Man Faces Court Over Alleged Threats to Federal MP
A 43-year-old man has appeared in court accused of threatening to kill a federal member of parliament, before launching a strange verbal attack on the media and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outside the courtroom.
Greg William Tait from Graystanes faced Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday. He is charged over allegations he made threats against the life of an unnamed parliamentarian in a series of phone calls.
Details of the Alleged Offence
Court documents state the alleged threats were made between midday and 12.45pm on December 15. This was the day after the Bondi Beach terror attack that shocked the nation.
The Australian Federal Police National Security Team received a report from the MP's office on December 16. Investigators then allegedly linked the calls to Tait.
He was initially charged on December 16 with one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence. A second identical charge was laid on January 5.
Tait did not enter a plea during the brief hearing, informing the magistrate he was still seeking legal advice.
Bizarre Rant Outside Court
Following the hearing, Tait was followed by a large group of journalists. He declined to answer direct questions about whether he held any animosity towards Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
When pressed on the severity of the charges against him, Tait replied, 'It can't be too serious, I'm on bail'.
He then turned on the media pack, labelling them a 'bunch of scavengers' and questioning if this was the biggest story in Australia. As he left the scene, he shouted, 'I stand for Team Australia and nothing else' before adding 'I love you all'.
Potential Consequences and Past Views
If found guilty of the charges, Tait faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
His case has been adjourned and is scheduled to return to court on January 28 for further mention.
Social media posts from 2018 reveal Tait was a supporter of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. In error-laden posts, he wrote that Abbott was 'the f***ing best we have' while being highly critical of other politicians across the spectrum. He has also listed himself on Facebook as the CEO of phone manufacturer BlackBerry.
