Chaplain hoax call ‘shameful’

A SCHOOL chaplain has been chastised for a “nasty”, “juvenile” and “shameful” prank call he made to a woman going through a rough custody battle.

Myles William Larsen, 31, used a fake Scottish accent when he called a friend of a friend and pretended to be from the Department of Child Safety.

He told the woman she had lost custody of her children effective immediately.

Larsen knew the woman was going through a bitter custody battle with her exhusband and told her the next Family Court date was cancelled.

He called the woman from the friend’s mobile while in the Q Shopping Centre car park at Mermaid Waters on June 16.

Larsen pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to using a carriage service to menace and harass and impersonating an authorised officer.

Magistrate Kay Philipson gave Larsen a lecture in which she denounced the behaviour as “shameful”.

“You are 31 and you are not 13,” she told him.

“Prank calls are usually made by teenagers … your behaviour is juvenile and nasty.

“You must have had some comprehension of the impact of something like this on somebody. It is appalling to do this to a person. The victim no doubt would have been devastated by what she had heard.”

Magistrate Philipson placed Larsen on a $600 good behaviour bond for 12 months and fined him $500. She also banned Larsen from contacting the woman for a year.

Prosecutor Chris Freeman told the court Larsen and his friend had been making prank calls from the car park.

He said Larsen asked the friend if he knew anyone who would react “angrily” to a prank call.

That is when the friend told Larsen about the woman.

Larsen’s solicitor Shane McDowell, of McMillan Criminal Law, said Larsen worked as a chaplain at Yeronga State High School two days a week. He also worked providing support for two disabled people at Hireup.

Mr McDowell said Larsen had been suspended from both workplaces due to the incident.

Whether he will be able to retain his Blue Card to work with children was dependant on the outcome of the court case, the court was told.

Mr McDowell said Larsen was remorseful but had not apologised to the victim as he was prohibited from contacting her as part of bail conditions.

When asked about the incident outside of court Larsen responded: “Bless you.”

No conviction was recorded.

PRANK CALLS ARE USUALLY MADE BY TEENAGERS … YOUR BEHAVIOUR IS JUVENILE AND NASTY

MAGISTRATE KAY PHILIPSON