Dudley Elton Bobongie pleaded guilty to making threats to kill

A tradie and father of four made multiple threats to kill against a man, who was left scared believing the ‘terrifying’ abuse could be carried out.

Dudley Elton Bobongie pleaded guilty to making threats to kill over the phone, harassing over Facebook messenger.

A tradie and youth football coach lashed out against a couple over the alleged assault of a family member, harassing the pair over phone and social media with threats to kill.

“C--- I’m going to come and choke you... you are f---ing dead... you f---ing hurt my family again c---, you are dead... I’ll f---ing smach you right back to where you came from”, were among the messages and voicemails Dudley Elton Bobongie sent to the 43-year-old male victim on February 21, 2024.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard the Slade Point father of four also sent messages to the victim’s 44-year-old partner over Facebook including, “right sl-t hear me and hear me now, you go anywhere near my (family member) and her family again, this won’t have a good outcome”.

She had no idea who Bobongie was at the time and her husband had called her about the calls he had received.

The court heard the couple went to police that day saying they were panicked and “terrified” believing Bobongie, who had a weapons license, could and carry out those threats.

Bobongie was candid with police, telling them he had been angry at the time because “a few weeks before he was told that (a family member) had been (allegedly) assaulted by the victim (43-year-old man) and another person and no punishment had come of that”, Prosecutor Sheena Gravino said.

“He stated that he had sent the messages to the victim and the other person so they would stay away from his (family member),” Ms Gravino said.

“He indicated to police that he fully regrets sending those messages.

“He has now lost his weapons licence as a consequence.”

Bobongie pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to carry out threats to kill with the intention the victim felt the threat would be carried out and using a carriage service to menace, harass, cause offence at Slade Point.

The court heard the 51-year-old had no criminal history and Ms Gravino accepted the submission of ATSILS defence solicitor Daniel Lane for a good behaviour bond.

Mr Lane said his client was a plumber by trade and very community minded, training children aged 14 to 17 in football.

Acting Magistrate Nigel Rees said, “there’s clearly some background to this”.

“The offence occurred over a course of a single day, which just creates the notion that my client didn’t think, was hot-headed and reacted emotionally,” Mr Lane said, adding Bobongie’s immaculate criminal history and good character lent “significant weight”.

Mr Rees accepted Bobongie “had a moment and taken the law into his own hands” later asking, “it’s easy to be a keyboard warrior isn’t it?”

Bobongie was placed on a $500 two-year good behaviour bond and convictions were not recorded.

Originally published as Dudley Elton Bobongie pleaded guilty to making threats to kill