LIBERAL STAFFER IN HOT WATER
Potty-mouthed tirades leave ...
THE high-profile chief of staff to Tasmanian Liberal Senate Whip David Bushby has lodged an appeal against his conviction and sentence for harassing his elderly in- laws with dozens of abusive messages.
Brendan Blomeley, 42, of Sandy Bay, was fined $2000 in the NSW local court yesterday for using a carriage service to harass Julia, 73, and Ted Edwards, 79, during a custody dispute over his children in 2015. He was also convicted of the offence after being found guilty on Monday.
“I am devastated by the result and maintain my innocence,” he told the Mercury after the hearing.
“I have lodged an allgrounds appeal in the NSW District Court against the conviction and excessive sentence and I want a judge to hear what the facts are,” Blomeley said.
The case will be heard on October 18 and, in the meantime, Magistrate Megan Greenwood’s decision and conviction are subject to a stay of execution.
Blomeley’s conviction came after he left a large number of expletive-laden messages on their phones, calling them “....ing mongrels” and “....wits”.
Senator Bushby supplied a character reference but Ms Greenwood said Blomeley had shown “no remorse” in his harassment of two “vulnerable victims”.
The court heard Blomeley contacted Mr Edwards 17 times in 33 hours and Mrs Edwards eight times in 26 hours leaving offensive messages.
His wife Emily left him three months before the calls and he had not seen his young son and daughter for 25 days.
In one message to Ms Edwards he said, “You people think you’re so smart. You really are just a pack of ....ing mongrels. Julia Edwards, you are a ....ing mongrel.”
At the end of another expletive-laden spray, he told Mr Edwards: “You’re a pathetic waste of space”.
Blomeley’s defence counsel Neal Funnell told Ms Greenwood the calls happened during “the most traumatic event emotionally he has gone through”.
“This was a messy custody battle occurring in the context of a very acrimonious marriage breakdown,” he said.
Mr Funnell said a criminal conviction could cost Blomeley his job. “Bearing in mind the political nature of the job, it is incredibly unlikely for his position to remain tenable if a conviction is recorded against him,” he said.
Ms Greenwood said there was no evidence before her that he risked losing his job and it was noted the letter from Senator Bushby did not state his employment would be terminated.
Blomeley, who was a long- time group manager of corporate affairs for the Federal Group, had three supporters in court and he gave no reaction when he was sentenced.