Work and Income gun threat was just ‘raving’
A Christchurch man has avoided jail for his second firearm threat to Work and Income staff after effectively serving a seven-month prison term on remand.
Mitchell Shane Moulton called Work and Income on October 30, 2018, to change an appointment but became abusive on the phone. His mother took over the call but Moulton could be heard in the background saying: ‘‘No wonder you get shot at. I will be there soon with my gun.’’
The threat led to the offices being locked down for two hours. Police found Moulton at home and searched his address. He said he had only been ‘‘ranting and raving’’ and they found no firearm, but they did find pipes for smoking methamphetamine, cannabis, and an offensive weapon – a knuckle-duster.
He had been jailed in 2016 for two years, eight months for making threats and firing a shot outside the Linwood Work and Income offices in Aldwins Rd. He had been up all night taking methamphetamine before the incident.
After his arrest, he apologised to the Work and Income staff he threatened, and the regional manager, during a restorative justice conference.
Christchurch District Court Judge Tom Gilbert took the jail time into account when he decided Moulton could serve his time as community detention at home with his mother, who is terminally ill.
He warned Moulton not to ‘‘stuff this up’’ or he would not be present when his mother needed his support the most.
Moulton now faces drug treatment as a condition of his sentence, and he also wants to undergo anger management.
Prosecutor Senior Sergeant Anna Lloyd said police and Work and Income had taken the threat seriously, because Moulton had done it before and a shot had been fired. Defence counsel Michelle Barrell said that although Moulton had made a threat, he had not followed up on it this time. He needed ongoing support to manage his behaviour in difficult situations.
Judge Gilbert said Moulton’s mental health was now stable and he was properly established on medication.
He had quite a positive report from probation which recommended community detention and intensive supervision, and he had work available.
Moulten was sentenced to five months’ community detention on charges of threatening to kill, possession of an offensive weapon, and possession of drug pipes, and a year of intensive supervision by probation.