FORMER hospitality worker, Brett William Searle, has been sentenced to six months behind bars after pleading guilty to a charge of intimidating a pharmacist into dispensing a prescription medication.
Gympie Magistrates Court heard that Searle went to the Sands Centre Pharmacy, Cooloola Cove, on 01 Mar to obtain a prescription, but was told he would have to wait a week before getting the medication, the Courier Mail reported.
The Court was told the 34-year-old then became agitated and threatened to hurt the pharmacist.
Police prosecutor, Sergeant Melissa Campbell, said "he stated... he knew what time the store closed and he would assault the victim at his car".
"[He said] 'if you don't give me the medicine, you won't have a shop to come back to'," Campbell told the Court.
Concerned for his and his colleagues' safety, the pharmacist handed over the medication in the hope that Searle would leave.
After the 34-year-old left the store, the pharmacist called the police, who arrested Searle in the carpark a short time later.
Searle's lawyer told the Court that he had been seeking a "mood stabiliser" having argued with his partner before he went to the pharmacy, adding that despite making threats to hurt the pharmacist, he had been unarmed at the time of the incident.
However, the Court heard that Searle had a prior conviction for grievous bodily harm, when he attacked a man with a pool cue in 2015.
Sentencing Searle to six months imprisonment, Magistrate, Chris Callaghan, said he had "bullied" the pharmacist into dispensing.
Having been remanded in custody since 01 Mar, Searle is expected to be eligible for parole on 30 Apr.
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