KEY POINTS:
Frustrated at not being able to see his daughter, a man threatened a social worker with gang violence, Tauranga District Court was told yesterday.
In a telephone call, Quentin (also known as Fred James) Coughlan told a CYF staff member in Dunedin that he was with the Mongrel Mob gang in Rotorua.
He claimed he was going "to come down with the bros and gonna wipe out" all occupants of the woman's office building.
Prosecutor David Pawson told Judge Peter Rollo that in the same April 3 conversation from his mobile phone, Coughlan became increasingly agitated and abusive.
When he continued to swear, shout and make various threats, the victim said she refused to speak to him any more and Coughlan immediately hung up.
The 33-year-old former Rotorua man, now living in Tauranga, told police that he often swore in general conversation.
On May 8 at 9pm, Coughlan called *555 about 19 times, making "disturbing requests" to the communications operator, said Mr Pawson.
On the service used by the public for non-emergency situations, he asked for drugs and massages and also queried whether prostitutes were available to him.
He also called up consistently without speaking during the evening, annoying the operators.
Coughlan pleaded guilty to both charges of misusing a telephone with intent to offend by using profane and threatening language.
He also admitted a shoplifting count and a breach of bail.
Lawyer Tony Balme said Coughlan had given him "a mixed bag of instructions".
He accepted making the call to Dunedin "out of frustration", because he had been unable to see his daughter, who lived there, for two years.
However, the defendant was adamant he had not phoned the call centre, said Mr Balme. He had left his mobile at another man's house, but police did not believe him.
Because Coughlan did not want to go back to Rotorua to defend the charge, he had pleaded guilty.
Judge Rollo said there was an extensive list of previous court appearances covering "many, many pages", a number of them detailing "nuisance-like" offences.
He sentenced Coughlan to a total of 200 hours' community work on the four charges.
- NZPA
