Former Kiama councilor Brendon Comber has dodged jail time after pleading guilty in March to a number of offenses, including using a firearm for intimidation.

Mr Comber will instead serve a community corrections order for the next two years, and will have to adhere to a good behaviour bond during that time, as well as continue therapy to treat his ongoing mental illness.

The former councilor was charged in February 2022 after an incident involving the repossession of a truck Mr Comber was buying via hire purchase was taken from his home without his consent. The truck stored close to half-a-million dollars worth of music and sound equipment, which was taken along with the truck when Mr Comber failed to pay the final $2000 payment for the truck and ceased communications.

Once he found out his home had been broken into in order to repossess the vehicle, Mr Comber grabbed his .22 calibre rifle, which he was permitted to own, and placed it in his car, along with his wife and young children to find the truck. While the rifle was loaded with a magazine, there was no actual ammunition inside it.

When the truck was located in Gwynneville, Mr Comber blocked the vehicle at an intersection in an attempt to retrieve it. The parties moved to a side-street, during which time the driver called the local police to intervene. A major point of contention during the proceedings was whether Mr Comber ever pointed his weapon at someone, however, all parties agreed that the rifle was never pointed at another person, and was instead left in a bag on the passenger seat as a form of intimidation.

Mr Comber was initially charged with using an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offense, but that charge was eventually dropped before sentencing.

The judge accepted that Mr Comber had been suffering from ongoing anxiety and other mental illnesses at the time, it was no excuse to permit “vigilante behaviour.”

In handing out her sentence, the judge stated that Mr Comber could have faced the possibility of prison time, but given his lack of any previous criminal record and commitment to improving his mental health, there was “no way I would think about sending him [to prison].” She also took into consideration that Mr Comber has already been punished to some extent, as he was not allowed to leave his home without being accompanied by his partner for six months during the proceedings.

The crux of the judge’s reasoning behind her sentencing was that Mr Comber’s punishment should focus more on what the community’s expectations would be as to an appropriate punishment.