Allan Ray Craig charged with bomb hoax on Mackay mental health centre
A man accused of pouring petrol around a Mackay health centre and making a terrifying threat to set the building on fire is a ‘serious risk of reoffending’, a court has been told.
Police & Courts
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A Marian man is accused of pouring petrol outside a community mental health centre and threatening to set it on fire in what was described as a “traumatic” threat against workers.
Allan Ray Craig is charged with one count of bomb hoax – place article or substance over the incident at Mackay Community Mental Health Service on November 4, 2022.
It is alleged the 44-year-old was unhappy with his treatment at the Nelson St centre so he poured petrol outside the door “on the back of a threat”.
During a bail application for Mr Craig, who has been in custody for about three months, Mackay Magistrates Court was told he allegedly went a step further than “the threat of a bomb hoax”, by the “overt act” of “pouring of the petrol”.
Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said it was alleged Mr Craig did not light the petrol, but that he “went one step further than just words”.
Prosecutor Ruth Whisker objected to bail, saying the allegations painted an “extremely concerning situation” against a mental health facility.
She said it workers were there to help and “don’t need to be traumatised like this”.
It was alleged Mr Craig, who was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, was a “significant risk of reoffending” and had an “extensive criminal history”.
The court heard the real issue was whether Mr Craig would endanger the safety or welfare of anyone who claimed to be a victim if the accused still needed mental health help.
It was argued Mr Craig, who was represented by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, could become angry again over his treatment and commit further offences.
Ms Hartigan said there was a risk Mr Craig could serve too much time on remand, but said it was a scenario of his own making.
Ms Hartigan acknowledged “mental health staff will be absolutely terrified if he’s released on bail” but found the risks could be addressed with strict conditions including wearing a tracker, a ban against going within 100m of the facility and residential conditions.
Mr Craig was released on bail and the matter was adjourned until February for committal mention.
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Originally published as Allan Ray Craig charged with bomb hoax on Mackay mental health centre
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