Former Australia winger Digby Ioane has been denied bail after appearing in court for allegedly threatening to kill a man following a dispute over land. The 40-year-old appeared via video link in Brisbane Magistrates Court, where he faced charges of making threats and unlawful stalking, intimidation or harassment involving threats of violence.
The police allege that Ioane threatened to kill a man on multiple occasions across a five-day period in April. Ioane told the court that his mother owned significant land in Samoa and that the case related to a “massive deal” he had concerns about. He claimed that the man had agreed with the Prime Minister of Samoa on a $100 million deal with Israel to bring over their army, and that his mother was the “rightful queen of Samoa”.
Magistrate Anne Thacker raised concerns over Ioane's mental health following his statements. Ioane's older brother, Sala, spoke on his behalf, saying he had wanted his brother to be checked for mental health concerns, especially for head knocks throughout his career, but that had not happened. He described Ioane as someone who “won’t even kill a fly” and said his threats were made out of anger.
The court heard that Ioane had been in hospital recently for an undisclosed reason but had since been discharged. Magistrate Thacker said the evidence against Ioane seemed too serious to risk releasing him, stating: “You became obsessed with this person and the evidence from the complainant is that you’ve been threatening to kill him over and over and over again.” She concluded that Ioane was an unacceptable risk of reoffending and ordered him to remain in custody.
Ioane enjoyed a successful rugby career, playing for the Western Force, Queensland Reds, and Crusaders in Super Rugby, as well as spells in France and Japan. He earned 35 caps for the Wallabies, making a try-scoring debut against Wales in 2007 and being part of the side that finished third at the 2011 World Cup.
