Fear on the streets
Man pleads guilty after waving knife on busy local road
A Townsville construction worker who was tasered twice by police after walking down a busy road waving a knife was both severely sleep deprived and stressed, a court heard Friday.
Kevin Michael Prior, 45, pleaded guilty to a charge of going armed so as to cause fear and one count of obstructing a police officer, when he appeared in the
Magistrates Court via video link from the City Watchhouse.
Police found Prior armed with a long filleting knife walking down the centre of Ross River Road at Aitkenvale at 11.21am on Thursday.
After refusing to drop the knife he was tasered twice, arrested and taken to the watchhouse.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service lawyer, Mikaila Ward, said Prior had bought a work truck for his son so that he could launch his own construction business in Townsville.
“He was in the process of fixing the truck ready to hand it over to his son when it was stolen, about two weeks ago,” she told the court.
She said Prior was so stressed following the theft that he began using methamphetamine.
“Since then he has had little or no sleep and this led to the incident on Thursday,” said Ms Ward.
“He is remorseful and sorry for his actions, which are out of character.”
Ms Ward then applied to the court for bail for Prior.
She explained that it had been nine years since his last offending and he had been in regular employment, without any trouble.
“He did not threaten anyone when he was walking along the road and he is not a threat to people if he is able to be bailed,” she said.
Magistrate Richard Lehmann described Prior’s actions as ‘bizarre behaviour to say the least’.
But he agreed that he was an acceptable risk and he granted bail on the conditions that Prior abstain from alcohol and drugs, report to police three times a week, and reside at a family address in Collinsville in the Whitsunday region.
Mr Lehmann then adjourned the case for sentencing in the Bowen Magistrates Court on May 30.