Ballarat Magistrates Court: threat to kill over cannabis

A SNAKE Valley man allegedly threatened his employer and demanded large sums of money for destroying his cannabis plants and dismantling a hydroponic system, a court was told yesterday.Steven Clark, 28, was on parole when he allegedly made the threats and assaulted his employer, a Beaufort fruit and vegetable wholesaler, who discovered five cannabis plants and a hydroponic system in the store's oil room.Ballarat Magistrates Court was told that the victim burnt the cannabis plants and dismantled the hydroponic system in March. He arranged for Clark's sister to collect it.Maryborough Crime Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Noel Jacobs said Clark's sister told the victim that Clark was furious and believed he owed him $8100 for destroying the drugs.He said Clark's sister went to the victim's store twice in April, and each time the victim wrote cheques for $4000.Det Sen Const Jacobs said Clark, who was released from jail on parole in August, went to the store on October 19 and assaulted the victim, telling him he was going to kill him."The victim told him he could not give him any more money. Clark kept threatening him, saying he wanted $30,000 and they would be even," Det Sen Const Jacobs said.The court was told Clark telephoned the victim in November, asking him when he would have $25,000, which he eventually borrowed from a bank and gave to him.Police arrested and charged Clark last Saturday after he had arranged to meet the victim at the store, the court was told. He faces 15 charges, including recklessly causing injury, intentionally causing injury, unlawful assault, making threats to kill, cultivating narcotic plant cannabis, possessing cannabis and making unwarranted demand with menaces.Clark was jailed in February for 12 months, with a non-parole period of six months, for threatening to kill his girlfriend and assaulting her.Det Sen Const Jacobs said police opposed bail for Clark because the victim feared for his own safety and his family's.Magistrate Richard Pithouse granted Clark bail with conditions. He will return to court on March 4 for a committal mention.