A man has been charged by police after allegedly making death threats against Brittany Higgins, her fiance David Sharaz and the couple’s dog.
Counter-terrorism detectives from Tweed Heads police station in northern NSW arrested the man, 49-year-old David William Wonnocott, on Wednesday morning.
Police say they were already investigating Wonnocott for alleged threats made against participants of a mass gathering. Investigators uncovered 49 similar threats or offensive material sent from a set of linked social media accounts, including messages sent to Sharaz, allegedly threatening to kill the couple and their pet dog.
Guardian Australia reported that these threats against the former Liberal staffer’s family were first reported to Queensland police last year.
Wonnocott has now been bailed and will appear at Tweed Heads local court on May 31. Police have also served him with a firearm ban and searched his vehicle and home at Banora Point.
“There is no current or impending threat to the community as a result of this operational activity,” NSW Police said in a statement.
“Anyone with information about extremist activity or possible threats to the community should come forward, no matter how small or insignificant you may think the information may be.”
This is not the first time the couple has had to deal with online abuse. Last year, in March, Higgins shared some of the toxic comments she’d been subjected to and how it had led her and Sharaz to suspend their Twitter accounts for “peace of mind”.
Earlier this month, the eSafety commissioner forced Twitter to remove harmful content targeting the couple after Sharaz lodged a formal complaint in April last year.