A Sydney man who threatened to slit the throat of an ASIO officer in anger at the organisation's investigation into his activities has been sentenced to nine months' jail.
Milad Bin Ahmad-Shah al-Ahmadzai, a former commerce student who abandoned his studies to focus on Islam, made a series of phone calls to ASIO in April and May last year after the organisation seized his passport as part of an investigation.
The Downing Centre District Court heard on Friday that a number of the calls initially took the form of "puerile" pranks, with al-Ahmadzai telling switchboard operators and a duty officer that he was "Ronald McDonald ringing to speak to Sam McDonald" or pretending to have information and then attempting to order a pizza.
But on May 2, when an ASIO officer named "Andrew" returned his call, al-Ahmadzai became menacing.
"Listen to me, I'm going to crack your neck if you come anywhere near my family," the young man told the officer in the recorded call.
"I don't give a shit, I'm willing to die ... Come near my family again and I'm going to slit your throat, you pig."
A few days later, al-Ahmadzai had another phone conversation with a police officer in which he said: "John, just be careful" and then abruptly hung up when the officer asked: "Why is that?"
Soon after, al-Ahmadzai sent the policeman a number of texts, including one in which he called him a "filthy putrid pig".
Soon after, he was arrested and charged with threatening a Commonwealth official and using a carriage service to menace or harass, charges to which he pleaded guilty some time later.
In sentencing al-Ahmadzai, Judge Ian McClintock acknowledged that the young man had been "angry" about what he perceived to be an "intrusive" ASIO investigation, which he believed included officers breaking into his family home.
He also noted that the threats were "foolish, naive and immature", contained a "significant amount of bluster" and that "there was no real intention to carry it out".
But the young man's anger at the investigation did not mitigate his criminality, Judge McClintock said.
"The tone was chilling and clearly intended to instil fear," he said.
"There needs to be a significant aspect of general deterrence ... no other sentence than full-time custody is appropriate."
The court heard that al-Ahmadzai was on parole for aggravated armed robbery at the time of the offences, and has further criminal matters that are yet to come before the courts.
Al-Ahmadzai, appearing via video link from Goulburn jail where he has been categorised as a high-security prisoner, hung his head as the sentence was handed down.
