Man Uses Asbestos as Weapon

January 8, 2007 - In an unusual occurrence at an Innisfail, Australia bank, an angry man stormed into the Sydney-area financial institution and smashed a piece of fiberboard to pieces in front of a surprised bank staff.  The board contained asbestos, officials say.

An account of the incident in the Sydney Morning Herald reports that an unidentified 30-year-old man, upset over an insurance claim related to a cyclone that caused damage to his home last March, came into Commonwealth Bank and began threatening employees.  The cyclone, dubbed “Larry”, caused much destruction to the Innisfail neighborhood, with many homes destroyed completely and others needing extensive renovations. 

The man, witnesses say, was carrying the board and a bottle of water.  According to the account, the man “yelled at staff, splashed water onto the ceiling and threw the fibro (short for fibrous cement) onto the floor, shattering it.”

Tests later performed on the shattered material confirmed that it did indeed contain asbestos.  The man has been charged with issuing threats and several other misdemeanors.  The bank was closed until clean-up was satisfactorily completed.