Jihad in the Suburbs

A MAN who declared a holy war against his flatmate and attacked him because he believed he had contaminated his dairy products has been jailed in Queensland.

Patrick Gerard Burke, 50, from Goodna, west of Brisbane, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court today to one count of unlawful wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Justice Bob Douglas sentenced Burke to three years' jail, suspended after 10 months with an operational period of three years.

The court was told the incident happened on November 19, 2001, at the Ipswich house Burke was renting with Adam Henry Owen.

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While having a cup of tea with Owen, Burke attacked him with a brush hook, shouting: "Jihad, Jihad, Bin Laden, Bin Laden."

He swung the gardening implement at Owen, striking him in the ankle.

Owen escaped from the house with minor cuts and scratches.

Prosecutor Brendan Campbell said during the course of his stay at the house, Burke had become convinced that Owen was a drug dealer who had contaminated his food, specifically yoghurt and the milk, and was interfering in his room.

Burke would regularly punish Owen for his alleged indiscretions by turning the electricity supply off.

Burke's lawyer Jeff Hunter told the court Burke was on anti-depressants and his life had declined significantly since the mid-1990s.

He described him as a "solitary, somewhat eccentric man" who currently lived in a hotel room, playing his violin all day.