July 15th 2024.
A man is facing potential jail time for making death threats towards Brittany Higgins, her partner, and their dog. However, it has been reported that he has successfully received treatment for his mental conditions. Despite this, his lawyers are still pushing for him to see a psychiatrist.
The man, David William Wonnocott, who is 50 years old, has been charged with using a form of communication to make threats and menace others, including threatening to kill. It was revealed that he sent these threats to both Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, as well as separately harassing NSW politician Alex Greenwich.
During a hearing, it was noted by Judge John Pickering that Wonnocott expressed disapproval towards the LGBTQI community in his threats. Sharaz also provided a victim impact statement, explaining how he and his now-wife were fearful for their safety after receiving the threats.
After pleading guilty in February, Wonnocott appeared in Lismore District Court for his sentencing. He was seen wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt, but the case was adjourned until November. This was due to his barrister, Susan Kluss, successfully arguing that it would be beneficial for her client to see a psychiatrist and obtain a report for the court. Wonnocott hopes to use his mental health diagnosis to potentially lessen any sentence imposed.
Judge Pickering also took note of a psychologist's report, which suggested that Wonnocott had a personality disorder and depression. However, it was not a specific diagnosis and could not be used for this purpose. It was stated that Wonnocott is now in a stable condition after receiving treatment with anti-depressants and seeing his psychiatrist.
The judge had concerns about using mental health as a defense for Wonnocott's behavior, which was described as being based on his "highly entrenched" views against the LGBTQI community and Higgins as a survivor of alleged sexual abuse. He stated that Wonnocott would have to give evidence in court to give any weight to the psychiatrist's report.
The crown prosecutor did not oppose the application for an adjournment, but questioned the usefulness of the report. The judge ultimately granted the adjournment, stating that it was in the interests of justice to allow Wonnocott to put forth his best case with whatever evidence he wished to use. The judge acknowledged that the Crown was seeking full-time imprisonment while the defense was opposing it.
In 2019, Higgins went public with allegations that she was raped by a colleague at Parliament House, which resulted in her receiving a barrage of abuse on social media. The man accused, ex-Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann, was charged in 2021 with sexually assaulting Higgins. However, his trial in the ACT Supreme Court was aborted due to juror misconduct.
Lehrmann denied any sexual conduct and even sued Network Ten for defamation over an interview with Higgins on The Project. The case was thrown out by the Federal Court after it was found that he had raped Higgins based on the balance of probabilities.
Higgins and Sharaz have since moved to France, and they recently announced on social media that they are expecting a baby. Support is available for those affected by sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT. If you or someone you know needs support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In case of emergency, dial Triple Zero.
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