Qld: Bomb hoaxer jailed for nine months
By Suzanne Klotz
BRISBANE, Aug 4 AAP - A plasterer was jailed for nine months today for making a bombthreat phone call to the building site where he worked.
The District Court in Brisbane was told there was greater community concern about suchincidents since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States and lastyear's Bali bombing.
Frank John Richardson, 50, pleaded guilty to making the hoax call on October 23 last year.
Judge Brian Hoath sentenced Richardson to nine months jail, suspended after three months.
He said such hoaxes caused great stress, anxiety and apprehension to the public.
Prosecutor Ken Spinaze said a jail sentence was particularly appropriate in light ofrecent international events.
"Community opinion against these offences has increased since September 11 and theBali bombing," he said.
"There was a heightened sense of tension (at the time of the hoax), with talk of Australiagoing to war with Iraq and concern for retaliation against Australia."
Richardson made the call just after arriving for work at 6am on the refurbishment ofthe McArthur Chambers site in Brisbane's CBD.
As a result, the site stopped work for the day, at a cost of $45,000 in wages and other expenses.
The court was told Richardson had been suffering from stress at the time because hewas working 60 hours a week, and that he had attempted to commit suicide after policebegan investigating the bomb threat.
Since the incident, Richardson had been promoted to foreman at his company, which wasa subcontractor on the site.
AAP smk/sc/ak/de
KEYWORD: RICHARDSON
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