Jail for attack on boss

Former carpenter threatened to kill in rampage, court hears

A RAMPAGING employee, who had been seriously injured in a workplace accident, smashed his employer’s car and house windows, slashed his front door and threatened to kill his family.

Dylan Shea was jailed for two years and three months in a Geelong County Court hearing yesterday after pleading guilty to charges of criminal damage, aggravated burglary and making threats to kill.

The 39-year-old former carpenter had no relevant prior history when he drove to his employer’s Bannockburn home at 7.45pm on May 23 last year.

Shea’s employer of six years and his fiancee, nine-year-old son and another nine-year-old child were inside the home when Shea started yelling and acting aggressively.

Holding a wooden baton and two 30cm kitchen knives, Shea smashed his employer’s car window and smashed through the kitchen window with the wooden bat. He then slashed the flywire door and veranda with the knives.

Shea yelled at the victim: “Come out or I’ll cut your f***ing face off”.

The court heard Shea’s employer’s fiancee was so scared she hid the two children, who were fearful for their lives, in a closet.

Shea’s employer grabbed a fire poker to defend himself and asked Shea: “What are you doing?”

The court heard Shea falsely believed his employer had instigated a Work Cover court case into his payment plan. Shea had been injured years earlier and had had limited ability to work and very little money.

He later apologised to the victim and vowed to pay for all the damage.

Judge Graeme Hicks said Shea was intoxicated at the time of offending, and noted his only prior offending was drink-driving related, and he had shown “genuine remorse”.

While Shea’s counsel made submissions for a straight community corrections order, Judge Hicks said the offending was too serious and had a traumatic impact on the victims.

Shea must serve a minimum 15 months before he is eligible for parole.