Toowoomba man Kerryn James McKellar subjects Sarina Russo workers to gross act

‘I’ll stab you’: A Toowoomba court has been told a former client of an employment agency subjected workers to verbal abuse and gross ‘under table’ acts. Details here.

A Toowoomba man who has led a “chaotic” life, including bouts of homelessness, found himself back in court after losing his cool and decency at Sarina Russo.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told Kerryn James McKellar caused a disturbance at the Toowoomba job agency on August 18, 2023.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Alister Windsor said staff saw McKellar “touching himself in a sexual manner under the table”, and his behaviour escalated to verbal abuse when he was asked to leave.

“He continued to grope himself (while being kicked out),” he said. He was not charged with any sexual offending.

During the tirade, Senior Constable Alistair Windsor said the 36-year-old called the female workers ‘c--ts,’ and threatened to stab staff and other clients.

The court was told police were called and officers found McKellar nearby, with a search of his bag revealing a 10cm bladed knife.

The Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard Kerryn James McKellar caused a gross and threatening disturbance at Toowoomba’s Sarina Russo job agency on August 18, 2023. Picture: Peta McEachern

Solicitor Hamish Patterson said the unemployed man had a knife on him because he was transient at the time, and he became angry with staff because they were allegedly “looking down upon him” and “treating him poorly”.

The lawyer said if he himself was living on the street, he too would carry a knife for daily tasks such as preparing food.

Mr Patterson said since McKellar was released from jail seven years ago he had been on relatively good behaviour – minus a wilful exposure charge in 2019.

He also noted McKellar had a prior charge of carrying a knife in public in 2022, although it also occurred when McKellar was living on the streets.

“Given some of the things that went on, he self-expressed that he may have been lucky that it was only a public nuisance charge and recognises it was wrong,” he said.

In court on Tuesday, September 5, the Cunnamulla-born man pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance and carrying a knife in public, and was fined $450. A conviction was recorded.

Magistrate Clare Kelly acknowledged McKellar had been staying out of trouble and had since found stable accommodation.

“You need to be very mindful of how you deal with people you are talking to, especially people in a workplace who have helped you in the past,” she said.