‘Pretty stupid': Melbourne man fronts court for threatening Anthony Albanese
Dale Byrne, 42, faces two Commonwealth charges related to threatening to cause 'serious harm' to the Prime Minister and making a 'menacing' social media post about the political leader.
Mr Byrne didn't enters any pleas during a brief hearing in the Dandenong Magistrates' Court on Thursday, and the matter was listed for a contest mention hearing in September.
Outside court, Mr Byrne told NewsWire: 'I haven't got much to say because I haven't got my solicitor here, except I said something pretty stupid I shouldn't have said.'
He would not comment when asked if he would plead guilty. The most serious charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
In Thursday's court hearing, magistrate Nunzio La Rosa continued Mr Byrne's bail, which includes the condition not to go within 100m of state or federal politicians, including Mr Albanese.
Mr La Rosa scheduled the matter to be called again at a contest mention on September 4.
Court documents show Mr Byrne is charged with threatening 'to cause serious harm to a Commonwealth Official, namely Australian Prime Minister, the Honourable Anthony Albanese' on February 7.
The second charge alleges Mr Byrne used a carriage service 'in a manner that a reasonable person would regard as menacing' when he made an X post 'towards' Mr Albanese.
The charges are under negotiation.
Initially, the Australian Federal Police alleged Mr Byrne made death threats and anti-Semitic comments to a Commonwealth member of parliament.
'The AFP will allege the man used social media to contact a Commonwealth MP multiple times between 7 January, 2025, and 19 February, 2025, making death threats and anti-Semitic comments,' it said at the time he was charged on March 18.
The state of the charges or details of the allegations were not aired in court on Thursday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
9 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
'Serious crime' or 'tiny risk': Police have warned of foreign interference, but what is it?
The Australian Federal Police charged a Chinese national with reckless foreign interference on Saturday. Diaspora communities are being asked to look out for foreign interference and to report suspicious activity. The AFP is saying it plans to make more arrests under foreign interference laws. Foreign interference charges are rarely seen in Australia, but fresh allegations against a Chinese national have prompted authorities to issue a warning, particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. An Australian Federal Police (AFP) assistant commissioner has described the offence as a "serious crime", but a policing expert says there's a "tiny risk" to the public. So what constitutes foreign interference, and should you be worried? What is foreign interference? Foreign interference is a broad term. AFP assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt explained it in the context of charges made at the weekend. "Foreign interference is a serious crime that undermines democracy and social cohesion. It is a crime carried out by or on behalf of a foreign principal that involves covert and deceptive conduct or threats of serious harm or menacing demands," he said. An AFP fact sheet adds that it is targeted towards CALD communities. Dr Michael Kennedy, policing studies professor at the University of New England, told SBS News foreign interference is a "vague" term, with no clear-cut definition. "It's a case of the AFP throwing out a scary phrase, creating a moral panic, and then not explaining what they actually mean," he said. What do we know about this recent case? A suppression order has been put in place to shield the woman's identity. Nutt said the agency plans to make more arrests in relation to the woman's activities. He said that despite this arrest, diasporas could still be targeted by foreign interference. "The AFP and our partners are working with diaspora communities to help protect them from this criminality," he said. What can foreign interference look like? The AFP has outlined six main signs of how foreign interference can take form in the community: Assault or threats of assault. Blackmail. Kidnapping, unlawful detainment or deprivation of liberty. Stalking and unwanted physical or electronic surveillance. Coercion of a person by threatening their family or associates overseas to force them to comply. Online disinformation campaigns through social media to discredit a person or group. Should you be concerned? The AFP has issued a warning to people to remain alert, report suspicious activity, although those instructions are "vague", Kennedy told SBS News. He said the AFP is making a big deal over a crime that is rare and a "tiny risk" to the community. "There's always a risk someone could be targeted, but I'd say it's a tiny risk. There's not much reason for the Chinese government, for instance, to be concerned about a small group's business". He said that while China may be interested in exerting influence in Australia, it probably wouldn't impact people's everyday lives. "They're [China] not trying to indoctrinate people; they don't want everyone to speak Chinese in school. There are 1.5 billion of them, they don't care what 25 or so million Australians think," he added. Kennedy felt that the AFP's focus on foreign interference was "out of proportion" with the reality of the danger. "I think foreign interference is just an unnecessary headline that creates tension that doesn't need to be put out there," he said. "The AFP is saying it's very dangerous, but it's not." Any concerns and/or instances of foreign interference in the community can be reported to the National Security Hotline: 1800 123 400
SBS Australia
9 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
'It's a long game': International student cap increase welcomed, despite housing caveat
The addition of 25,000 student enrolments for next year has been welcomed by the university sector, despite questions about how to unlock the placements. On Monday, Education Minister Jason Clare announced a National Planning Level of 295,000 international student places for 2026 to manage growth in a "sustainable" way. The government will issue a new direction for the changes, replacing Ministerial Direction 111, which acted as a de facto cap and enabled it to reduce numbers by slowing visa processing and assigning quotas for international students to each university. Clare announced two caveats for universities to gain additional placements: student housing and a focus on Southeast Asian neighbours. Education Minister Jason Clare has increased international university numbers by 9 per cent for 2026. