Tattoo artist jailed over Brisbane court bomb hoax
A tattoo artist who organised for a bomb threat to be made to a Brisbane court, which led to the evacuation of 250 people, has been jailed.
Caiden Michael Lyons, 36, arranged for Beau Levi Kennedy, 33, to make the hoax call to the Brisbane Supreme and District court complex on October 29, 2018 because an associate was due to be sentenced, a court has heard.
Kennedy called the court complex from a payphone at Kallangur at 8.45am telling a staffer: "There is a bomb hidden somewhere in the court".
The Queensland Police explosives squad arrived with dogs and searched the building for two and a half hours, but no bomb was found.
During the chaotic scene, prisoners had to be evacuated from their holding cells and the justice system ground to a halt.
"The threat was taken very seriously and this was a very serious affront to this court," Commonwealth prosecutor Carmen De Marco said.
Lyons appeared in Brisbane District Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to counselling another person to use a carriage service to make a hoax threat.
Kennedy was sentenced in April and was ordered to serve one month of a 12 month head sentence behind bars after pleading guilty to making the hoax call.
Barrister Nicholas Brown told the court that Lyons had been in the grips of an ice addiction at the time of the hoax but had been clean for more than three months.
He said despite a violent upbringing, the former Ipswich airport courier had good work history and was halfway through a tattooing apprenticeship.
Mr Brown said he had volunteered at a homeless shelter for the past three years and had taken big steps to turn his life around.
Judge Paul Smith said despite his strong rehabilitation efforts, prison was "the only appropriate option".
"I've considered all the matters, I think it's just too serious for you not to do some custody," Judge Smith said.
Lyons was sentenced to 12 months' jail.
He will be released after serving two months and put on a good behaviour bond for two years.
Originally published as Tattoo artist jailed over Brisbane court bomb hoax
