In a bid to stop his wife attending an expensive medical appointment, a cash-strapped Queensland man made a bomb threat.
Worried about the cost of his wife's IVF treatment, the man tried to prevent her from travelling to a clinic by claiming there was an explosive device on her bus route.
Amidst a marital dispute, the man rang Queensland Transport's TransLink and made the bomb threat after 7.30am during Brisbane's morning peak hour in October 2021.
"He said words to the effect of 'I have left an explosive device on a bus on the 281 - thank you'," crown prosecutor Sinead Butler said in Brisbane District Court.
At the time, his wife was travelling on the 281 bus route on her way to the IVF treatment, the court heard.
The bomb hoax created "havoc" for morning commuters, Ms Butler said.
Police were called by TransLink and all four buses on the 281 line were stopped, evacuated and searched, with 80 people forced to disembark.
"He was effectively trying to prevent her from going to an appointment for IVF treatment," Ms Butler said.
"The conduct was extreme and excessive ... it was a marital dispute."
The man was suffering depression due to significant financial hardship at the time after spending tens of thousands of dollars on IVF treatment, the court heard.
He was arrested after being identified on CCTV footage of the public phone he used to make the hoax call.
The man's wife provided a letter of support to the court on Friday.
The court heard the married couple have a home-schooled son supervised by the man who also supports two children from a previous relationship.
"You are very embarrassed - as you should be - for what happened on this particular day," Judge Paul Smith said to the man on Friday.
"I think this kind of offending is out of character for you."
The man pleaded guilty to one count of bomb hoax and was sentenced to two years' probation with a conviction recorded.
