THE actions of a Jehovah’s Witness who laced an elder’s drinks with weed killer were “wilder than fiction” and too “screamingly obvious” to warrant conviction, a court has heard.

Brett Darren Mardon today urged the District Court to acquit him of attempting to create a risk of serious harm to Ben Anthonysz and his family.

Heath Barklay, for Mardon, said it would be “superficial” to rule the injection of glyphosate, a weed killer, into milk and juice was a deliberate attempt to cause harm.

He said Mardon deliberately chose the substance because of its strong, foul odour and taste, confident the altered drinks would only cause emotional distress, not be consumed.

“The saying ‘the truth is wilder than fiction’ applies in this case,” he said.

“The fact glyphosate is so screamingly obvious, so repugnant, so readily identifiable, points against any intention to harm.

“Why choose something that has such a bad taste, something so obviously repugnant, if you really intended to cause harm?”

Mardon, 47, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to create a risk of harm and three counts of serious criminal trespass in a place of residence.

His alleged conduct was first reported by the Sunday Mail in March 2012 but, at that time, his name and image could not be published for legal reasons.

During his trial, prosecutors alleged Mardon placed Mr Anthonysz and his family at risk of harm by injecting milk, apple juice and other liquids in their refrigerator with glyphosate.

They claimed Mardon was motivated by revenge, blaming Mr Anthonysz for his excommunication from the faith and the end of his marriage.

Giving evidence, Mardon said his goal was to “emotionally disturb” Mr Anthonysz so he would leave the church.

He said he believed that would bring about the end of his period of disfellowship, which he felt Mr Anthonysz was responsible for continually extending.

Mardon also said he had drunk doses glysophate himself, prior to embarking on his scheme, to ensure its effects would not be dangerous.

In his closing submissions today, Mr Barklay said his client could not be judged against usual standards of behaviour due to the emotional impact of disfellowship.

He said disfellowed Jehovah’s Witnesses were still permitted to attend meetings, but other parishioners were required to ignore them as if they did not exist.

“What he was thinking at the time, and how his judgment was impaired, needs to be considered,” he said.

“The church, by disfellowshipping him, had broken him ... that might explain how he thought he could put glysophate in their drinks without intending to cause them harm.

“He simply, in his disordered emotional state, wanted to put the wind up them.”

Nick Healy, prosecuting, asked the court to reject Mardon’s claims as “implausible”.

“This substance was a poison and its sole purpose is to kill weeds ... it was not for human consumption and this was evident to Mardon,” he said.

“It defies belief he could carry this out without, at the very least, wanting to make Mr Anthonysz sick enough to not attend the congregation.”

Judge Rauf Soulio remanded Mardon on continuing bail and will deliver his verdict next month.