Man slammed with $1000 fine for damaging Toowoomba court door
Slamming a Toowoomba courtroom door in frustration and then abusing security staff has landed a 43-year-old man with a $1000 fine.
Police & Courts
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SLAMMING a Toowoomba courtroom door in frustration and then abusing security staff has landed a 43-year-old man with a $1000 fine.
Mark James Maskill had been due to appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on a matter on August 19 but he became agitated when he arrived to find his case had been adjourned.
Not taking the news well at all, he stormed out of the court, banging the door open as he left, causing some damage to the door’s inside panel, police prosecutor Julia Wheaton told the same court.
When approached by a court security officer in the foyer, Maskill had told him to “f*** off” before running down the stairs to the entrance foyer of the courthouse where he was again approached by security officers who called police.
Police officers arrested the 43-year-old who was granted bail.
He returned to the same court yesterday to plead guilty to charges of resisting a security officer and wilful damage.
A charge of public nuisance was withdrawn by police.
His solicitor Jag MacDonald, of MacDonald Law, told the court his client provided a letter of apology to the court as well as a letter from his doctor.
His client was a disability pensioner who on the day had reached “boiling point” and acted out of frustration, Mr MacDonald submitted.
Magistrate Graham Lee told Maskill such behaviour would not be tolerated.
“It was totally inappropriate behaviour in a courthouse,” Mr Lee said.
Maskill was fined $1000.