A highly distressed Albury district preschool director had to impose a lock-down minutes after a disgruntled grandmother threatened to shoot everyone at the centre.
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The grandmother became angry when she didn't get a response to what she wanted - the removal of her grandson from his mother, her daughter - during a phone call.
When the worker asked her to repeat herself as she couldn't be understood, the woman flew into a rage.
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"I don't care who any of you are," the 40-year-old said, having made contact over her four-year-old grandson.
"I'll come down there and shoot you all."
Albury Local Court magistrate Sally McLaughlin told the woman, who cannot be named, the intimidation charge she pleaded guilty to was "a very serious offence".
Ms McLaughlin said while it might not have been her intention to cause fear - and "it does not appear that this was planned" - clearly that was the outcome.
Ms McLaughlin told the woman she was "at an age" where "you need to be a role model, for your family and the community".
The woman was convicted and fined $1400 and placed on a 12-month community corrections order.
A final apprehended violence order for the protection of the victim was made, with a condition she not go within 200 metres of the centre.
That was after police withdrew a second charge of using a carriage service to threaten to kill.
The director, who was acting in the role, took a call from the woman, who was listed as the boy's emergency contact, last Thursday, May 17, about 12.45pm.
She identified herself and, at first, the conversation was "pleasant" but then the victim "did not understand a sentence uttered by the accused".
She asked the woman to repeat herself, to which she was told: "I don't want him (the grandson) to go back to his mother. I don't know how much more clearly I can say that."
When the director still didn't understand, the woman again said she did not want her grandson to go back to her daughter, "as she did not look after (him) properly".
The director promised to make inquiries for the woman, who became "aggressive" and said: "You're all the f---ing same, I've been trying to get through all f---ing day."
She made her threat then the victim hung up the phone, burst into tears and fled to a building next door, from where a colleague called police.
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