Zachary William Richards: Six hour siege with police sees Kingaroy man brandish bat with nails, fake rifle at cops

A man who consumed ‘50 Xanax tablets’ before arming himself with a weapon and threatening police has been told he was lucky his antics didn’t end in tragedy.

A six-hour siege in a rural town could have ended in tragedy, when a man brandished what appeared to be a sawn-off rifle and a bat with nails protruding from it at police.

Zachary William Richards, 28, also threatened to shoot himself and then assaulted police at the conclusion of the stand-off, but has narrowly avoided spending further time in jail.

Richards faced the Kingaroy District Court, charge with three counts of serious assault and one count of serious assault occasioning bodily harm in relation to the stand-off on February 12 in Kingaroy.

Police were called to Richards’ property by his mother for a welfare check late in the evening, and were confronted by him upon arrival, with Richards carrying a beer bottle, and a bat with nails protruding from it.

The court was told Richards told police he had consumed “about 50” Xanax tablets prior to the incident.

Zachary Richards leaves the Kingaroy Court House on September 1, 2021, after being sentenced in District Court for a six hour siege with police.

Richards then threatened police that he would go and get his gun, before entering his home and returning with a “wooden firearm stock with silver tape wrapped around the front” which appeared to be a shortened rifle, forcing officers to take cover.

He pointed the stock at police and then at his head before shouting “I’ll f--king shoot myself if you don’t leave”.

Police negotiated with Richards until 5.15am the next day when he was arrested.

While Richards was later in hospital, he began to abuse staff and police and resisted officers placing him in handcuffs.

As he was be removed from the hospital he began “flailing his arms and thrashing his body”, requiring police to take him to the ground, resulting in a police officer suffering cuts to his hands and wrists.

Barrister James Benjamin told the court his client has a “history of complex mental health problems, compounded by low intelligence and severe communication and comprehension difficulties”.

He said he was supported by his partner of four years, and has since been placed on medication, was engaging with a local GP for further assistance and had gained casual work at Swickers Bacon Factory.

Judge Orazio Rinaudo told Richards he was fortunate the incident end in tragedy.

“It is lucky that things have eventuated the way they did with your surrender, not something more serious with police retaliating in respect of the possibility of you using the weapon that you had.”

Richards was sentenced to 18 months in jail, but was released on immediate parole.

Originally published as Zachary William Richards: Six hour siege with police sees Kingaroy man brandish bat with nails, fake rifle at cops