January 16, 2014
A man who threatened to burn down a house with his estranged partner and her 10-year-old daughter inside was sentenced to six months jail today in Kingaroy Magistrates Court.
The court was told Steven Schultz, 40, went to the house in Murgon and held a lit cigarette lighter against the woodwork while the pair were still inside the building.
“It didn’t catch,” Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said.
Schultz, who appeared in court by videolink, pleaded guilty to four charges of breaching a domestic violence order and one count of wilful damage.
The first charge related to an incident on November 10 when Schultz threw a beer bottle at his then-partner and slapped her face; he also yelled at the young daughter and grabbed her kittens around the neck and threw them onto a bed.
Three days later, he sent a text message to the woman while she was at Murgon RSL, threatening to harm her and the daughter.
Then on November 23, after the couple had attempted to “fix their relationship”, an argument began.
Sgt Bushell said Schultz again threatened the woman and her daughter, saying “you’re dead” and threatening to burn the house and “fix it” so they could not get out.
Later that night he returned to the back door and asked for a bed for the night. When the woman told him to leave, he lit his cigarette lighter. A window in a door was also smashed.
Sgt Bushell said Schultz had caused a significant amount of fear and mental anguish.
Solicitor Mark Werner, for Schultz, said his client had recently been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder.
He said the couple had been together for two years when the relationship broke up. He said the woman had sent him photos and “hundreds of text messages” since then.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said the woman must have thought she was going to be incinerated. He said Schultz had not only terrified the woman but also the child.
He said it was an example of intimidating behaviour at its worst.
He ordered that the 52 days that Schultz had spent in custody be counted as time served. He then converted the jail sentence to an intensive correction order which means Schultz will be released from jail on strict conditions.
Convictions were recorded.
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A man who ended up being held in custody after a failed bid to represent himself in a bail application, decided to represent himself again today … sacking his solicitor and pleading guilty to a charge of stealing.
Dewayne Harland, who was appearing by videolink from jail, objected when his solicitor asked for an adjournment so he could get instructions.
Harland instead asked the solicitor to withdraw from the case, and told Kingaroy Magistrates Court he was pleading guilty.
Prosecutor Sgt Bushell alleged Harland stole $280 on January 1 in Kingaroy from a Korean man who speaks very little English.
The man lived in the same set of units as Harland and had given him his rent money to pass onto the landlord.
However Harland later told police the money had been paid to him for doing a job.
Magistrate Bucknall sentenced Harland to two months jail but then ordered the sentence be suspended immediately for 12 months. The six days that Harland had spent in custody will be considered as “time served”.
Harland was ordered to pay back the $280 in three monthly payments.
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A 73-year-old man with an “impeccable” driving record appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today charged with driving without due care and attention after an incident in Youngman Street, Kingaroy, in August last year.
Noel Biggs was fined $300 after pleading guilty.
The court was told Biggs’ Jeep struck a pole about 5:15am.
The incident demolished a set of traffic lights on the corner of Markwell Street, near Aldi.
Biggs was heading to the Wondai Show at the time.
“He doesn’t think he fell asleep. He can’t really explain it,” Prosecutor Sgt Bushell said.
