide Bay Burnett labourer has been sentenced to a lengthy probation order after his “concerning” behaviour was heard in a Bundaberg courthouse.

The 23-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, pleaded guilty to common assault – domestic violence offence, threatening violence – domestic violence offence, wilful damage – domestic violence offence, driving unlicensed, uninsured and unregistered.

The court heard the young father had gone through an intense period of “unique circumstances” including the death of a close friend, and a diagnosis of anxiety and depression for which he struggled to obtain consistent access to medication.

MORE LOCAL COURT NEWS:

Gym bag mugger stomped on victim’s head, threatened to kill dog
Blood on the walls, floor: Panel beater jailed for ‘terrifying’ attacks on women

The reality of his situation was made heavier by the financial stress of his partner’s stepmother and her four children who were living with him in August of 2023.

Police prosecutor Carl Spargo told the court the offending occurred over two-days in mid August 2023 when the man drove an unregistered and uninsured car to the pub while unlicensed.

It is not alleged the young man drove under the influence of alcohol.

The following day, after drinking at his home, he launched a verbal tirade at his partner, jumping on the bonnet of her car and demanding her stepmother and her children leave the property.

“The concerning aspect was the behaviour exhibited towards the victim, he jumped up and down, kicked the door causing damage to it,” Sergeant Spargo told the court.

“And then he made threats … ‘I’m going to stab them all’.”

The young man threatened to stab his partner’s mother in law and her four children.

No actual violence was alleged in the prosecutor’s submission.

Barrister Callan Cassidy said the stepmother no longer lived at the property and noted the man’s partner was present in the court to support him.

Mr Cassidy said the man had taken steps to rehabilitate himself, had stepped away from alcohol and returned to a regular medication cycle.

“I should say that he instructs that he has no memory or details of what happened but accepts what happened … it’s been a big wake-up call to him.”

Magistrate Edwina Rowan described his actions as “wholly inappropriate” and said they had put his young partner into a “terribly difficult position”.

“This really needs to be a wake-up call for you, because if you continue to come back before the court for this type of conduct particularly in the face of having consumed too much alcohol … there’s only very few sentencing options available to the court,” she said.

The man was placed on probation for 15 months for all offences.

He was disqualified from driving for two years and given a 12-month cumulative probation for disqualified driving and convicted and not further punished on the remaining charges.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Wide Bay Burnett labourer sentenced over alcohol fuelled threats