A reclusive online gaming fanatic has faced court accused of sending hundreds of vile emails to the Australian Defence Force recruitment centre in Wollongong threatening extreme acts of violence against staff members after they rejected his job application.
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Jesse Murray, 30, was arrested last Wednesday by detectives from the NSW Police's fixated persons unit after allegedly unleashing a campaign of abuse, harassment and fear against ADF personnel, which resulted in the office implementing a range of security measures to ensure the safety of its staff.
When interviewed, Murray admitted sending more than 300 emails in five days, some of which included graphic threats to kill ADF personnel.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't behead you with a shovel," he allegedly wrote in one message sent on the afternoon of August 7.
On August 8, Murray allegedly sent an email that read "You better tell that old timer at the station to chill, my special move is called: ima [sic] blow your leg off from a distance, so he can say he got hit by an IED".
Another message, allegedly sent three days later, read "when I'm old enough to feel death, I will ruin my life. All I gotta do is kill your grandchild."
During his interview, Murray also admitted telling a friend and current serving soldier about a decade ago that he wanted to kill someone.
When pressed for more details by police, Murray allegedly confessed to still thinking about killing, but said he "doesn't want to go to jail as there are fun things in his life he wants to do first before ruining his life".
Murray was charged with six counts of using a carriage service to menace and four counts of using a carriage service to threaten to kill.
He was remanded in custody and faced Wollongong Local Court on Thursday where he sought bail.
Police strongly opposed Murray's release from custody, noting he had a history of violence and was currently on a community corrections order for intimidation.
The prosecutor claimed Murray presented a "real risk to members of the ADF" and people attending the Wollongong recruitment branch, noting some of the comments he'd made in the emails suggested he'd been surveilling the premises.
Defence lawyer Rosie Lambert said Murray was an online gaming addict who lived a largely a reclusive lifestyle. She said he had been "rejected by the system" most of his life and had overreacted to the further rejection of his application to join the military.
"His step-father died earlier this year and he was a veteran," she said.
"His wish to join the ADF had come from that - wanting to make his late step-dad proud."
She said Murray had no intention to carry out any of the threats he's made and he would agree to abide by whatever bail conditions the court saw fit to impose on him.
"I don't want to talk to anyone ever again, I want to go home," Murray interjected during the proceedings.
Magistate Claire Girotto agreed to grant bail, ordering Murray to continue living at his address in Unanderra, keep seeing his doctor, not use email and not go within 200m of any defence force building.
The case was adjourned to August 25 for plea or mention.
The allegations
Police will allege Jesse Murray came to their attention at the start of the year when he allegedly posted a series of disturbing comments on social media websites for the NSW Police and the Australian Defence Force.
Among the posts was one that read "every night, ADF and NSW Police Force page. Every f--king night. I will tell you all to kill yourselves".
Police said despite Murray's apparent feelings towards the ADF, he applied for a job with them on July 9, however police said many of the responses to the questions in the application were "facetious and offensive".
The application was passed on to the Defence Force Recruiting Centre at Wollongong but Murray was quickly deemed unsuitable and staff sent him a letter on July 29 advising him his application had been withdrawn.
Murray allegedly sent an initial email on July 31 saying "send an email next time you withdraw, waste of time + paper".
It is alleged Murray waited a week before bombarding the recruitment centre with more than 300 emails in five days.
Despite most containing just one or two lines of writing, the centre found the contents of the emails so alarming a decision was made to on August 10 to put a range of new safety measures in place including closing the centre to the general public, prohibiting staff from wearing their uniforms in public and only allowing access to the building through the rear door.
The matter was subsequently reported to police, with court documents revealing Murray's last email to the centre was sent just three hours before his arrest on August 12.
Police seized Murray's computer and mobile phone for further examination.
When questioned, Murray told police he believed ADF members should be "tougher" and be able to handle the type of comments he'd made in the emails.
Investigating police said Murray had displayed fixated behaviour in his dealings with the ADF, becoming angry when he was rejected for a job.
"He focussed all his attention and energy on sending these emails and making ADF [personnel] feel intimidated," they wrote in documents tendered in court.
"He appears to display a deep-seated anger, he gets angry to quite an extreme level when situations don't work in his favour."
The emails
The following is a sample of emails police will claim Jesse Murray sent to ADF personnel at the defence force recruiting branch in Wollongong:
August 7:
"I'll cut a drug deals head off and hold out outside for you."
"Mate I'm as f--king murderer, shut your f--king mouth."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't behead you with a shovel."
August 8:
"I'm going to smash your f--king face if I see you in uniform.
"You just withdrew a f--king machine. I'll f--king kill one of you for this."
"You better tell that old timer at the station to chill, my special move is called: ima [sic] blow your leg off from a distance, so he can say he got hit by an IED."
August 9:
"I will get my reason whether you like it or not. I'll f--king drag your corpse."
"I could walk down the street and slice her gut open."
"I could get to you within an hour, all I gotta do is get off my ass, comes f--king kill some motherf--kers."
August 10:
"I'm taking Wollongong station to court."
"It's not a problem for me, it's a problem for you."
"I lost my friends to MDMA. Ive lost my country to idiocracy.
August 11:
"I f--king killed all of them w--kers, shouldn't of touched my FB profile last year."
"When I'm old enough to feel death, I will ruin my life. All I gotta do is kill your grandchild."
"My war on drugs in legalise weapon carry in Australia so I can level up in sociopath tree."
August 12:
"I saw a guy with muscles running up the street a while ago. The first thoughts are, I want to kill him."
"I'll fight you at your doorstep, I've stalked you all."
"Psychotically deranged and psychotically focused."
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