Key Takeaways:
- Corey Innocente barricaded himself in a Nelson house and threatened to kill anyone who approached, prompting a large response from the Armed Offenders Squad and police negotiation team.
- Innocente was charged with threatening to kill members of the public and the police, and threatening grievous bodily harm, as well as possession of an offensive weapon and wilful damage.
- The incident resulted in the evacuation of an early childhood centre and residents from about 50 nearby homes, and caused significant disruption to the community.
- Innocente was sentenced to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $975 in reparation for damage to a vehicle.
Introduction to the Incident
The actions of Corey Innocente on October 23 last year sparked a major incident in Nelson, with a large response from the Armed Offenders Squad and police negotiation team. Innocente had barricaded himself in a house on Hardy St East, where he proceeded to point a crossbow at police from an open window and threaten to kill anyone who approached. He also fired an arrow into the street as a "warning shot", hitting a parked vehicle and causing about $1000 worth of damage. The incident resulted in charges of threatening to kill members of the public and the police, and threatening grievous bodily harm, as well as possession of an offensive weapon and wilful damage.
The Events Leading Up to the Incident
According to the summary of facts, Innocente had been navigating a family matter that morning and was unhappy with the outcome. At 3:35pm, he called 111 and spoke to police communications, telling them that he had a firearm and explosives and threatening to blow up the address if his demands to speak to a police sergeant were not met. Due to the potential blast radius and risk to the public of a firearm being discharged in a residential area, police evacuated occupants of all buildings within about 100m of where Innocente was. This included the early childhood centre, which went into a full lockdown and led to the evacuation of all children with help from armed police.
The Response from Police and the Community
The incident resulted in a significant disruption to the community, with residents from about 50 nearby homes evacuated and the early childhood centre closed. Police set up cordons in the area and worked to resolve the situation, with the negotiation team and police staff speaking to Innocente in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. The cordons were eventually lifted later that night, and residents were able to return to their homes. Judge Rielly noted that Innocente’s actions had caused a major disruption to members of the Nelson community, and that a clear message needed to be sent that such conduct was unacceptable.
Innocente’s Motivations and Remorse
Innocente told police after his arrest that he was sorry for what he did, but that he was frustrated over the "lack of support" with regard to the family matter. His defence lawyer, Samantha Allen, said that her client was motivated to move forward and put the events behind him in a bid to turn his life around. However, Judge Rielly noted that Innocente had relied heavily on background circumstances to try to explain or justify his behaviour, and that he had limited insight into the impact of his actions on others. The judge also noted that Innocente’s behaviour was driven by his mental health, substance abuse, and an "illogical perceived grievance" over matters with his family.
The Sentencing and Outcome
In setting the prison sentence, Judge Rielly took into account Innocente’s early guilty pleas and factors in his background, but did not award a discount for his remorse. Innocente was sentenced to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $975 in reparation for damage to the vehicle from the crossbow arrow he fired. The judge noted that a "very clear message" needed to be sent to Innocente and others that conduct such as his was simply unacceptable, and that he would be able to engage in rehabilitation programmes after his release. Innocente’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing mental health and substance abuse issues, and the need for individuals to take responsibility for their actions and their impact on the community.