Latest news with #DowningCentre
News.com.au
23-07-2025
- News.com.au
Fadi Ibrahim consents to AVO to protect ex-business partner
Sydney personality Fadi Ibrahim has agreed to an AVO taken out by police to protect his former business partner, a court has heard. Mr Ibrahim, the brother of Sydney nightclub tsar John Ibrahim, was hit with an AVO application last year seeking to protect Benjamin Scott. Mr Scott was Mr Ibrahim's long-term business partner before an apparent falling out last year and police applied for an AVO to protect him and three family members. Mr Ibrahim, wearing a black suit and tie, appeared in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday where he was represented by high-profile criminal lawyer Gregory Goold. In court, Mr Ibrahim consented to the AVO being made without making any admissions, bringing the saga to an end. Magistrate Susan Horan asked Mr Ibrahim if he understood that if he breached the AVO, he could potentially face a jail term of up to five years. 'Yes, your honour,' Mr Ibrahim said. Under the order, he must not assault, threaten, stalk, harass or intimidate Benjamin and Ava Scott and Robin and Kamilla Tate. He must not intentionally or recklessly damage their property or harm any animals that belong to them. Mr Ibrahim must also not approach or contact them unless through a legal representative. The orders last for two years. Police also took out four AVOs against Mr Ibrahim's brother Sam which were, on Wednesday, withdrawn by the prosecution. John Ibrahim was not alleged to have had any involvement in the saga.
News.com.au
23-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Twist as ex-husband of Mark Latham's former partner charged
The ex-husband of Mark Latham's former partner Nathalie Matthews will fight allegations that he used a carriage service to menace or harass. 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.
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Bombshell twist as police charge the estranged husband of Mark Latham's porn star ex
The ex-husband of Mark Latham's former partner has been charged with harassment and menacing behaviour just days after he said he had nothing to do with his ex-wife. Ross Matthews was due to appear in Sydney 's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday to face a charge of 'using a carriage service to menace/harass/offend'. The charge is believed to relate to Latham's porn star ex, Nathalie Matthews. Further details are expected to be revealed in court later today. Ms Matthews has also applied to the court for an apprehended violence (AVO) restraining order to be taken out for her protection against him. The legal twist comes just a week after Matthews insisted he no longer had anything to do with his former wife since their split three years ago. Matthews spoke out after Ms Matthews accused Latham of 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial and emotional abuse during their relationship. 'Please stop messaging me,' Ross Matthews posted on X after the scandal erupted. 'I don't speak to Nathalie and do not care. Thank you.' The Matthews married in 2018 but the marriage reportedly ended in 2022, before Ms Matthews began dating former federal Labor Party leader, Latham. Ms Matthews now also has a separate AVO application in court against Latham. She claimed Latham proposed to her during their affair - but he has dismissed the relationship as just a 'situationship', despite explicit texts to her also now emerging. 'The big news is I had a private life. I had a sex life and I've got to say it was fantastic,' he said on Wednesday. UK-born Mr Matthews had previously posted proudly about his marriage to his former wife on social media. 'Six months since I woke up with a killer hangover and still managed to make the best decision I have ever made!' he wrote in the wake of their wedding. In another post he added: 'Happy one year! I cannot believe how fast a year can go! 'I would be lying if I said it's been the best year of my life - in fact it's easily been the worst but it is in bad times that picking the right life partner is of the most importance! 'I just could not imagine doing life without you, love you always and here's to many years to come!' It's understood the pair, who were living in Cronulla in Sydney's south, were both Liberal Party members, and Ms Matthews stood as a candidate at the 2021 Sutherland Shire Council election. On Wednesday, Latham alleged the couple were still actually married while he was seeing Ms Matthews. 'Now The Australian is 'reporting' that I proposed to Nathalie Matthews in May last year,' he posted to X. 'They missed the joke: she was still married to Ross Matthews, and maybe still is to this day.' The former Labor leader has categorically denied he 'abuses women' and insisted all his dealings with Ms Matthews were entirely consensual. In an interview with Chris Smith on 2SM, he did not deny sending lurid texts to Ms Matthews from the floor of state parliament. But he added: 'If I'm the only person in Australia who in a work environment engaged in a bit of playful sex talk with their partner, then I'll buy everyone a lottery ticket tomorrow.' He said the AVO case against him was being brought privately after NSW Police chose to not pursue the allegations. 'There is a court case pending because she's lodged a private AVO application,' he said. 'She tried to get an AVO with the police... I think that tells you a lot about the substance of the matter. 'But I can say in relation to that, just about all the things she's complaining about, she initiated in consensual arrangements.' The domestic violence order filed in the NSW Local Court accuses Latham of subjecting his ex-partner to 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial, and emotional abuse over almost three years, according to details seen by The Australian. The application alleges Latham engaged in vile acts, 'including defecating on me before sex and refusing to let me wash, forcing degrading sexual acts, pressuring me to engage in sexual acts with others, demanding I call him 'master', telling me I was his property, and repeatedly telling me that my only value to him was for sex to demean and control me'. Leaked WhatsApp messages reported by The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday allegedly show interactions between Latham and his former partner. Latham told Daily Mail Australia the outlet's reproduction of the messages was 'not accurate'. It is also not suggested the claims of abusive behaviour are substantiated, only that the allegations have been made. The leaked WhatsApp messages include a series of lewd exchanges on February 20, 2025 during parliamentary sitting hours. 