A man bailed after allegedly threatening to kill a doctor and staff at The Canberra Hospital (TCH) with a bladed weapon has raised the ire of the Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA).

“Given what’s occurred recently in Wakeley and Bondi Junction, it is abhorrent that a person threatening to do the same things inside a hospital would be granted bail by a judge,” said AFPA president Alex Caruana.

He accused the ACT judiciary of again prioritising an alleged violent offender’s presumption for bail over the safety of the community.

“I really feel for the doctor and his family, his immediate staff and their own families, indeed the entirety of TCH staff, after such serious threats were made to harm them,” said Mr Caruana.

“Every single employee at TCH will now be looking over their shoulder after the man who made the threats was bailed. Bail conditions are not going to disrupt someone’s intentions to harm people.

“To apprehend the person inside the hospital, with a potential weapon, is frightening for everyone.

“There is now going to be an additional burden on TCH security staff and ACT Policing members to ensure that this man does not return to the TCH to carry out his threats.”

Mr Caruana said the AFPA was again calling on the Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury to explain to the ACT community why such a serious alleged offender was allowed to continue to walk Canberra’s streets.

“This is another example of why we need a proper independent review of bail and sentencing practices in the ACT. If this person offends in the way he threatened to, will the attorney-general hold the magistrate who made the decision to account?” Mr Caruana asked.

“The AFPA intends to lobby to make a comprehensive review of bail and sentencing an ACT election issue… we believe the ACT community deserves to know each party’s positions on law and order in the lead-up to the ACT election.”