A "retired" police officer has been accused of threatening a former supervisor, allegedly fuelled by a "lasting grudge" held over workplace bullying.
"I'll see you again c---, you're f---ed, I know where you live. You'll definitely be seeing me again," the accused man allegedly told his off-duty former colleague on Friday at a north Canberra gym.
The alleged offender, who The Canberra Times has chosen not to name on this occasion, was granted bail in the ACT Magistrates Court after lengthy discussions surrounding his mental health.
He did not enter pleas to two counts of threatening to harm a commonwealth official on Saturday.
In considering the former officer's bail, magistrate Alexandra Burt heard of the man's post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, his recent stints in hospital, and the "short fuse" his medication caused.
"He wasn't like this before he joined the police," the accused man's wife told the court, as he was seen wiping away tears.
"We're working to get him right, to get my old husband back."
When asked about the allegations of bullying inside the Australian Federal Police, which the court heard led to the accused man leaving the force in recent years, his wife said: "We just want to move on."
Police documents tendered to the court claim the man was stood down before leaving police.
Approaching his former colleague, he was allegedly "smiling but appeared to be angry" as he squared his shoulders and tensed his chest.
"Do you like talking behind people's back, do you, c---," the accused man allegedly said.
"You and [another police officer] have another thing coming. Take a swing."
The former colleague is said to have responded by telling the man to walk away because the gym was filled with cameras. Another former police officer nearby claims to have heard one of the alleged threats.
Prosecutor Colin Balog opposed the man's bail application, citing the likelihood he would offend while in the community as well as the welfare and safety of the complainant.
Mr Balog told the court ongoing mental health treatment, three self-admissions to hospital and a recent multiple-week private hospital course were "insufficient to prevent the allegations today".
Legal Aid Lawyer Gillian Bilton said her client was happy to be excluded from the gym, where he had been training for the past few months.
The magistrate ultimately granted the former police officer's conditional release, but noted he had engaged in "not very disciplined behaviour" despite his professional background.
Ms Burt found the alleged gym approach was opportunistic and one which the man's former colleague had "obviously taken taken as a genuine threat".
The magistrate said she believed the man was the "type of person who will be able to comply with strict bail conditions if I impose them and if I provide very clear rules".
His case is set to return to court next month.
