Machete mayhem

A GOLD Coast father “picked up a machete” at his neighbours playing music from their car because he had a distressing childhood in apartheid South Africa, a court has heard.

Walter James Roodt, 38, pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday following a dispute with his Upper Coomera neighbours on April 20.

The construction site manager was playing with his young son after 10pm when he heard “loutish” behaviour from across the road, the court heard.

He asked them to turn the music down but they told him to “grow some balls” and screamed abuse.

The court heard Roodt picked up an “ornamental knife” from his garage, walked outside and placed it on his driveway in front of his neighbours.

He then entered his neighbour’s house but he was punched in the face, so he ran back to his own house and called the police. The neighbours struck the windows, walls and garage doors of his house, the court heard.

Defence barrister Nathan Boyd said Roodt picked up the knife because he suffered post traumatic stress disorder due to growing up in South Africa where he was a victim of violent carjackings and other violence.

Magistrate Gary Finger gave Roodt a three month $300 recognisance.