A Narromine man who scared his mother with a hammer and knife because he believed she was conspiring to kill him was on two good behaviour bonds for domestic violence offending, a court has heard.
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Trevor Jay Fieldsend, 39, fronted Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday where he was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order.
However Magistrate Theresa Hamilton warned if he continues offending he's on a path straight to jail.
"You're only really heading in one direction if you continue to act like this," Magistrate Hamilton warned.
The 39-year-old was charged with a single charge of stalk or intimidate, intending to cause fear or physical harm after he appeared in his mother's bathroom with a hammer raised up next to his head at about 5.30pm on June 13 this year.
According to court documents, his mother asked her son what he was doing when Fieldsend told her "I can hear you on the phone, you ... are trying to find someone to shoot me".
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Fieldsend walked away, but returned shortly later holding the hammer, a knife and a torch.
Police said the Fieldsend's mother could tell her son was under the influence of drugs, and became fearful seeing him with the knife and hammer.
Fieldsend then went around and turned off all the lights in the house, and locked the doors and windows before sitting in the lounge room with his mother.
The pair were sitting in complete darkness, while Fieldsend kept muttering that people were coming for him and trying to kill him.
His mother managed to message another person saying "get police here now", when officers arrived minutes later.
Fieldsend's mother managed to escape the house outside, following the lights of the police vehicle.
While at no point did Fieldsend threaten his mother, police said she was intimidated and fearful of his actions and told police she was worried that if she were to sleep in the house, he may assault or injure her in his "paranoid and deluded state".
Officers attempted to talk to Fieldsend, who was outside carrying a large torch lighting up the yard, stating that someone was there and coming for him.
Eventually he spoke to officers telling them he hadn't taken drugs and was perfectly fine.
When safe, police eventually detained Fieldsend, who was taken to Dubbo hospital by ambulance paramedics to speak with mental health professionals.
The next day police attended the hospital and placed him under arrest for domestic violence intimidation. He was escorted back to Dubbo police station.
In court on Wednesday defence lawyer Rachel Wong said while it might be of concern to the court Fieldsend was on two community corrections orders at the time of the offending, she explained the situation had escalated as a result of his drug addiction.
However she said Fieldsend had strong prospects for rehabilitation, and since the offence had successfully engaged with mental health and drug and alcohol treatment.
"Regardless of what happens with him today, he knows his problem is drugs and he'll continue to work on that," she told the court.
The court heard Fieldsend was supported in court by his aunt and his mother.
In a letter tendered to the court, Ms Wong explained a local employer said Fieldsend had been working for him for eight months, and there was a job ready and available despite the outcome. She also said Fielsend had completed a three-and-a-half year electrical apprenticeship and intended to finish it to hopefully one day work as an electrician.
Ms Wong said the sentencing assessment report demonstrated Fieldsend had taken multiple steps to engage with drug and alcohol, mental health and domestic violence programs. She said it would be in the public interest he be allowed to continue down that path in the community.
Magistrate Hamilton accepted while the conduct made his mother fearful, it was clear there was "no overt threat".
She accepted the sentencing assessment report was favourable and demonstrated Fieldsend had insight into the effect his offending would have on his mother.
"In view of the progress he seems to be making and the fact he's got employment available, the community would be better served if he continued with that progress," Magistrate Hamilton said.
Fieldsend was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order.
She accepted breaches of the two other community corrections orders were proven, but took no further action allowing them to continue.