‘Juvenile and embarrassing conduct’: Man sentenced for vindictive campaign against police

A 25-year-old Cecil Plains mans threats and intimidation against a local police woman have been laid bare in court.

A young Cecil Plains man has been sentenced after he launched a nine-month campaign of intimidation against a police officer which left her scared to leave her home.

Kaleb Nicholas Neil Matthews, 25 appeared in the Dalby Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to one count of making threats to cause bodily harm, two counts of obstructing police and one count of possessing a knife.

The court was told between November 22 2023 and August 2024 Matthews made verbal threats to harm Cecil Plains’ sole police officer turning up at her home and place of work.

The offending first began after police raided Matthews’ home in relation to a drug offence with the 25-year-old forming a vendetta against the female officer.

Throughout the course of the year Matthews acted erratically towards the officer on numerous occasions following her around the small town of just 300 people and leaving her feeling threatened.

On December 31, the officer was at home when she heard a male’s voice outside her property and observed Matthews in her driveway.

When she was called to a job and attempted to leave her house Matthews blocked her car’s path, pulling up his pants, getting ready to fight and yelling abuse at the officer.

Matthews was alleged to have said “F**k you copper c**t, f**k off you fu**ing dog c**t “ before running off down the road.

Meanwhile on August 1, Matthews’ partner called the Cecil Plains police station to warn them he was coming after he made comments saying he was going to fight a local cop.

When he arrived Matthews loitered outside the police station and issued threats and abuse towards the officer.

Just two weeks later on August 14 police observed a drunken Matthews riding a bike and when they approached him he launched into a tirade.

Matthews told police “you’ve got a badge and belt, take it off and i'll show you what a street c**t does” before pulling out a knife which he threw into a nearby bush.

He then pulled a pair of scissors from his sock, but the court heard he didn’t threaten police with either of the weapons.

Bodycam footage from the incident showed Matthews abusing police for close to an hour telling them “you’re lucky I don’t catch you out in the street”.

The court was told following the close to a year of intimidation the officer felt scared to take her children to the park or go to the pub for dinner and feared Matthews would hurt her family.

Magistrate Kathleen Payne described the offending as “juvenile and embarrassing conduct”.

He was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for 12 months and placed on a 12 month probation order.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as ‘Juvenile and embarrassing conduct’: Man sentenced for vindictive campaign against police