James Morris pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to making threats to kill and using a carriage service to harass.

The court heard in March 2023 Morris and the victim were friends when the victim asked if he could borrow a sling-shot to kill pests on his farm.

Morris lent the sling-shot but in April sent the victim a number of text messages in quick succession accusing him of stealing the sling-shot and stating he wanted it back.

He threatened and abused the victim calling him a "little bitch" and he would send people to his farm to sort him out.

He also sent messages on Facebook and Snapchat telling the victim he hoped his children were home to see his head get blown off.

The sling-shot was returned to Morris' mail box and the victim reported the threats to Camperdown police.

Morris was interviewed at Terang Police station and a temporary intervention order was put in place.

During the interview he agreed he'd lent an item to the victim but wouldn't say what it was.

He made full admissions to sending the messages and said he only wanted to get the item back and he didn't mean to make the victim concerned for his life.

Defence Counsel Ian Pugh submitted a psychological report that Morris had been jailed in Western Australia for two months for assaulting a police officer.

He said Morris had autism, ADHD and an intellectual disability.

Mr Pugh said his client left school at 15 and his sister was killed in a motor vehicle accident in 2010.

Morris was convicted and placed on a 12-month community corrections order requiring 90 hours of unpaid community work with a $750 bond.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said it needed to be crystal clear that if Morris beached the community corrections order he would be jailed.

He said there were nasty, violent and misogynistic threats made too often and there was a sense of cowardice that it was done from behind a screen.

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