'Very hard thinking about you,' he wrote to Ms Matthews shortly after 11am, before following up with a series of suggestive emojis. 'Need badly to taste you,' he wrote that afternoon, alongside an emoji of a tongue. 'Made it back for first vote after dinner,' he said at 8.38pm. Latham told the outlet the communications did not impact his work. The tranche of leaked messages includes more explicit exchanges - too graphic to publish - spanning back as far as October last year. On several occasions, Latham is referred to as 'master'. He said Ms Matthews sent him images during parliamentary sittings, 'seeking a response', and that he could not describe them due to 'an abundance of caution about the revenge porn laws'. 'I don't think responding to a consensual partner on a private, intimate matter in any way has reduced my workload, which I would match up against any other member in the place,' he told The Daily Telegraph. Ms Matthews' allegations against the politician were detailed in court documents filed with NSW Local Court. Latham has denied the allegations which he described as 'comically false and ridiculous' in a post to X on Monday night. He said he had 'scores of documents' to support his claims and that he would rely on those documents to defend himself. 'As the old saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' he wrote. Ms Matthews, who runs an e-commerce global logistics firm based in Dubai, Perth and Sydney, has applied for an interim order barring Latham from coming within 100 metres of her. She cited 'ongoing, reasonable fear of harassment, intimidation, and potential harm'. Her application accuses the former Labor leader of throwing a dinner plate at her, forcing her to call him 'master', and pressuring her to have sex with others. Ms Matthews' filing, reported by The Australian, also alleges Latham prevented her from cleaning up after defecating on her before sex and telling her she was 'property', and telling her that her only value to him was for sex to 'demean and control' her. Latham claimed the texting did not impact his work She also alleged 'physical violence' incidents, including pushing her against walls, forcing her out a door, throwing a plate at her during a row. She also claimed he drove at her with his car, hit her with the side mirror and caused a bruise. Latham is further accused of 'systematically undermining' Ms Matthews to 'control and isolate' her by comparing her 'unfavourably to other women and acting as if he would 'harm himself' to manipulate her. Ms Matthews accuses Latham of forcing her to cover the cost of holidays abroad 'under duress', making her purchase expensive goods, and coercing her regarding her father's will for his benefit. She claims she experienced 'constant fear and hyper-vigilance' since her arrival home from a June trip abroad, alleging all past break-ups with Latham featured a repeated 'pattern of harassment and intimidation'. She alleges: 'The defendant has held intimate photos and videos of me, and I have been afraid he would expose them to shame and control me if I attempted to leave or resist his demands.' Latham denied all accusations to The Australian. 'Nothing has been served on me nor has anyone contacted me,' he told the newspaper. 'I haven't had anything to do with her (Ms Matthews) since 27 May, so nearly seven weeks ago. I ended the 'situationship' that night for very good reason.' The matter will be heard at Downing Centre Local Court on July 30.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Water damage to keep Sydney's Downing Centre local court shut 'until at least late 2025'
The busiest courthouse in NSW will likely remain closed "until at least late 2025" after a burst water main flooded critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure in its lower level. The June 17 incident at Sydney's Downing Centre on Castlereagh Street caused bustling courtrooms to be plunged into darkness in the middle of court sittings. The Department of Communities and Justice had initially estimated it would be closed for at least four weeks while repairs were undertaken. But in an update, the department said electrical engineers and other experts had carried out a full inspection of the building, identifying two critical pieces of equipment — an electrical transformer and switchboard — that need replacing. "External agencies have estimated this process will extend into late 2025, but work is ongoing to determine whether these replacements can be expedited," the department said on Wednesday. The building is still disconnected from the electricity substation and there is no confirmation about when power will be restored. "At this stage, the Downing Centre is likely to remain closed until at least late 2025 to ensure the building is safe and fully functional," the statement said. "This closure period will also allow for upgrades to the Downing Centre to be brought forward, including improvements to public spaces and courtrooms." During the closure, judicial officers are making "every effort" to minimise the impact, the department said. Court cases that were meant to be heard in the Downing Centre have been shifted to nearby available spaces, including the John Maddison Tower, Central Court, King Street Court and Darlinghurst Court. "Work is also underway to secure more permanent locations for jury assembly, and Heads of Jurisdiction continue to work closely with the Department of Communities and Justice to facilitate access to justice." The incident will add significantly to existing backlogs in the judicial system, with the Law Society of NSW previously predicting a "huge domino effect". President Jennifer Ball previously told the ABC the disruption would be "quite enormous", describing the building as the "heartbeat of judicial access" for scores of people in the state. But Ms Ball said the courts have done their best to continue hearing matters. For the District Court, that has involved priority being placed on proceedings of some age where the defendant is in custody. But it would inevitably lead to some part-heard trials being aborted, according to the chief judge.
