Man avoids jail after threatening police with machete
Mark Sinclair received a corrections order for assaulting his stepson's attacker and threatening police with a machete.
Mark Sinclair and Kimberley Jonkers avoided jail time in Wodonga court on Friday. It followed a volatile year.
The year included defending his stepson and threatening police. In October, Sinclair helped his stepson after the boy was assaulted outside Birallee Village Shopping Centre.
Video showed Sinclair join the fight with the 16-year-old attacker. The pair's lawyer told magistrate Peter Dunn that nobody was hurt.
Those involved shook hands afterward. The lawyer said their actions probably weren't reasonable.
In November, Sinclair became aggressive toward police during a separate incident on McFarland Road. He threatened to cut them with a machete.
He later told officers he intended to slash their throats. Sinclair said he was intoxicated and did not actually have a machete.
Magistrate Dunn set corrections orders. Sinclair must do 200 hours of unpaid work.
Jonkers must do 130 hours.
- Sinclair 200 hours, Jonkers 130 hours
- Unpaid work hours
- Machete threat on McFarland Road
- November 20 threat
Why it mattersThe sentencing shows how courts balance defending family against raising criminal threats. It also considers the offender's recent sobriety and job.
AustraliaThe case shows how Wodonga courts handle dual charges of assault and threats to police, opting for community work over incarceration.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 6 d ago
