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News.com.au
23-07-2025
- News.com.au
‘Satan's Spit': Man jailed for spraying chilli substance at Bunnings
A former mine site chef who claimed he was planning a fart prank at a Bunnings store when he instead sprayed a chilli substance called 'Satan's Spit' — injuring multiple people, including children — has been jailed. The Northam store, in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region, was evacuated on Anzac Day last year amid fears of a dangerous chemical spill. Two children were among the 15 people affected, with 11 taken to hospital for treatment. They suffered burning sensations in their eyes and nose, sore throats and coughing. CCTV footage shows father of three Paul Andrew Hart enter the store wearing a black T-shirt, shorts and thongs. Shortly after, staff and customers are seen coughing, and covering their mouths and noses as they head for the exit. Hart, 52, claimed he intended to spray 'Liquid Ass' as a joke, but instead used 'Satan's Spit', which was also in his pocket. But WA District Court Judge Felicity Zempilas said the footage showed him look down at the pepper spray twice, including just before he used it. 'Even if you had taken a bottle of Satan's Spit and a bottle of fart spray, it would have been immediately clear to you which one you had in your hand on either of those occasions when you looked at it, because those bottles appear totally different,' she said. The incident cost Bunnings an estimated $16,000 in lost earnings and $3048 in workers' compensation. 'You knew what kind of substance you'd released and you were waiting to observe its impacts,' Judge Zempilas said. 'I find that you intended, for whatever reason, to annoy others in the store that day, with this noxious substance.' The online product description of Satan's Spit says it is one of their 'hottest and most dangerous products'. 'Spray with caution, as it can travel through the air and get in eyes. Use in small doses,' the description reads. Hart was arrested the next day and told police he had bought the product six weeks earlier but had not used it or read the label. He said he had woken up that day from distressing dreams, and began drinking alcohol in the morning before going to the shops. One victim said she suffered an asthma attack and was embarrassed at having to go through the decontamination shower process at the hospital. Another person described the ordeal as 'traumatic'. A teenage victim said of the incident: 'It stole my peace.' 'She's still grappling with the fear and the humiliation and the trauma,' Judge Zempilas said. Hart pleaded guilty to wilfully and unlawfully, with intent to injure or annoy, cause poison or other noxious thing to be administered to or taken by another. Judge Zempilas sentenced Hart to 16 months in prison. He must serve eight months behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.
Sky News AU
23-07-2025
- Sky News AU
'Satan's Spit': Man jailed after spraying toxic substance in Bunnings to 'lighten the mood' leaving shoppers including children hospitalised
A mine site chef and father-of-three has been jailed over a prank-gone-wrong after he sprayed a toxic chilli substance dubbed 'Satan's Spit' over a crowd of shoppers at a WA Bunnings store. The incident occurred on Anzac Day last year with Paul Andrew Hart, 52, admitting he took the chilli spray to the Northam Bunnings store which he attended with a friend and his son. CCTV footage captured the exact moment Hart in a black shirt walking past unsuspecting customers, dispersed the spray into the store and almost immediately had customers choking, rubbing their eyes and running around in panic. Bunnings workers were also seen in a frenzy ushering customers out of the store as they were unsure what was behind the sudden reaction. He later told police he intended to let off a "fart spray" as a joke to ''lighten the mood'' inside the store, but accidentally picked up Satan's Spit, which has a warning of "extreme heat" and can cause reactions such as sneezing, coughing, teary eyes, runny nose and hiccups. 'One of our hottest (and more dangerous) products, please handle with care!" a warning reads for the product. 'Spray with caution as it can travel through the air and get in eyes. You've been warned.' The incident affected 15 people, 11 of whom were taken to hospital and reportedly made to strip outside and forced into decontamination showers due to the unknown source of the reaction. The cruel prank also caused a major financial loss to Bunnings as it had to close the outlet for the day missing out on $16,000 in income as well thousands of dollars the company was required to pay to affected employees in workers' compensation claims. Victims were also forced to pay thousands for ambulances to the hospital where they had a ''traumatising'' experience. As part of Hart's sentencing on Tuesday, victims read out their impact statements with one woman claiming she thought she was going to die after a sudden outburst of coughing fits while she was at the register with her 15-year-old daughter. 'I struggled to take a breath – I was coughing uncontrollably,' she said. 'I thought I was going to die. I was frantic. I didn't know what was happening to me. I couldn't help my daughter.' She added it was 'traumatising' being forced to take a decontamination shower, and her daughter said she was now living in a constant state of paranoia. 'I live in a state of hypervigilance,' she said. 'This experience has changed me. It has stolen my peace, and I am grappling with the fear and humiliation.' Perth District Court Judge Felicity Zempilas told Hart she did not accept that he mistakenly sprayed Satan's Spit instead of a fart spray as he intended, as he was seen on CCTV repeatedly eyeing the product. ''You looked down at the spray twice and it would have been immediately clear,'' she said. ''You deliberately brought a noxious and a dangerous product to a public place.'' Hart also reportedly said he could not remember much of the afternoon that day after drinking Wild Turkey, cider, and champagne. While awaiting the outcome of this matter, Hart was sentenced to a further term of imprisonment for making false statements against an ex-partner, a custody officer and a prosecutor. The 52-year-old has been sentenced to 16 months in prison, backdated to January when he was taken into custody. He will be eligible for parole this year.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Man is JAILED over vile prank at Bunnings Warehouse: 'I thought I was going to die'
