March 27, 2015 2:00pm by David Farrar

Nasty threats

The Herald reports:

A “lonely man” who pretended to be a radical terrorist in emails to Members of Parliament where he threatened to put their heads on poles and pump them “full of bullets” has today been jailed for 11 months.

Steven Shane Lawrence, 50, sat in his Christchurch flat and seethed against the New Zealand government.

The loner was angry at a “Zionist” government he perceived to be in bed with America.

He sounds like he is an aspiring candidate for Rangitata!

So, over a seven-day period in January, Lawrence sent a string of extremely graphic and abusive emails to several MPs.

One victim received a threat that he would be pumped full of bullets and that Lawrence would rejoice in his bloody death.

Another victim was threatened that she would “burn eternally in hell” and that her entrails would be spread across the streets.

Others were threatened with having their decapitated heads put on poles, while another was told her throat would be slit.

That’s vile and appalling. I pity the poor staff and MPs who had to read such stuff.

On his arrest, Lawrence told police he had strong political ideologies.

He said he had wanted to warn, not threaten, the victims about being involved in a government that was associated with America.

Yeah, sure.

Today, Christchurch District Court heard that the victims had feared for the safety of their families after the explicit threats.

Defence counsel Lee Lee Heah said Lawrence was apologetic, and that he “simply did not realise” the impact it would have on the victims.

He was “very very drunk at the time”, she said, and had no intent or means to carry out the threats.

He was drunk for an entire week?