A Milton teen who repeatedly spoke about murdering his mother with a firearm or crossbow will spend time behind bars because he has nowhere else to live.
Joshua Robert Duxbury (18) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after admitting three counts of threatening to kill and one of breaching a protection order.
Judge David Saunders said he would have sentenced the teenager to home detention if there had been a suitable address, but the defendant was out of options.
He had been remanded to the youth unit at Christchurch Men's Prison, the court heard, and his life had since found stability.
Duxbury reached crisis point in July after the death of his father.
Between July 1 and 22 he had various conversations with friends speaking of his desire to kill three people - his sister, his former landlord and, repeatedly, his mother.
Duxbury was at home when he first disclosed his murderous desires to a mate.
''He asked the associate if they knew anyone in Dunedin that had a firearm,'' a police summary said.
''The defendant said he wanted to shoot the victims or use a crossbow to kill them.''
Days later he told another person he was planning to steal a crossbow from another sister's address and use it to kill his mother.
On July 15, after an argument with his ex-landlord, he issued a threat he would kill her before going home with fuel containers.
He told a friend he was going to make ''Molotovs''.
Duxbury did not follow through, but then asked someone to drive him to Dunedin ''so he could find his mother and kill her''.
There were further instances about trying to track down his mother, but defence counsel Alex Bligh highlighted the fact there were no direct threats to the victims.
Charges had only been laid when one of the defendant's associates came forward.
Judge Saunders said the psychological issues Duxbury was experiencing at the time were exacerbated by the use of drugs and alcohol, which he turned to as ''a problem-solving technique''.
He was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment and the judge said it was critical there was a plan in place for the defendant's release.
Corrections' ''Out the Gate'' programme was mentioned; an initiative set up by the department to steer prisoners away from reoffending.
The service assists offenders with the tangible things they need most when released, such as a place to live, a job, identification, a bank account, and connection with family and community supports.
