Sydney man avoids jail for threatening Prime Minister after attack

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 05:32 · Archive

A Sydney man who made death threats to Anthony Albanese after the Bondi Beach terror attack has avoided jail after pleading guilty and apologising.

Gregory William Tait, 44, from Greystanes in Sydney's west, made death threats to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his staff the day after the Bondi Beach terror attack, which killed 15 people. Tait called the Prime Minister's office and told a staffer: 'I will come to your office … I'll kill him … I'll kill you both.' In a second phone call, he left a voice message saying: 'You have turned our country into a third world war zone … and the blood is on your hands labour (sic) and I hope the blood finds you, and I hope that you pay the ultimate price for immigration.'

Tait told Parramatta Local Court he was dealing with the death of his father, had been drinking and taking sleeping pills, and felt outraged by the attack on the Jewish community. He personally knew one of the victims, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, and had been horrified by what happened to him. From the witness box, Tait explained: 'I felt powerless and frustrated and outraged and I didn't know how to deal with it without my father.'

Tait pleaded guilty to two charges of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence and avoided jail. He told the court he was starting to get on top of his psychiatric issues and apologised to Mr Albanese and his staffers for his 'unacceptable behaviour'.

Sydney man avoids jail for threatening Prime Minister after attack — Image: The West Australian

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Sydney man avoids jail over Anthony Albanese death threats after Bondi terror attackA Sydney man outraged by the Bondi Beach terror attack has made death threats to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.The West Australian · 16 Oct, 05:17
Sydney man avoids jail over Anthony Albanese death threats after Bondi terror attackA Sydney man outraged by the Bondi Beach terror attack has made death threats to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Perth Now · 16 Oct, 05:17

In this story: Gregory William Tait · Anthony Albanese · Rabbi Eli Schlanger · Bondi Beach · Sydney

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