In accordance with mental health laws, charges against former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro for allegedly assaulting a camera operator were dropped when a judge heard that he is “seriously suffering.”
In relation to the incident at Manly in July of last year, Mr. Barilaro, 51, denied charges of common assault and destroying or damaging property.
Mr. Barilaro and a freelance cameraman are shown pushing and grabbing one another in video played today in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court before the former MP leaves.
At the time, Mr. Barilaro’s selection to a prestigious trade commissioner position in New York was the subject of growing criticism.
The Crown did not formally object to Mr. Barilaro’s request to have the case handled in accordance with mental health laws.
The prosecution acknowledged what defense attorney Danny Eid told the magistrate: “The claimed incident was at the absolute lowest end” of criminal behavior.
He claimed that Mr. Barilaro had a variety of “stressors” in his life at the time and suffered from “severe mental health impairment over a sustained period.”
Because of how he was characterized in the media, Mr. Eid said that his client had been subjected to “filth” and “total dirty practices” and compared this conduct to harassment.
“This is a man who is really, really hurting.”
Throughout the hearing, Mr. Barilaro sat silently in the audience gallery, mainly looking at the ground.
According to records submitted to the court, Mr. Barilaro was “prone to reacting impulsively” and suffered from recurrent anxiety and depressive disorders.
The Crown Prosecutor acknowledged that the fact that some of the pressures were self-reported “tempered” his “a little anxiety” about them.
The Crown prosecutor noted that many of the pressures mentioned in the evidence were already known to the public and were difficult to make up.
The defamation case against Mr. Barilaro and the appointment of a trade commissioner “and aftermath” were mentioned by the Crown as stressors.
The prosecution referred to the behavior as “an aberration,” adding that it was “perhaps the result of the ongoing unwelcome attention to him that night after he’d stated he didn’t want to answer questions.”
Mr. Barilaro’s request was granted by Magistrate Susan Horan, and the charges will be dropped as long as he receives medical attention and participates in a treatment program.
She stated, describing the situation as relatively unusual, “Having thought about the material, I conclude this is a strong application.”
“The information in front of me is compelling.”
The magistrate’s orders are valid for a full year.
