Desmond Edmund Raymond wielded a machete after a dispute over wine

Occupants and guests at a Biloela house locked themselves inside and called Triple Zero as they feared for their safety.

Desmond Edmund Raymond.

An angry man who wielded a large machete in front of scared adults and children while making threats, has faced court.

Desmond Edmund Raymond, 36, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on December 8 to two counts of public nuisance, obstruct police, and two counts of breaching bail conditions.

The court heard that on November 17, at 1.40pm, Raymond was drinking with the occupants of a Collins Street house at Biloela and other guests, when a disagreement occurred over the ownership of wine.

An angry Raymond left the residence and went home to his place which is in the same street.

He then returned to the house where the gathering was, armed with a large machete which was 63cm long.

Raymond started yelling and screaming abuse at the people whom he believed had “slighted him” in his ownership of wine, the prosecution said.

Raymond then started sliding the machete across the top of the fence at the residence, while making threats.

Desmond Edmund Raymond.

Three adults and a number of children were present and fearing for their safety, they locked themselves inside the house and called Triple Zero.

When police arrived, they found Raymond at his residence.

“The defendant immediately told police that he had done public nuisance and wanted his court date so he could go to bed,” police prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said.

“The defendant stated he needed back-up, like out at Woori (Woorabinda), and that was why he took the machete.”

Sergeant Ongheen said as soon as police left Raymond’s residence, he came out and started throwing crockery at the house where the gathering was, and abused and threatened the occupants.

He was subsequently arrested and taken to the police watch house.

Then on November 23, about 6.35pm, Raymond was in the front yard of a Collins Street residence using offensive language.

He was in breach of a bail condition not to drink alcohol, as a random breath test returned a reading of .220.

After Raymond was arrested and during a pat-down search, he moved his legs and body around, which hindered police.

When the search was completed, Raymond refused to comply with police directions.

He was restrained and taken to the police watch house where he abused police for many hours before he sobered up, the prosecution said.

Solicitor Pierre Lammersdorf said Raymond was a father of three who, growing up, experienced a lot of alcohol abuse in his family and sadly that had now affected him also.

Mr Lammersdorf said Raymond completed school to Year 11, was currently unemployed but had plumbing qualifications, having done plumbing work on-and-off for eight years as well as farm work.

“Alcohol is a problem (for Raymond)... it has been a problem since the young age of 17,” Mr Lammersdorf said.

The court heard that a lot of the entries on Raymond’s criminal history involved alcohol.

In relation to the machete incident, Mr Lammersdorf said: “Thankfully there were no people in the immediate vicinity of that machete but it is dangerous, very dangerous conduct.

“Thankfully no-one was actually injured.”

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale sentenced Raymond to six months’ jail, wholly suspended for 18 months.

She also placed him on 18 months’ probation.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Desmond Edmund Raymond wielded a machete after a dispute over wine