Kevin Robert Moore in court for threatening journalist

A fencing contractor and convicted armed robber fronted court for threatening a journalist nearly two-and-a-half years after a Maryborough armed robbery.

Kevin Moore faced Maryborough District Court for threatening a journalist nearly two-and-a-half years after his involvement in the armed robbery of a Maryborough home.

A fencing contractor and convicted armed robber threatened a journalist for publishing an article about his girlfriend, a Maryborough court heard.

Kevin Robert Moore appeared before Maryborough District Court on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 after breaching a suspended sentence imposed on him in 2020 for armed robbery with personal violence.

Moore was sentenced in Maryborough District Court to 12 months jail followed by a five-year suspended sentence for the offending in which he cocked a replica pistol and told a couple occupying a Maryborough home “give me the money now or I will put a bullet in you”.

The court heard in November 2022 Moore approached a reporter from the local newspaper at the Maryborough courthouse after a Supreme Court hearing involving his girlfriend, who was facing drug trafficking charges.

Kevin Moore faced Maryborough District Court for threatening a journalist nearly two-and-a-half years after his involvement in the armed robbery of a Maryborough home.

Moore asked the reporter, who had attended the hearing, not to publish an article about his girlfriend’s charges, or at least not to publish certain aspects of the hearing which had a bearing on his girlfriend’s medical condition.

Judge Michael Byrne KC told the court the reporter gave Moore her editor’s email address and her own contact details, and after unsuccessfully prevailing upon the editor not to publish an article proceeded to contact the reporter by various means over the next two days “in terms which inevitably caused her fear”.

Moore pleaded guilty in Maryborough Magistrates Court on August 8 to using a carriage service to menace or harass, and was fined $1100.

“It was a completely unacceptable thing to do,” Judge Byrne said.

“The media has a job to do; others in the community won’t always agree, but that remains their job and they are entitled to be left alone.

“In years past I’ve been in positions where there have been plenty of publicity around matters that I’ve been involved with.

“You just have to suck it up I’m afraid, you don’t go doing what you did.”

Moore’s lawyer Travis George told the court his client was currently working two jobs, including running his own fencing business and working in construction on a large project in Hervey Bay.

Judge Byrne told the court during his suspended sentence Moore did not engage with support services for his use of illicit substances and excess alcohol consumption, which were directed at his “anger management issues” evidenced by the home invasion offence and the harassment of the reporter.

“I’m going to put you back on parole, it’s up to you whether you want to take advantage of (the services) or whether you want to go to jail for breach of parole,” Judge Byrne said.

“You’ve been through the wringer, you know what I’m talking about.”

Judge Byrne ordered the activation of 12 months of Moore’s suspended sentence with immediate release on parole.

Originally published as Kevin Robert Moore in court for threatening journalist