Man jailed for threatening victim with gel blaster

Ronald Steven Wallace, of Brougham Street, was before the court for sentencing having been found guilty of intimidation intending fear or physical harm, possession of an unauthorised prohibited firearm, entering land with an imitation firearm and contravening an AVO, common assault and damaging property in a separate incident.

According to police documents, around 4.10pm on April 4, 2021, Wallace was driving past a residence when he believed he saw his victim give him an offensive hand gesture.

He then turned around to ask the victim about it.

He was then involved in a verbal argument with them and told the victim, "don't you know who I am?"

The victim told him no.

He then told the victim he would be back and they would learn who he was.

A short time later he returned with a Battle Arms Development gel blaster while the victim was outside with children.

The children ran inside the house screaming Wallace had a gun. The victim then observed Wallace carrying a large army type rifle walking towards them.

The victim then ran inside, pushing the children in and locking the door. The victim then observed Wallace pointing the firearm in their direction.

In the separate incident, Wallace had been given the final orders for a two-year AVO on February 3, 2021, with a condition not to be within his victim's company for 12 hours after consuming alcohol.

On December 3, 2021, Wallace and another victim went to a local club and consumed alcohol.

During the night, the pair were involved in an argument and Wallace returned to the victim's home, with the victim returning later that night.

While at the residence, they had a second argument, with Wallace pushing the victim to the ground and punching a hole in an internal door.

The victim then went to a nearby residence and asked the occupant to contact police.

Police attended a short time later and spoke to Wallace, who denied the assault but admitted to causing the damage to the door and breaching the AVO.

Wallace's solicitor, Clive Hill, told the court until recently, Wallace had been a role model for local indigenous youth.

"He was employed by the local Aboriginal Land Council, devoted to training Aboriginal football players but he realises he's let himself down and the wider community," he said.

"The main criminogenic factor is drugs and for the past 20 years, he's been self-medicating.

"He now has a bed waiting for him at Weigelli in the residential rehab program."

Mr Hill said Wallace took full responsibility for the harm he had done across both incidents and that the firearms offences were at the lower end of the spectrum in terms of seriousness.

However, the police prosecutor said the firearms offence demonstrated exactly why gel blasters were illegal in the state.

"These items are appealing because of their likeness to real firearms," he said.

"People don't know if they are real or not and, given the context, this was used over nothing and to intimidate.

"The victim had real fear to think it was a real firearm."

Magistrate Jillian Kiely agreed, saying Wallace's first victim had fully expected to be shot in the back.

"The firearm was used in the very way and reason the legislation has made them prohibited," she said.

"It was used to terrorise a member of the public and her children at their home and caused significant trauma.

"This was in response to an apparent hand gesture, something so minor that it didn't warrant any response, let alone returning with what looked to be a military-style firearm."

Wallace was also before the court for two counts of driving a motor vehicle during a disqualification period for which he received a disqualification period of 12 months but no further penalty.