Matthew Hutchison told colleagues at Indooroopilly Woolworths, in Brisbane’s west, the shootings in the French capital were ‘the best news I have heard all day’

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A Queensland butcher who reportedly declared he wanted to kill people in Europe in the wake of the Paris attacks has been granted bail.

Matthew Hutchison told colleagues at Indooroopilly Woolworths, in Brisbane’s west, the devastating November shootings in the French capital were “the best news I have heard all day”.

Police who launched a search of the rural home he shares with his mother arrested him for allegedly failing to correctly store an array of legal weapons and explosives.

Justice Peter Flanagan found Hutchison did not pose “any real risk” to the community and granted him bail in Brisbane’s supreme court on Friday.

The court heard that on the day of the terrorist attacks Hutchison was at work watching the Sky News coverage of the events.

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“He was overheard by other employees saying words to the effect ‘you know this is the best news I have heard all day, all countries should just learn to shut their doors’,” Flanagan said.

“He’s also reported to have said ‘I want to book a flight to Europe and walk through communities with a machete and kill people’.”

He later complained about European countries allowing refugees to settle, the court heard.

Concerned staff contacted police, who searched his home and discovered an array of legal weapons including 12 shotguns, 50 boxes of ammunition, body armour and night vision goggles.

The court heard that he used the weapons to hunt pests such as pigs and dogs on his mother’s property at night.

He was arrested over his alleged failure to store them properly.

Following a psychiatric assessment of Hutchison, Flanagan agreed he was not a threat to the public.

He allowed him to be released on bail on the conditions that he did not have access to his weapons and reported to Princess Alexandra mental health hospital within 24 hours.