Bunbury man Ashley Lucas York placed on order after threatening strangers while armed with sword

A Bunbury man who was caught yelling at strangers and threatening to blow their house up while armed with a sword has been ordered to continue attending alcohol counselling after “making a lot of gains” since the incident.

Ashley Lucas York was placed on a nine-month community-based order with program requirements after previously pleading guilty to a charge of being armed in a way that may cause fear, stemming from an incident that took place in March.

The court was told York was brandishing a sword when he started banging on the front door of a Carey Park property and yelling at the occupants inside.

Fearing York would break into the property and cause harm, the occupants, who were not known to him, barricaded the front door and retreated into another room.

Police later attended and saw York nearby, but without the sword, only for him to return to the same house with the sword back in his possession after police left.

York continued banging on the front door with the sword and swinging it around, threatening to shoot the occupants and blow the house up with a gas bottle.

Police arrived on the scene a second time and arrested York, who had dropped the sword again.

The sword was later found in the front yard by one of the property’s occupants and handed in to police.

In submissions, the court was told York had no recollection of the incident because he was intoxicated, having drunk alcohol.

He had abstained from drinking alcohol for a period of time before that night.

The court was also told York expressed disappointment in himself for the offending and had since participated in the alcohol and other drug diversion program, which helped reduce his alcohol use.

Magistrate Joanne Andretich said York should be commended for doing “extremely well” on the program, and made the order to have him continue counselling because of the serious nature of his offending.

“These were people you didn’t know and they must have been terrified of what you did, particularly after you returned a second time threatening to blow the house up,” she said.

“However, you have made a lot of steps and gains in reducing your alcohol use.”

An order was made for the sword to be returned to its previous owner, who had given the sword to York on a previous occasion.