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), welcomed the 9 per cent increase but highlighted that the levels were still lower than during the pandemic. "Any increase in the enrolment figures from the government is very welcome ... however, it's patchy," he told SBS News. "Our English language colleges are collapsing as we speak because of the combination of high student visa fees and just a concern that the future for Australian international education is not fantastic." Regional Universities Australia CEO Alec Webb reacted to the news with "positivity", praising the fact that "no university will go backwards in 2026". "It definitely signals that Australia is still open for business, and Australia should still be a destination that is being considered for prospective international students," Webb told SBS News. New housing critical to extra placements Universities will have to demonstrate stronger engagement with Southeast Asia and progress in providing secure student accommodation for both local and international students in order to apply for an increase in their allocation. While Honeywood encouraged the pivot to closer neighbours such as Thailand and Indonesia — "great student source markets" — he expressed concern about housing backlogs. "It's taking purpose-built student accommodation companies anything up to three years to get a project approved and commence construction. So it's a long game," he said. It's a concern also expressed by Webb, who hopes universities will get clarity around housing expectations soon, as well as more information about how the 25,000 placements will be split between metro and regional universities. "Obviously, that can't be a new site build, there is an incredible amount of delay and lag associated with not only obtaining the planning permissions, but also with the actual construction itself," he said. "So we're very keen to work with the department and the government to better understand what the expectation is in regards to securing the supply of housing." SBS News has contacted Clare for comment. The focus on housing reflects the intersection between education and migration, a point exacerbated during the federal election campaign. Australia 'the least worst' option The sector has repeatedly raised concerns that the ongoing debate about international student numbers is deterring prospective students from choosing Australia, delivering a blow to the $34 billion a year industry. However, Honeywood says Australia can capitalise on recent disruption to the global market caused by Donald Trump's presidency in the United States. "Australia's been very fortunate that other countries we compete against, particularly Canada, Donald Trump's USA now and the UK are also winding back on international student recruitment," he said. "And therefore when students are thinking which country to go and study at, they're obviously seeing that Australia is in many cases the least worst when it comes to their ability to access education." From tariffs to university education, experts argue that President Donald Trumphas created global uncertainty that Australia can capitalise off. Source: AP / Evan Vucci This week's announcement outlines capacity for 2026 ahead of new legislation, subject to passing, which will establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. The body will oversee student caps and university allocations, balancing which courses and skills are needed and hopes to provide stability to the sector from 2027.
ABC News
9 minutes ago
- ABC News
Man who threatened politicians online long sought care for autism, court told
A man who bombarded politicians with "extraordinary" threats and antisemitic messages was desperate for help and support for autism, his lawyers say. The Melbourne man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, formally pleaded guilty to sending threats to federal Liberal MP Julian Leeser and Victorian Labor MP Gabrielle Williams. The 33-year-old was charged after his home was raided by counterterrorism officers from the Australian Federal Police's (AFP) Special Operation Avalite on February 6. Police alleged he sent death threats and antisemitic messages to Mr Leeser, who is Jewish and represents the seat of Berowra in northern Sydney. The 33-year-old also twice sent "a threatening email via an online contact form" to Ms Williams, Victoria's transport minister, according to charge sheets. The incidents took place between January 13 and 31. On Tuesday, the man faced the Assessment and Referral Court in Melbourne, a jurisdiction of the magistrates' court that sees people who have underlying factors that contribute to their offending behaviours, such as autism. Details of the man's offending were not aired before Magistrate Vincent Caltabiano, however earlier this year another magistrate, Brett Sonnet, described the messages sent to the politicians as "extraordinary communications". On Tuesday, the court heard the man had agreed to a support plan and had been attending weekly appointments. "It's stuff I've needed for years," he told Magistrate Caltabiano. "It's bizarre it had to come this far. "Even if I do work, I can't afford rent and bills and a psychologist and food." Defence lawyer Jackson McLeod said his client had been "banging his head against a brick wall" trying to get support. "In a sense, it's coming too late," Mr McLeod said. Magistrate Caltabiano, who is yet to sentence the man, extended his bail until September. The offices of Mr Leeser and Ms Williams have been contacted for comment. During Tuesday's hearing, the man was repeatedly told by the magistrate to mind his language. While leaving the court precinct, he stuck his middle finger up at reporters and swore at them. In April, the man's legal team told the court he had been diagnosed with autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability that affects the way people communicate and interact with others. Amaze, the Victorian peak body for people with autism, said at least one per cent of the population lives with the disorder. Previously, the man's legal team successfully applied for a suppression order preventing publication of his name until the end of the case, arguing his mental health would be in danger if his name was released to the media. During April's hearing, Magistrate Sonnet told the man that the suppression order would eventually be lifted. "These types of offences are becoming more prevalent and they're not uncommon," he said. "Threats and these types of communications are often received by politicians." The AFP said threats increased by 42 per cent in 2023-24 on the previous year, with more than 1000 reports of nuisance, harassment, and threatening communications. In a submission to the federal government last year, Amaze's chief executive David Tonge said there was evidence problematic internet use may be more prevalent in autistic people, but more research was needed. "There is also evidence that neurodivergent young people, including autistic young people, may be more involved in cyberbullying (as victims and perpetrators) compared to their typically developing peers," he wrote. "While best practice is yet to be established on how to best protect autistic people online, a multifaceted approach is clearly required. "It must include targeted information and resources for autistic people and their parents and carers (and for students and their teachers), as well as online safety mechanisms and regulatory measures."