ABC News
20-06-2025
- ABC News
How wheels of justice are turning slower in NSW after 'great flood' at Downing Centre
If the wheels of justice grind slowly, that pace has just taken a considerable hit in NSW, courtesy of an unlikely suspect: a burst water main. Sittings had just begun in one of the country's busiest court buildings on Tuesday morning when courtrooms and foyers throughout the Downing Centre's seven bustling levels were plunged into darkness. Magistrates and judges left the bench as emergency fluorescent lights activated. Bemusement perhaps described the mood in one of its largest courtrooms on level five, as lawyers made small talk during the wait for information. One magistrate returning to collect papers from the bench quipped it was "like a disco in here". Soon after, the building was evacuated and as hundreds of public servants, legal practitioners, defendants and court reporters filed down emergency exit stairs, the cause became clear. Water gushed from drains on Castlereagh Street in Sydney's CBD, which runs down one side of the former department store. It has since been revealed flooding in the lower level of the heritage-listed building caused "extensive damage" to the infrastructure, including electricity and IT equipment. On current estimates, repairs will take at least four weeks. "There is going to be a huge domino effect," Jennifer Ball, president of the Law Society of NSW, told the ABC at the end of the working week. "We've already got some backlogs … and the courts have been doing their utmost best to try to have the matters heard. "Now with this delay, with the court already being closed for two days now and for the foreseeable future until the repairs are done, we don't know how big that domino effect will be." To understand why this closure is significant, you only need to look at the sheer volume of cases that pass through the Downing Centre — tens of thousands of matters are dealt with there each year. On the day of the flooding, there were more than 500 listings. A magistrate may have 150 matters on their docket on any given sitting day in the Local Court, not to mention District Court matters and ongoing trials in that jurisdiction. Ms Ball describes the building as the "heartbeat of judicial access" for scores of people in NSW. "The disruption is quite enormous." The Department of Communities and Justice said assessment of the damage is ongoing and court staff are making "every effort to ensure matters are able to proceed wherever possible". Priority in the District Court has been placed on proceedings of some age, and where the accused is in custody. But it is "inevitable that some part-heard trials will have to be aborted", according to information handed to the NSW Bar Association from the Chief Judge of the District Court. The scramble to relist and relocate cases will have placed considerable pressure on registries and staff. Many matters have been shifted to the John Maddison Tower, on the other side of the block. One magistrate on Friday told parties appearing before her the "great flood" has meant she has completely lost access to her chambers. Jane Sanders, principal solicitor at the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre, said it's been a confusing week, particularly for clients. But professional bodies including the Bar Association and the Law Society have done their best to keep practitioners updated, as has the Department. "It has been really difficult," Ms Sanders told the ABC. "I think the courts have been working things out as they go along. "They've had to find — in a really short space of time — other courtrooms in other buildings where they can move things for defendants in criminal cases who are in custody which, unfortunately, I would say there's far too many." Thirteen people in custody in the downstairs cells of the Downing Centre had to be relocated for their safety on Tuesday. Two people had to be rescued from the lifts. Ms Sanders said she has been told of audio visual-link (AVL) appearances being cancelled on Thursday because of an impression nothing would be proceeding. "It has been a real shambles and that's no one's fault," she said "I think everybody's been doing the best they can, but having to find courtrooms and different arrangements urgently, that's been a real challenge." While Ms Sanders believes an unexpected adjournment may not be an issue particularly if someone is facing a minor criminal charge, concerns arise when a defendant is on remand and refused bail. And "kicking the can down the road for a month" may not be an option. "There's also a whole list full of cases next month. So it's not that simple," she said. It's not the first time the justice system has had to quickly adapt. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a heavier reliance was placed on AVLs and remote appearances. But Ms Sanders said the difference here is that in many cases, the proceedings need to be recorded and conducted in accordance with procedures that can only happen inside a courtroom. "Even during the COVID pandemic where all of the lawyers, the defendants, in some cases witnesses, were all dialling in from remotely, we still had magistrates and judges sitting in a courtroom with the recording equipment," she said. "With a few court staff to keep the wheels in motion with all the audio visual link equipment, all beaming into the court." If there is any silver lining to be seen from the timing of the flood, it's that next week marks a three-day annual conference for magistrates, followed by a mid-year recess the following week, for the Local Court.
