‘Pretty stupid': Man in court over Albo threats
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
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
An Entire Country Has to Be Evacuated Because of Climate Change
Going Under Tuvalu, a small island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is planning to evacuate all of its over 11,000 inhabitants, due to rising sea levels caused by climate change that mean, essentially, that the low-lying country has no feasible future. As Wired reports, the nation signed an agreement with Australia in 2023 to set up a migration scheme in which 280 residents will permanently settle on the continent per year through a climate visa program. It's a sobering reminder of the incredibly damaging effects that global warming is having on our planet. Tuvalu is only 6.5 feet above sea level on average, meaning that rising tides will almost certainly be devastating to the region. Fierce storms, facilitated by rising temperatures, could make matters even worse for an already very vulnerable population. Rising Tides Australia's climate visas are allocated based on a lottery system. This week, the Australian High Commission of Tuvalu revealed that it had received "extremely high levels of interest in the ballot with 8,750 registrations, which includes family members of primary registrants." In other words, moving every Tuvaluan is taking on increasing urgency even as demand for the program spikes. "When combined with other Pacific pathways to Australia and New Zealand, nearly 4 percent of the population could migrate each year," UNSW Sydney research fellow Jane McAdam wrote in a recent piece for The Conversation. "Within a decade, close to 40 percent of the population could have moved — although some people may return home or go backwards and forwards." Besides relocating all its residents, Tuvalu has attempted to 3D-scan its islands to preserve its cultural heritage if they're lost to the waters. Tuvalu is far from the only nation facing a crisis caused by sea levels that are rising even faster than predicted. According to the UN Human Development Program, increased coastal flooding could endanger over 70 million people worldwide. By 2050, hundreds of highly populated cities will face increased risks of flooding thanks to climate change. According to the UN, rising sea levels are already impacting one billion people worldwide. "The existential threat we face is not of our making," said Tuvalu's prime minister, Feleti Teo, during a September speech at the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "But it will remake us." More on rising sea levels: Scientists Horrified by What They Found Under the Doomsday Glacier Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Future Queen of Norway Looks Like Your Everyday College Student in Start of School Year Pics
Princess Ingrid Alexandra is starting her studies at the University of Sydney Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is swapping tiaras for textbooks. The 21-year-old royal is in Australia as she gets ready to start her studies at the University of Sydney. Although Princess Ingrid Alexandra is set to become queen of Norway one day, she looked like any other college student in new photos shared on the royal family's Instagram page on July 25. Dressed casually in jeans, sneakers and a blue sweater, she posed for photos around the University of Sydney. She said in a statement shared along with the images, "I'm looking forward to starting my studies at the University of Sydney. It will be exciting to become a student, and I'm looking forward to gaining new perspectives on both European and international politics. I'm sure that I will learn a lot." The palace announced in May that Princess Ingrid Alexandra will pursue a three-year Bachelor of Arts program with a focus on international relations and political economy. The palace added that she would be living in a student residence on campus. King Harald, 87, was recently asked about his granddaughter's decision to study abroad. He said, "You get this back with compound interest when she gets home, so I think that's just an advantage. She must be allowed to study and get an education before she starts representing," according to local newspaper VG. Both King Harald and his son and heir, Crown Prince Haakon, studied abroad as young adults as well. The King studied history, economics and politics at Balliol College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, while Haakon studied at the University of California, Berkeley and the London School of Economics. Her studies at the University of Sydney come after Princess Ingrid Alexandra completed 15 months of military service with the Engineer Battalion in Brigade North in the spring. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Just last month, Princess Ingrid Alexandra was sporting a very different look from her latest photos. The royal joined her parents, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and grandparents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, at a gala dinner during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Norway. For the event at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Princess Ingrid Alexandra wore a tiara paired with a red Vivienne Westwood gown and white opera gloves. She once again chose to wear Princess Ingeborg of Sweden and Denmark's Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara. The Royal Watcher reports that Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, bought the accessory in Paris and gave it to Princess Ingeborg, who wore it over the next 58 years and also loaned it out to other royal women. Princess Ragnhild of Norway inherited the tiara, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra was gifted the headpiece in 2022. She's worn it on several occasions since, including her 18th birthday banquet. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Associated Press
Cameroon's election board bars main opposition candidate from presidential race
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Cameroon 's electoral commission on Saturday rejected the candidacy of Maurice Kamto in the upcoming presidential election, fueling fears of unrest and increasing the likelihood of another Biya victory. Kamto, a former government minister, is seen as the main challenger to long-serving President Paul Biya. The electoral commission, ELECAM, said it approved 13 presidential candidates, excluding Kamto. No reason was given. Biya is included. Kamto, who has two days to appeal, was considered Biya's strongest rival in past elections. He came second during the last presidential election in 2018 with 14% of the vote, while Biya cruised to victory with over 70% in an election marred by irregularities and a low turnout. Biya, 92, the world's oldest serving head of state, said last month he would seek reelection on Oct. 12 despite rumors that his health is failing. He has been in power since 1982, nearly half his lifetime. Biya's rule has left a lasting impact on Cameroon. His government has faced various challenges, including allegations of corruption and a deadly secessionist conflict in the nation's English-speaking provinces that has forced thousands out of school. Fears of protests and unrest surged around Saturday's release of the list of approved candidates. Security forces were deployed around the ELECAM headquarters and along major roads in Yaoundé, the capital, and in Douala, the economic hub. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security had warned Friday that the announcement could trigger protests in the capital.
