Last updated:10/04/2008
Death threat student jailed

An Australian student has been jailed for threatening to kill two fellow students whilst briefly holding them hostage after a heated argument with a lecturer escalated out of control.

The local district court heard that Bradley John Hayden, 34, barricaded himself and two women in a room at the University of Queensland on September 10 2007.

Prosecutor Dennis Kinsella told the court Hayden allegedly struck up a conversation with one of his lecturers and a heated argument ensued.

He said a security officer was called to remove Hayden as two female students sat cowering in the classroom.

The court was told he initially agreed to leave, but then removed his shirt and returned to the room, with two students still inside, and locked the door.

Kinsella said Hayden detained the women in the room for between five to 15-minutes, during which time he threw a chair across the room and made threats against their safety.

Hayden shouted “fuck off or I’m not letting them out”, to a security guard, the court was told.

The court heard how Hayden had a history of committing violent offences and was in breach of a suspended jail term at the time.

Judge Deborah Richards jailed Hayden for 12-months, but ordered he be immediately released on parole because he has been in pre-sentence custody for 206-days.