On May 08, 2009, Damir Dokic, 50 was arrested and held in a Serbian jail after police raided his hilltop mansion and found a cache of weapons, including two illegal home-made bombs, following alleged threats he made in the Serbian press against the Australian Ambassador Clare Birgin if she did nothing to stop Australian media reports of his alleged violence towards his tennis star daughter, Jelena.
He has been charged with illegal weapons possession, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years’ jail and endangering another person’s safety, with a one-year maximum.
A handcuffed Dokic told Serbian media while being led to court under police guard that the alleged threats were not serious.
AAP lead with this headline:
“‘I was only joking‘ when I threatened to kill Australian ambassador, says Damir Dokic”
Threats to blow up the Australian ambassador to Serbia were a “joke”, a handcuffed Damir Dokic told a Serbian magistrate.
Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
Proverbs 26:18,19
The wisdom of the Bible would well have been heeded by Dokic.
While this is a high profile case and gains media attention, it comes as a warning to us all… be careful when we are “just kidding” or teasing, it may just back-fire!
It usually affects those it was directed at…but more so the one who was just jokin’.