WA man charged for allegedly making threatening calls
Editor's note: Arrest vision and audio grabs from AFP Acting Inspector Peter Gelme available via Hightail
A man is expected to face Perth Magistrates Court today (Friday, 14 April, 2023) for allegedly making threatening calls to embassies in Canberra and a business in Adelaide.
The AFP will allege the Wellard man, 57, made the calls from a public telephone in Perth’s southern suburbs this week.
After identifying the location of the phone used to make threatening calls to two embassies in Canberra, AFP officers were monitoring the area yesterday (13 April).
AFP officers were later notified of a menacing call made to a South Australian business around the same time as they allegedly saw a man spend almost 30 minutes at the phone booth.
Police tracked the man from the vehicle he was driving and yesterday evening arrested him at his Wellard home.
He has been charged with three offences:
- One count of using a carriage service for a hoax threat, contrary to section 474.16 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
- Two counts of threatening to commit damage by means of explosive to an official premises of an international protected person contrary to Part 8, section 3C by virtue of section 4 of the Crimes (Internationally Protected Persons) Act 1976 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for the offences is 10 years’ imprisonment and seven years’ imprisonment, respectively.
AFP Acting Inspector Peter Gelme said the AFP was committed to protecting all members of the public.
“No one should be harassed or threatened at work and this arrest should send a strong message that the AFP is working tirelessly to identify and prosecute anyone who breaks the law by abusing others,” he said.
“These types of calls also waste valuable resources to investigate the veracity of the threats made.”
The AFP will continue working with SA Police to investigate more than 30 other threatening calls made recently to SA businesses.
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