Threats to Sabotage

Author: Jon Ross

Practice area: threats

Jon is a Senior Associate at Doogue + George with over 20 years of exclusive criminal defence experience, including serious violent crime and gang-related matters across London's Magistrates' and Crown Courts. His depth of experience in this area means clients receive accurate, considered advice.

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Jon authored this content and last revised it for accuracy on 7 August 2026.

What is the offence of Threats to Sabotage?

Threats to Sabotage is an indictable offence under section 247L of the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic). It targets conduct involving threats to interfere with or damage public infrastructure in circumstances connected to large-scale disruption to essential systems or the economy, reflecting the seriousness of threats aimed at critical public facilities.

Key points

Elements: A threat to damage a public facility, intending another person to fear it will be carried out and that it would cause major disruption or major economic loss.
Nature of threat: May be explicit or implicit, conditional or unconditional, and made by any conduct, including threats to a group of persons.
Court: Heard in the County Court of Victoria.

The maximum penalty for Threats to Sabotage is level 4 imprisonment (15 years).

Common defences may include factual dispute, lack of intent, or duress.

Threats can be explicit, implicit, conditional, and unconditional. The legislation for this charge further explains that “fear that a threat will be carried out” is the same as “apprehension”.

Have you been accused of Threats to Sabotage?

Police Interview

The Police interview is not the time or place for you to tell your side of the story or explain why you did or did not do something. The Police interview is designed to allow them to put their narrative of what they think occurred and to illicit an admission from you.

If your explanation of what happened has inconsistencies, the prosecution will highlight this in front of the jury at a trial and rely on this as a sign of your guilt.

Do not attend a Police interview thinking that you can talk your way through this. The Police have already made up their mind that you are responsible for the Threats to Sabotage and will charge you regardless of your responses to their questions.

Due to the seriousness of this type of charge, you must speak with one of our experienced criminal defence lawyers before you engage in an interview.

Pleading Not Guilty

Our lawyers are experts in Criminal Law and have run many successful jury trials. If you are facing trial for a charge Threat to Sabotage, you want an experienced firm of lawyers on your side protecting you against the State. Our lawyers are highly skilled and know the best course of action for every step of the Court process. Many of our lawyers are accredited criminal law specialists and we have in-house counsel who can represent you in court. They are dedicated cross-examiners and are great at their craft.

Pleading Guilty

A strong plea in mitigation made on your behalf can make a huge difference to the sentence you receive. Our lawyers know what works and doesn’t work in Court. We can make submissions to get the fairest possible outcome. We will work with you to gather supporting documentation. We can help you obtain medical and psychological reports.

Which court will the case be heard in?

It is a very serious charge that is heard in the County Court.

What is the legal definition of Threats to Sabotage?

Threats to sabotage

A person who—
1. makes to another person a threat to damage a public facility by committing a property offence or by causing an unauthorised computer function; and
2. intends that person to fear that the threat will be carried out and will cause—
  1. major disruption to government functions; or
  2. major disruption to the use of services by the public; or
  3. major economic loss—
is guilty of an offence and liable to level 4 imprisonment (15 years maximum).
In the prosecution of an offence against this section it is not necessary to prove that the person threatened actually feared that the threat would be carried out.
For the purposes of this section—
1. a threat may be made by any conduct and may be explicit or implicit, conditional or unconditional; and
2. a threat to a person includes a threat to a group of persons; and
3. fear that a threat will be carried out includes apprehension that it will be carried out.

Have you been accused of making a threat to sabotage?

Examples of Threats to Sabotage

A person has lost their job at a power station and they yell to their former boss and employees that they will ‘burn the place down’ causing those present to fear that they would light a fire.
A person says casually that they could create a computer bug and implant in the computer system of a government agency. The person they say it too knows that they have a history of hacking and becomes fearful about what they may do.
A very agitated person gets of a tram and threatens to disrupt its course later in the evening.

Legislation

The legislation for this offence can be found on section 247L of Crimes Act 1958.

Elements of the offence

In essence to prove this charge the Prosecution must show that the accused made a threat to another person to damage a public facility by committing a property offence or by causing an unauthorised computer function and the accused intended that the other person would fear that the threat would be carried out and would cause major disruption to government functions or major disruption to the use of services by the public or major economic loss.

Defences

Defences to this could be a factual dispute, lack of intent or duress.

Questions in cases like this

What were the circumstances of the alleged threat.
Was it a threat?
Could it cause fear or apprehension to the reasonable person?

You should ring us and discuss your case if you have been charged. Deciding on whether to plead guilty or not has important implications for you and should be made after proper discussions with a criminal lawyer.

Maximum penalty for section 247L of the Crimes Act 1958

The offence of Threats to Sabotage (s247L of the Crimes Act 1958) carries a maximum penalty of level 4 imprisonment (15 years).

FAQ About Threats to Sabotage

Does a Threats to Sabotage charge require actual damage to occur?

No. The offence is concerned with the making of the threat itself. It is complete once a person makes the relevant threat with the required intention, regardless of whether any property is damaged or any computer function is carried out.

Can a conditional or indirect statement amount to a threat to sabotage?

Yes. A threat may be explicit or implicit, and may be conditional or unconditional. It can be made by any conduct, meaning it does not have to be a direct or unequivocal statement to fall within the scope of the offence.

Does the alleged victim need to actually experience fear?

No. It is not necessary to prove that the person threatened actually feared the threat would be carried out. Fear includes apprehension, and the focus is on the intention behind the threat rather than the subjective reaction of the recipient.

Can a threat made to a group of people qualify?

Yes. A threat to a person includes a threat made to a group of persons. The offence is not limited to threats directed at a single identified individual.

What types of disruption are relevant to this offence?

The threatened conduct must relate to major disruption to government functions, major disruption to the use of public services, or major economic loss. The scale and seriousness of the anticipated impact are central to the charge.

What issues commonly arise in Threats to Sabotage cases?

Common issues include the circumstances in which the alleged threat was made, whether the words or conduct amounted to a threat, and whether the threat was capable of causing fear or apprehension to a reasonable person in the position of the recipient.