A father-of-three has been jailed for a prank gone wrong after he sprayed a chilli substance inside a Bunnings store, leaving some shoppers with permanent injuries. Paul Andrew Hart, 52, claimed he was using 'Satan's Spit' in a fart prank at the Bunnings in Northam, a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The former mine site chef deliberately dispersed the toxic spray around unsuspecting shoppers while visiting the store on Anzac Day in 2024. CCTV footage showed Hart entering the store and spraying the chilli substance as he walked past a woman and her daughter. Moments later, he is seen spraying the substance inside one of the aisles before covering his face and calmly leaving the store. Shoppers started to cough and struggle to breathe as they were exposed to the substance. Others covered their burning eyes, while some ran out of the store in a panic. Bunnings workers ushered the remaining shoppers out of the store, unsure of what was causing the sudden onset of symptoms. Eleven people were rushed to hospital where they were forced to strip and decontaminate in outdoor showers. One victim told the court they thought they were 'going to die'. 'My lungs tightened, I was gasping for air,' the victim said. Another recalled: 'We were naked and afraid, I was freezing cold and embarrassed'. Many shoppers said they were still suffering from the emotional impact of the 'prank', with one claiming they were in a constant state of paranoia. The Bunnings store was forced to close for the remainder of the public holiday and reportedly lost $16,000 in profit. Hart claimed he intended to release 'fart spray' to 'lighten the mood' inside the store. However, he told the court he accidentally grabbed the wrong can from his pocket and ended up spraying Satan's Spit instead. Hart said he woke up troubled by nightmares and couldn't remember much of the afternoon, after drinking Wild Turkey, cider, and champagne that morning, The West Australian reports. District Court judge Felicity Zempilas rejected Hart's reasoning, stating he saw the bottle and deliberately decided to dispense the toxic substance. 'You looked down at the spray twice and it would have been immediately clear,' Judge Zempilas said in her ruling on Tuesday. 'You deliberately brought a noxious and a dangerous product to a public place.' The court also heard that Hart had spent the morning drinking alcohol after he was woken up from distressing dreams. Hart was sentenced to 16 months in jail and will be eligible for parole later this year.
Sydney Morning Herald
22-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA man who sprayed hot chilli into crowd of Bunnings shoppers jailed
A mine site chef and father-of-three who sprayed a hot chilli concoction known as 'Satan's Spit' into a crowd of shoppers at Bunnings in Northam, east of Perth, has been jailed over the incident. Paul Andrew Hart, 52, admitted to taking the chilli spray to the Bunnings store when he attended with a friend and his son on the Anzac Day public holiday last year. He later told police he was intending to disperse fart spray as a joke but mistakenly picked up Satan's Spit instead, which caused burning eyes, noses and sore throats to 15 people, 11 of whom required treatment in hospital for their injuries. Two victims were children. Satan's Spit is used on food and comes with an extreme heat warning, and is described as: 'One of our hottest (and more dangerous) products, please handle with care!' 'Spray with caution as it can get travel through the air and get in eyes. You've been warned.' The court was told at the time of the incident, shoppers were unaware of what they had been sprayed with so they were made to strip outside of hospital and forced to take decontamination showers. Bunnings closed its doors for the day, causing a loss of $16,000 in income, while also paying thousands of dollars to eight affected employees in workers' compensation claims. Victims were also forced to pay thousands for ambulances to the nearby hospital. On Tuesday, Hart was sentenced over the prank with Perth District Court Judge Felicity Zempilas telling him she did not accept the claim he thought he had innocuous fart spray in his pocket and not Satan's Spit as he was seen on CCTV repeatedly looking at the product.
The Age
22-07-2025
- The Age
WA man who sprayed hot chilli into crowd of Bunnings shoppers jailed
A mine site chef and father-of-three who sprayed a hot chilli concoction known as 'Satan's Spit' into a crowd of shoppers at Bunnings in Northam, east of Perth, has been jailed over the incident. Paul Andrew Hart, 52, admitted to taking the chilli spray to the Bunnings store when he attended with a friend and his son on the Anzac Day public holiday last year. He later told police he was intending to disperse fart spray as a joke but mistakenly picked up Satan's Spit instead, which caused burning eyes, noses and sore throats to 15 people, 11 of whom required treatment in hospital for their injuries. Two victims were children. Satan's Spit is used on food and comes with an extreme heat warning, and is described as: 'One of our hottest (and more dangerous) products, please handle with care!' 'Spray with caution as it can get travel through the air and get in eyes. You've been warned.' The court was told at the time of the incident, shoppers were unaware of what they had been sprayed with so they were made to strip outside of hospital and forced to take decontamination showers. Bunnings closed its doors for the day, causing a loss of $16,000 in income, while also paying thousands of dollars to eight affected employees in workers' compensation claims. Victims were also forced to pay thousands for ambulances to the nearby hospital. On Tuesday, Hart was sentenced over the prank with Perth District Court Judge Felicity Zempilas telling him she did not accept the claim he thought he had innocuous fart spray in his pocket and not Satan's Spit as he was seen on CCTV repeatedly looking at the product.
