Farmer fined $20k for threatening PM

North Canterbury farmer Mark Feary has been fined $20,000 for written threats he made to the Prime Minister and government officials.

He was found guilty in Christchurch District Court last month of threatening to cause grievous bodily harm and threatening to kill.

At the time he told the jury if he was sent to jail he would go on a hunger strike. "I will not eat the corrupt Government's food and I will not drink the corrupt Government's water," he said.

But Judge Raoul Neave refused to make a martyr of the 53-year-old Oxford farmer. He opted instead for a financial penalty.

Since his convictions, Feary has changed his name to All Means All, a legal point he kept hammering during the trial at which he denied 12 charges of threatening to cause grievous bodily harm, and two of sending faxes threatening to kill the Prime Minister. The faxes read: "It's killing time."

The threats were made after a long-running property dispute with successive governments over the family farm at Oxford.

He appeared in court in an All Means All T-shirt, and he set up a framed photograph of his family on the table in front of him. Judge Neave said: "Pictures of your family in a pretty frame, and a shirt which is taking the mickey are not going to impress."

Feary then embarked on a rambling address insisting that if the threats were taken seriously - and the jury had decided they were - he should receive a substantial prison term. He questioned how the threats could have been regarded as serious if the police took eight days to arrest him.

Crown prosecutor Tim Mackenzie thwarted Feary's demand for jail time by suggesting that a sentence such as a bond to keep the peace, or community work, or a fine could be imposed.

Judge Neave said the man was thriving on all the attention.

"As far as I can tell, this person wants to be sent to prison to make a martyr of himself. I am satisfied he should not be allowed that luxury."

He imposed $500 fines on the threats to cause grievous bodily harm, and $7000 fines for the threats to kill - a total of $20,000.

Feary could still get his wish for imprisonment. If he refuses to pay the fine, he may eventually be given community work in its place. If he then refuses to do the community work, a prison term is likely.

- NZPA