Neville Newman, 74, was sentenced to 12 months suspended imprisonment for both charges and fined $4000 in Armidale Local Court on Monday, after he pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to harass and another of intimidation with the intent to cause physical harm.

Defence barrister David Randle said the psychiatrist reported Newman believed in a “deluded manner” to have the capacity to be a key player in the byelection.

“When one searches for an explanation in a case this unusual that may be the best way to describe it,” Mr Randle said.

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Newman actively assisted in Mr Joyce’s political campaigns in the past, the court heard, and took to the streets to apologise to each of his neighbours after he was charged by New England police.

Mr Randle said it’s a case where his client clearly has mental health issues and asked the court to consider his clean record.

In court to support her husband, Susan Newman said she is committed to ensuring Newman is not caught up in a loop of criminal behaviour.

Magistrate Michael Holmes said it’s a highly unusual case.

“These offences strike at the heart of our democracy, politicians and their families need to be protected and a general message needs to be given to the community that this behaviour cannot be condoned,” he said.

“Our democracy is by way of vote not by way of intimidation.

“It involved the deputy prime minister of Australia, a member of parliament, his elderly parents and correct me if I’m wrong - some mention of the prime minister,” he said.

“The prime minister is not in any way connected to the matter but it was referenced so it’s a very serious matter.”

Mr Holmes read the Victim Impact Statement by Member for New England Barnaby Joyce, which referenced Ian Turnbull, the Croppa Creek farmer who murdered NSW environmental officer Glen Turner in 2014.

“It made me aware of who might want to kill me,” Mr Joyce wrote.

“It made my parents who are very elderly and live alone in a remote farm very fearful.”

Newman was tracked down by police after he was captured on CCTV using a payphone in Armidale to call Mr Joyce’s parents on December 22.

He also sent a bullet to Mr Joyce’s electorate office in Tamworth in the midst of the New England byelection between August 1 and November 6.

The bullet was sticky-taped to a community survey posted to all households in the electorate and sent back to the reply paid address, along with a letter written on a typewriter.

The letter read, “bbbarnaby [sic] joyce andmalcolm turnbull ? if you think you are going to give a billion dollars toest to establish that mega coal mine in north queensland sixty minutes showed how big amess they left every where everywhere they also the liverpool plains that is part of our food bowl why wont you stop the water being stolen northern n nsw youare so bloody corrupt keep going and you will be stopped you are a disgrate t o our country you red faced piece of shit”.

Newman has called his actions as the “biggest mistake of his life”, after leaving a voicemail at Mr Joyce’s parents house that said, “Hello, could you give your son a message? Tell him he is going to end up very dead that bastard, him and that Turnbull if he lets that mine go through in North Queensland. He is just a traitor [sic] that bastard the way he sold us out to everybody else, he is a dog.”

The sentences are to be served concurrently, Newman was fined $2000 for using a carriage service to menace and $2000 for intimidation with the intent to cause physical harm.