This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/31/man-in-court-over-alleged-death-threats-to-brittany-higgins-and-her-fiance
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Man in court over alleged death threats to Brittany Higgins and her fiance | Man in court over alleged death threats to Brittany Higgins and her fiance |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| David Wonnocott faces Tweed Heads local court after police received information about alleged threats of violence made via social media | David Wonnocott faces Tweed Heads local court after police received information about alleged threats of violence made via social media |
| A man accused of making death threats on social media against former political staffer Brittany Higgins and her fiance has appeared in court. | A man accused of making death threats on social media against former political staffer Brittany Higgins and her fiance has appeared in court. |
| David William Wonnocott is facing charges after police received information about alleged threats of violence made through a social media platform. | David William Wonnocott is facing charges after police received information about alleged threats of violence made through a social media platform. |
| Wonnocott appeared in a northern New South Wales court on Wednesday in connection with the charges. He was arrested in April. | Wonnocott appeared in a northern New South Wales court on Wednesday in connection with the charges. He was arrested in April. |
| One condition of Wonnocott’s bail is that he is not to be with or contact Higgins or her fiance, David Sharaz, except through a lawyer, according to court documents. | One condition of Wonnocott’s bail is that he is not to be with or contact Higgins or her fiance, David Sharaz, except through a lawyer, according to court documents. |
| He is charged with one count of using a carriage service to threaten to kill on 11 April last year and one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend between July 2022 and February this year. | He is charged with one count of using a carriage service to threaten to kill on 11 April last year and one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend between July 2022 and February this year. |
| The Banora Point man is accused of using social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, “in such a way that reasonable persons would regard that use as being menacing, harassing or offensive”, according to court documents. | The Banora Point man is accused of using social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, “in such a way that reasonable persons would regard that use as being menacing, harassing or offensive”, according to court documents. |
| Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup | Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup |
| Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup | Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup |
| Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy said the matters against Wonnocott would proceed on indictment, with the commonwealth director of public prosecutions not consenting to summary jurisdiction. | |
| He ordered a brief of evidence by 12 July and a mention in the same court on 24 July. | He ordered a brief of evidence by 12 July and a mention in the same court on 24 July. |
| Sign up to Guardian Australia's Afternoon Update | Sign up to Guardian Australia's Afternoon Update |
| Our Australian afternoon update email breaks down the key national and international stories of the day and why they matter | Our Australian afternoon update email breaks down the key national and international stories of the day and why they matter |
| after newsletter promotion | after newsletter promotion |
| Wonnocott is excused from appearing in court that day if legally represented. | Wonnocott is excused from appearing in court that day if legally represented. |
| In 2021 former Liberal party staffer Bruce Lehrmann was charged with the sexual assault of Higgins and pleaded not guilty. | In 2021 former Liberal party staffer Bruce Lehrmann was charged with the sexual assault of Higgins and pleaded not guilty. |
| The trial in the ACT supreme court trial last October was derailed due to juror misconduct. | The trial in the ACT supreme court trial last October was derailed due to juror misconduct. |
| The charges against him were later dropped because of concerns about the impact a second trial would have on Higgins’s mental health. | The charges against him were later dropped because of concerns about the impact a second trial would have on Higgins’s mental health. |
| Lehrmann denies the allegation he raped Higgins. | Lehrmann denies the allegation he raped Higgins. |
| Wonnocott was also in court for a separate charge of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend on 9 January. The court heard a plea of guilty had been entered in respect of the charge, which relates to the NSW MP Alex Greenwich. | |
| His bail conditions in relation to that charge state he cannot be with or contact Greenwich except through a lawyer. | His bail conditions in relation to that charge state he cannot be with or contact Greenwich except through a lawyer. |
| Another condition banned the 49-year-old from attending Sydney Mardi Gras or being in Sydney’s CBD on 25 February and requiring him to comply with a curfew between 4pm on 11.30pm on the day of the Mardi Gras. | |
| Court documents state Wonnocott’s criminal history mainly relates to intimidation and threats towards members of minority groups using social media. | Court documents state Wonnocott’s criminal history mainly relates to intimidation and threats towards members of minority groups using social media. |