A father-of-three has been jailed for 16 months after what he claimed was a “fart prank” went horribly wrong, leaving shoppers hospitalised and forcing the evacuation of a Bunnings store in Western Australia.
Paul Andrew Hart, 52, released a chilli-based substance called Satan’s Spit inside the Northam Bunnings on ANZAC Day, causing chaos as customers gasped for air, covered their eyes, and scrambled to escape the fumes.
The court heard Hart sprayed the substance near a mother and her daughter before roaming the aisles as more shoppers were impacted. One customer told the court they believed they were “going to die”.
“My lungs tightened, I was gasping for air,” they said.
Victims were rushed to hospital where they were forced to strip and decontaminate under outdoor showers.
“We were naked and afraid. I was freezing cold and embarrassed,” one person told the court.
Bunnings was forced to shut for the day, losing $16,000 in profit.
Hart, a former mine site chef, told the court he had woken from distressing dreams and had been drinking alcohol that morning. He claimed he had meant to spray “fart spray” as a joke to “lighten the mood”, but accidentally grabbed the wrong can from his pocket.
The judge rejected the excuse, calling the incident reckless and dangerous.
Hart was sentenced to 16 months in prison and will be eligible for parole later this year.
Images: 9 News
