A Westbury man acted with a misguided sense of loyalty when he swung an iron bar and threatened to kill a man at a Northern Tasmanian business, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
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Rohan Miles Hiller, 28, pleaded guilty to a count of trespass and two counts of destroy property on November 14, 2021.
Police prosecutor Jack Fawdry said Hillier went to a business owned by Lloyd Blackberry at Exeter and where his son Robert Blackberry worked.
He said Hillier drove to the business and alighted from his vehicle and collected a long metal bar from the back.
"He was yelling 'where is Robert? I'm going to kill him'," Mr Fawdry said.
"The defendant struck the rear window of a green Nissan and then struck a VHF aerial destroying it.
"The defendant was confronted by Lloyd Blackberry and the defendant swung the iron bar saying again 'where is Robert?'"
He said Mr Blackberry moved backwards to avoid being struck.
"The defendant then swung the bar knocking over a beer can," he said.
He said that Hillier said again that he was going to kill Robert and asked where he was.
Mr Fawdry said Robert Blackberry was hiding in the back of the manufacturing workshop and that Lloyd Blackberry had then stood his ground.
Defence counsel Mark Doyle said the offences were out of character and that Hillier had no prior offences.
He said his client had discovered that a friend of his had been assaulted and that Robert Blackberry had been charged over the allegation.
"It was a misguided sense of loyalty which caused him to take umbrage and do something he should not have done," Mr Doyle said.
"It is quite lucky he did not come into contact with Mr Blackberry."
"He wouldn't have been in this court," Magistrate Ken Stanton remarked.
He said Hillier was ready willing and able to pay compensation.
"It was an aberration and a uniquely emotive rationale for the offensive behaviour," he said.
In sentencing Hillier Mr Stanton said: "It is not your job to seek retribution for a perceived wrong against a friend of yours. That is the job of the law.
"Your vigilante response needs to be denounced.
"This sort of conduct will not be tolerated.
"This is a frightening incident, you being armed with a metal bar entering without permission and smashing property and threatening to kill somebody.
"This is very serious behaviour and it needs to be recognised as such."
Mr Stanton convicted Hillier of the charges and fined him $1500 and made a compensation order to Lloyd and Robert Blackberry.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
