Golf clubs stashed to use as weapons

A man scattered golf clubs around his victim’s property in the middle of the night so that he had weapons on hand, a court has heard.

Johnnie Ray Cooper, 34, began to intimidate his former partner in her own lounge and threatened to ‘get the friends and family around her.’

After being verbally aggressive for several hours, Cooper left but returned to the address at 12.30pm without her knowledge and took a number of golf clubs out of a car shed, police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Hickey told the Hawera District Court on Tuesday.

‘‘The defendant has then scattered the golf clubs around the property in an attempt to have ready access to weapons should he need them or if anyone was to come to the victim’s aid.’’

The victim saw Cooper swinging one of the golf clubs aggressively, and her mother, who was also there, told him to leave but he refused.

‘‘When told that police were going to be called, the defendant has replied ‘‘tell them to bring their guns,’’ Hickey said.

As police officers approached the property, the defendant advanced on them in a threatening manner and raised the golf club above his head, whilst still verbally abusing them.

However, when the police pointed a taser at him and told him to drop the weapon, he did so and was arrested without further incident, Hickey said.

The defendant told police he acted the way he did because ‘‘my family has been blown apart.’’

Cooper pleaded guilty to charges of possessing an offensive weapon and speaking threateningly.

His lawyer Kelly Marriner said Cooper was receiving counselling for alcohol and drug problems and wanted to repair the damage he had done to his relationship.

‘‘He acknowledges what has happened is all his doing, not hers. He had effectively spiraled out of control, his addiction to methamphetamine has led to this incident and destroyed his life.’’

Her client had lost his job and was struggling to pay his mortgage.

Judge Lynne Harrision told Cooper she hoped he was able to turn his life around.

‘‘This is no way to model conflict resolution to your children.’’

She sentenced him to nine months’ supervision and 80 hours community work on the two charges, and granted a protection order to the victim.