A 23-year-old intoxicated woman has faced Darwin local court today on a single charge of 'Possess Carry Use Controlled Weapon', after she was arrested on Friday at the Bagot Road Bunnings.
Store staff reportedly contacted police after she was spotted intoxicated and "concealing a large machete" while sitting on their courtesy bench.
The crown prosecutor said: "Due to the fast action of the staff including attendance of police, minimum interruptions to store operations and threats to shoppers and the public were achieved."
Judge Alan Woodcock said: "She's got a significant history, all confined to 2023.
"It's strange, in a way, that I'm getting used to it not being strange. Offending; intensely."
Her defence counsel shared: "The reason why she had the machete was that she was talking with her friend and two other gentlemen, then the men were making insinuations that they wanted to have sex with her.
"She was frightened, went home, and grabbed the machete as a form of protection."
The statements of facts read out in court described how the defendant was seen walking away from a male in the car park who left the area, prior to her sitting down.
Defence counsel said they were not putting forward a "self-defence" disposition, but said "she wandered off with the machete".
The judge questioned the distance she had to travel back to Mimarama Park to get the machete and return to Bunnings, with defence counsel conceding with the assertion it was "quite an effort".
Defence counsel: "However while she was at Bunnings she didn't brandish that machete. She had no intention of using it. She sat down for five minutes at the courtesy [bench], and then wandered off.
"She did not threaten anybody while she had that machete, and was found looking for cigarette butts.
"When police stopped her, she was completely cooperative. She told them she had it. She handed it over, as I said, she had no intention of threatening anyone.
The defendant was convicted and given three months imprisonment, suspended immediately on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
The judge added: "Until 21 months ago you had no criminal history. It's alarming."
He wished her well with her recovery from substance abuse issues.
We are The Mango Inquirer.
