Milat’s brother in city court

THE brother of infamous backpacker murderer Ivan Milat has claimed he is “victimised” by police as a result of his family name after he lost a trial in Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Paul Thomas Milat represented himself on a charge of trespassing arising from he and a lady friend staying on a property in Millmerran Downs south-west of Millmerran in January.

Millmerran police had gone to the Wombinebong Dr property on January 18 on a complaint from the property’s owner that Milat had no permission to be there.

Magistrate Kay Ryan noted there had been some bad blood between the owner and Milat who had been evicted in the past from another property belonging to the same owner on Tara-Chinchilla Rd.

During the trial, Milat admitted it was unlikely the owner would permit him to reside on one of his properties if the owner knew it was him at the dwelling.

However, the 54-year-old claimed a woman friend of his had told him she had spoken to the owner who had given him permission to live on the property.

The property owner told the hearing he did not know the woman.

Milat challenged the charge on the grounds he had acted with an honest but mistaken belief that he had been permitted to live at the dwelling.

Ms Ryan said she had “great concerns” for the evidence of defence witnesses which she had found to be “self-serving” and “not really helpful”.

Ms Ryan found the defence of mistaken belief did not apply and found Milat guilty of trespassing.

Milat was fined $800 with the conviction not recorded. After the hearing, Milat complained he was victimised by police because of his name.