A man yelling while holding a baseball bat wanted "to take a little bit of action in trying to scare" the teenage bully of his step son.
The enraged father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, showed up at the boy's home, demanding to speak to him, in a "threatening encounter", magistrate Robert Cook said on Tuesday.
The man was found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon with intent after a multi-day hearing in the ACT Magistrates Court.
A similar charge against his partner was dismissed after the court found there was no case for her to answer.
Mr Cook said the man had a hold of a blue-handed bat when he was yelling and swearing outside the home of the boy he believed had bullied his son.
The court heard his son's hat had been stolen at school with the other boy saying "if you want it back you have to fight me".
In video footage played to the court by prosecutor Bwalya Chifuntwe, the man can be seen standing near the front door while holding the bat between his legs.
"He wanted to take matters into his own hands," Mr Chifuntwe said.
The magistrate rejected defence lawyer Bol Mathiang's argument that the father had been playing baseball in a park and had walked to the home with the bat still in hand.
"The step father was fed up with [the boy] bullying his step son," Mr Cook said.
"That's why, ultimately, he turns up and why he has what he has with him."
After his arrest the man, described as smelling like alcohol, told police he wanted "to take a little bit of action in trying to scare" the bully.
He remains on bail and is set to face sentencing next week.
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Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; MensLine 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.
