A 51-year-old man who was arrested for spraying a highly potent chili-based substance called "Satans Spit" into a crowd at a hardware store in Australia claimed he had intended to use a prank "fart spray" instead.
The incident occurred on April 24, 2024, when Paul Andrew Hart entered Bunnings in Northam, Australia, and discharged the substance, which contains chili and alcohol and is labeled as one of the "hottest and most dangerous" products available, WA Today reported.
The spray caused immediate irritation to the eyes and throats of 15 people, with 11—including two children—requiring hospitalization and decontamination showers.
The hardware store was forced to shut down for the rest of the day, suffering an estimated financial loss of $16,000, while eight employees received workers' compensation for their injuries.
Hart was arrested two days later at his home in Kellerberrin, where police found both the "Satans Spit" and a separate bottle of "fart spray."
The 51-year-old claimed he had intended to use the latter as a harmless prank, but mistakenly grabbed the wrong bottle. The court, however, viewed his actions as reckless rather than accidental, and his bail application was denied after the judge determined he was a flight risk.
Hart was reportedly heard in a phone call stating his intent to "get out of the west," and he also faces a separate nine-month sentence for making threats against his former partner, a prosecutor and a judicial officer while in custody.
Hart remains in custody and is set to return to court on March 21 for sentencing. He faces up to five years in prison for the offense.
