A former footballer threatened to kill a child and attack another person with an axe while on a protracted campaign of violence.  

Jonathon Proud, 33, fronted a Melbourne court this week where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges including assault, brandishing an imitation firearm and making threats to kill. 

The former Coburg Lions VFL player pulled the imitation firearm on a man while in Laverton in Melbourne’s west in June last year, the court heard.

The footballer also threatened to kill the man and said he would ‘cut off his housemate’s hands with an axe’. 

Proud also relentlessly stalked the victim before bashing him and smashing up the man’s Holden Commodore.

The victim sustained lacerations in Proud’s vicious attack. 

Cops later arrested Proud at Williams Landing with the imitation gun and a set of knuckledusters.

The court heard Proud also bashed a woman, brandished a knife and smashed up a home at Laverton on March 18 last year.

Jonathon Proud (pictured) fronted a Melbourne court this week where he pleaded guilty to a plethora of charges

Proud was a talented semi-professional footballer who played as a ruckman and centre half forward in the QAFL, VFL and with various suburban Melbourne football clubs

Proud was a talented semi-professional footballer who played as a ruckman and centre half forward in the QAFL, VFL and with various suburban Melbourne football clubs

Then in June, Proud threatened to murder an entire family including a 14-year-old girl, the court was told.

Proud sent the 14-year-old girl’s mum 99 threatening messages over several hours. 

‘I’m going to kill you,’ Proud threatened.

‘I am going to cut your throat now, I’m killing all of them, I’m killing your father too.’ 

Proud was arrested on June 30. 

The defence said Proud was a talented semi-professional footballer who played as a ruckman and centre-half-forward in the QAFL, VFL and with various suburban Melbourne football clubs.

Proud, a father who the court heard used methamphetamine, most recently played for the Tarneit Titans and hopes to resume footy which he said gave him ‘enjoyment’ mentoring younger players. 

Proud's brother Albert Proud (pictured) played for the Brisbane Lions between 2007 and 2010

Proud’s brother Albert Proud (pictured) played for the Brisbane Lions between 2007 and 2010

Proud said he ‘still has a few good years of footy left in him’ and is keen to get back to football for the ‘structure and social environment’, the court was told.

Proud, whose brother Albert played for the Brisbane Lions between 2007 and 2010, has a history of violent offending against multiple victims.

In March 2020, Proud was sentenced to a minimum of five months in jail after pleading guilty to making threats to kill and intentionally causing injury. 

The court heard that in November 2019, just one day after being released from custody, Proud went to his victim’s home in Hoppers Crossing armed with a machete.

He had been told that the victim had assaulted a female friend. 

Proud smashed up his victim’s car after the the father locked himself and his children inside the house, the court heard.

Proud fled the scene but then called the father several hours later.

‘I’m going to come and chop your head off,’ Proud said.

Proud and two other ‘unknown’ assailants – all armed with machetes – returned to the home just after 6pm.

The machete-wielding trio confronted their victim after waiting for him to come outside.

The man, who yelled out to his children to ‘lock the door’, armed himself with a brick and a spear.

He hit Proud with the brick before being attacked by the other offenders.

The victim, a father, suffered head and arm injuries and was rushed to Sunshine Hospital for treatment. Proud was arrested at his Truganina house the next day.

He told police he was angry and sought revenge after hearing that the victim had assaulted a female friend. 

Proud learned about the alleged assault while he was in custody for assaulting a woman himself. 

‘It’s ironic that he is accused of slapping a woman the day before (the attack),’ Magistrate Mike Wardell in 2020.

Mr Wardell said the ‘vigilante’ attack would have been ‘terrifying for the victim’.

‘It was savage, ugly, in a public fashion which was viewed by children in the household,’ he said.

‘The community views this type of offending as serious … It’s simply not acceptable in today’s society.’

Proud, who was jailed for a maximum 15 months for his prior offending, remains on remand awaiting sentence for his recent alleged offence.

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