‘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.
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