At ‘low’ point when threatened teller

A MAN said he would stab a female bank teller with a craft knife because he was upset the bank had earlier refused to help him with documents relating to his brother’s funeral expenses.

Samuel Benjamin Frazer Neilson’s actions in the Credit Union on March 15 resulted in police being called and the bank being put into lockdown.

At the time the defendant was ‘‘in a very low emotional state’’, still grieving for his brother who had taken his own life a month earlier, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday.

Neilson, a 27yearold cleaner was appearing for sentence after earlier admitting Summary Offences Act charges of unlawfully possessing a knife in public and intimidating a person by threatening to injure her. He was also appearing for sentence for disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence.

The police facts summary said the defendant went to the Credit Union in Filleul St about 11am on March 15 but came out of the building in an agitated state. He went to a nearby store where he bought an 80mm craft knife then returned to the bank.

He approached the counter where he put down the craft knife, still in its wrapper, and said to the female teller ‘‘You have to do it now. I have a knife and I will stab you’’.

Public defender Sophia Thorburn said the defendant was grieving for his brother and had gone to the Credit Union asking for paperwork to help sort out his brother’s funeral expenses. When the bank turned him down, Neilson ‘‘did not take the refusal well’’.

What the defendant did then was ‘‘very out of character’’, she said. Neilson appeared a very calm and softspoken person. He had not appeared in court before. He was having grief counselling and would continue that in Christchurch where he had found work.

Judge Phillips told the defendant he had ‘‘grave reservations’’ about the level of the charges, the intimidation charge having originally been a Crimes Act charge of threatening to do grievous bodily harm.

Neilson’s actions showed premeditation and intent and ‘‘for the life of me, I don’t understand how he could be charged at the level he was’’, the judge said.

The two victims were both traumatised and shocked. They were still feeling nervous about being in the bank and had difficulty sleeping.

On the intimidation charge, Neilson was sentenced to 150 hours’ community work and was ordered to pay $300 emotional harm reparation to each of the victims, the sums to be paid in monthly instalments of $100.

Neilson was also sentenced to nine months’ supervision and is to undergo assessment, counselling, treatment and programmes for mental health and other issues as directed.

For unlawfully possessing a knife in public he was given 50 hours’ community work, with another 50 hours (concurrent) for disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence.