Batemans Bay Local Court heard on February 19 that Craig Evan John Colbourne, 48, of Tuross Head, phoned the Melbourne call centre for Australia Post on the morning of January 12 and told staff he was going to Wollongong Post Office and would shoot himself, and that he might even “take someone with me”.

When the manager called him back, Colbourne threatened to bash the staff until they told him what he wanted to know, then shoot them and blow his brains out.

At 11am, the Post Office was closed and staff evacuated from the building in Crown Street, and remained closed for most of the day.

Colbourne did not apply for bail when he appeared before Bega Local Court on January 13.

On the charge of using a carriage service to threaten to kill, to which Colbourne pleaded guilty, magistrate Doug Dick sentenced him to 12 months’ jail, 10 months of the term to be suspended and served under a good behaviour bond with a recognizance of $1000.

On a charge of damaging the dock in the charge room at the police station, he was placed on a 12-month section 9 bond and ordered to pay compensation of $150.