Arabic version: منح رجل كفالة بشروط على خلفية تهديد مزعوم ضد بليبرسك
According to ABC News, a 53-year-old man from the NSW Snowy Mountains has been granted conditional bail after being charged over an alleged social media threat directed at federal government minister Tanya Plibersek.
Shannon Bennett faces one count of using a carriage service to make a threat to kill or cause serious harm. Australian Federal Police officers arrested him on Wednesday following an investigation by the AFP’s National Security Investigations team, which began in July after police received a report of an alleged online threat to kill a federal parliamentarian.
Investigators said they linked the alleged post to Mr Bennett and searched his Berridale home on Wednesday, seizing a mobile phone for examination. The court heard the charge related to an alleged Facebook post from July 22. Mr Bennett appeared via audio-visual link from custody on Thursday and has not entered a plea.
Judge Te’res Sia granted conditional bail in Bail Division Court 3, describing the matter as serious in its allegations. Bail conditions prohibit Mr Bennett from using social media, contacting or approaching Ms Plibersek, or going within 100 metres of her electorate office in Redfern or Parliament House in Canberra. He must report weekly to Cooma Police Station. The maximum penalty for the offence is 10 years’ imprisonment, and he is due to face Queanbeyan Local Court on September 15.
