Twist as ex-husband of Mark Latham's former partner charged
Ross Matthews in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.
Police have also applied for an AVO on Ms Matthews' behalf against Mr Matthews, with the court told on Wednesday that the matters were related.
Mr Matthews will now contest the charge at a hearing in December.
He has attempted to distance himself from Ms Matthews and the allegations she has made against Mr Latham.
'Please stop messaging me,' he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
'I don't speak to Nathalie and do not care. Thank you.'
Mr Matthews and Ms Matthews reportedly married seven years ago before their relationship ended in 2022.
Ms Matthews has separately made allegations that Mr Latham abused her during their relationship and sent her sexual messages from the parliament chamber.
The former federal Labor leader has strenuously denied Ms Matthews' allegations, which are untested.
The allegations are contained in a separate application for an AVO filed in the local court.
Mr Latham has not been charged with any criminal offence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
25 minutes ago
- ABC News
Western Sydney Airport official who sought $200k kickback narrowly avoids jail time
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has claimed its first scalp with the sentencing of a corrupt Western Sydney Airport official who asked for a $200,000 kickback. Sajish Erasery pleaded guilty to soliciting a corrupt commission after he attempted to invite a bribe from a company vying for a $5 million contract to provide automated parking systems at the soon-to-be completed airport. The anti-corruption watchdog found the former executive procurement manager had initially proposed he could "get the deal over the line" if he received $250,000, which equated to 5 per cent of the contract's value. The NACC said in a statement Erasery later reduced this figure to $200,000 and suggested a scheme to repay the business by inflating invoices. The Australian Federal Police arrested the man in March 2024 after his former employer referred the matter to the commission. He has been sentenced to two years' jail, which will be served in the community and require him to complete 500 hours of community service. The airport is due to be complete in 2026. Erasery is the first person to be sentenced following an investigation initiated by the NACC. Since the watchdog's inception, there have been convictions in nine other cases which were inherited from the former Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity in July 2023. The latest of those cases involved Anne McCann, a former Department of Home Affairs immigration officer, who abused power in public office by approving a visa application for her brother-in-law. Both matters were prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
ABC News
25 minutes ago
- ABC News
Man on the run after shooting in St Arnaud
A man is on the run after a shooting in the western Victorian town of St Arnaud between Bendigo and Horsham. Police say a man was shot by another man at the property in Kings Avenue about 7:30am today. One man was flown to hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Authorities believe the two men are known to each other.
ABC News
25 minutes ago
- ABC News
UN climate chief urges Australia to 'go big' on 2035 emissions target
One of the world's top climate diplomats has urged the federal government to commit to an ambitious 2035 target to cut carbon emissions, saying Australia can reap "colossal" economic rewards if it embraces clean energy. The federal government is due to unveil its 2035 target by September this year, while the Coalition continues to be consumed by a furious internal debate on whether it should maintain its commitment to net zero by 2050. The Climate Change Authority is preparing advice on a 2035 target between 65 and 75 per cent, which will inform the target the government will submit to the UN's climate agency. UN climate change executive secretary Simon Stiell, who presides over the agency responsible for managing the Paris Agreement to limit global warming, is visiting Sydney and Canberra this week as he presses countries across the globe to ramp up their climate ambitions. Mr Stiell called the new climate target a "defining moment" for Australia, and said the government had "one shot to build a blueprint that protects Aussie workers and businesses by preparing them for a fast-changing global economy". Mr Stiell used a speech to a group of investors and clean energy representatives in Sydney to warn "unchecked climate change" would be an "economic wrecking ball" for the Australian and global economy, and that action was imperative. Mr Stiell said climate disasters were "already costing Australian homeowners $4 billion a year" and that unchecked climate change would "cripple Australia's food production" and drain trillions from national GDP by 2050. "You know half measures will destroy property and infrastructure, hammer households, bankrupt regions, and punch holes in public budgets," he said. "And you know that real action opens the door to real leadership and big rewards for this ambitious, capable country." Standing alongside Mr Stiell, the Climate Change Authority's (CCA) chair Matt Kean said the stakes "couldn't be higher" for Australia, but that pursuing net zero emissions also presented an opportunity for the sun-rich and mineral-rich nation. "'Shine, baby, shine' and 'store baby store' should carry an Australian trademark and be hollered from our rooftops — perhaps with an Aussie accent," Mr Kean said in a reference to United States President Donald Trump's "drill, baby, drill" remark. The CCA boss also said that, ahead of the next international climate conference, "maximum ambition should be the catch-cry". The United States has slashed clean energy subsidies and pulled out of the Paris Agreement under Mr Trump. However, Mr Stiell said investment in renewables in countries like India and China was "off the chart" and "trillions of dollars are shifting" globally. Mr Stiell said a "bog standard" 2035 target would be "beneath" Australia, and that government and business had the capacity to deliver transformational change. "This is the moment to get behind a climate plan that doesn't just write that vision into policy — but delivers in spades for your people," he said. "So don't settle for what's easy. Bog standard is beneath you. Go for what's smart by going big. "Go for what will build lasting wealth and national security. Go for what will change the game and stand the test of time."
