🚀 go-pugleaf

On Apr 21, 9:30 pm, Radar <atom4p...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> From The WIA News.
>
> A Victorian man threatened to kill police officers and broadcast their
> home addresses over a police communications radio channel, the
> Ballarat
> Magistrates Court was told this week.
>
> Charged with multiple offences, including knowingly interfering with
> police radio communications and resisting arrest the court was told
> how
> the accused (now sentenced) obtained codes specific to the Region West
> Division 3 police channel and began broadcasting, causing severe
> disruption and interference to police operations.
>
> The transmitter is alleged to have been purchased on eBay and the
> codes
> to breach the police communications radio channel were obtained from
> the
> internet.

A WENDOUREE West man, Duanne Naughton threatened to kill police
officers and broadcast their home addresses over a police
communications radio channel, a court heard yesterday.

Duanne Naughton pleaded guilty to six charges at the Ballarat
Magistrates Court, including making a threat to kill a police officer,
knowingly interfering with police radio communications and resisting
arrest.

Naughton, who turned 33 yesterday, also breached an existing suspended
sentence and was jailed for six months by magistrate Michelle Hodgson.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Simon Grant said Naughton had
obtained codes specific to the Region West Division 3 police channel
and began broadcasting at 7pm on September 8, 2010.

“The accused continued to broadcast throughout the evening, causing
severe disruption and interference to police operations,” Senior
Constable Grant said.

“During these broadcasts the accused also detailed that he had
knowledge of specific police members details and addresses and made
serious threats to attending at their homes and to killing or damaging
property.”

The court heard Naughton again broadcast over the channel on December
9 using the same modified hand-held radio, which allowed police and an
outside agency to trace the signal to a Mathilda Street address.

Police attended the address that evening, seizing the radio and other
communications equipment.

Submitting an application for an intensive corrections order rather
than a prison term, defence lawyer Brett Bryant said Naughton was in
an intoxicated state and “foolishly” went on a rant over the airwaves.

Mr Bryant said his client had an existing alcohol problem and, at
worst, “would drink up to three slabs in a single day”.

He said the transmitter-radio was purchased on eBay and the codes to
breach the police communications radio channel were obtained from the
internet.

“Earlier I was shown, to my horror, that when you enter a certain
phrase into Google, a number of hits come up which show the radio
codes,” Mr Bryant said.

The court also heard Naughton suffered from depression, anxiety and
other mental health issues.

Upon sentencing, Ms Hodgson said the ease by which the crime had been
committed was “chilling”

and after taking into account Naughton’s mental health and alcohol
related issues, imposed the prison term.

“Police communications are essential,” she said. “I must impose a
sentence that deters others from committing these crimes.”

Radar