A MAN who threatened to blow up Centrelink Bathurst has received a suspended jail sentence.
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Kieran Moore, 29, of Hill Street, West Bathurst, appeared before magistrate Michael Allen on Monday facing charges of damaging property, stalking/intimidating and providing false information, relating to the threat to blow up the building in Russell Street.
Moore's solicitor asked his honour to consider a Section 9 bond, but Mr Allen said the matter was far too serious for that.
The court heard the device believed to be a bomb was nothing more than a laptop and Moore was agitated and distressed because of his psychiatric condition, schizophrenia.
Mr Allen said in the current climate, the threat would have caused serious distress for those in the Centrelink building at the time of the incident.
Police facts outlined how Moore entered Centrelink Bathurst on June 6, 2017 and was agitated and aggressive, swearing at staff.
When the manager intervened and called police, Moore threatened to blow up the office, and every other Centrelink building.
He then walked to the wall, placed a black bag on the ground, pulled out a power cord and plugged it into the wall.
Police rushed to the scene and removed staff from the building.
Because of the threat of an improvised explosive device, officers from the bomb squad were called.
Moore later told police the bag contained a laptop, not a bomb, and police were, soon after, able to determine the bag did not contain an explosive device.
Mr Allen said it was a matter where he would normally impose a full-time sentence, but as there is a nexus between Moore’s psychiatric illness and the commissioning of the offence, he was satisfied Moore is not an appropriate person to stand before the community as an example of general deterrence or denunciation.
On all three charges, Moore was convicted and jailed for nine months, wholly suspended under a Section 12 bond.