Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has won her bid to have a man she claimed “harassed” her excluded from court for the remainder of her Federal Court defamation trial.
The senator is being sued by the boss of Australia’s Central Land Council, Lesley Turner, over a media release she sent in 2024 claiming the chief executive has lost the support of fellow councillors and was no longer fit to serve in the role.
On the second day of the hearing, Keith Gregory — who the senator claimed was under orders from Australian Federal Police (AFP) not to approach or speak to her — entered the courtroom.
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says the man attempted to contact her for a number of years. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
The court later heard the AFP did not have any “specific concerns” about the senator’s safety that would warrant police action.
The senator’s lawyer, Peter Gray SC, made an application to have Mr Gregory barred from attending proceedings.Â
Justice Michael Wheelahan granted the request on Thursday morning.
Defamation trial derailed over bid to have man excluded from court
Mr Gray also applied to have evidence pertaining to the application — including an affidavit by the senator — suppressed from the media, but it was refused.
In the affidavit, Senator Nampijinpa Price said Mr Gregory had visited her electoral office on several occasions, and attempted to contact her via email and social media over four years.
The court heard Mr Gregory had been advocating for a program to address the sexual abuse of Indigenous children, for which he was seeking the senator’s support.
Under cross examination by Sue Crysanthou SC — the lawyer representing Mr Turner’s defamation claim — the senator said contact from Mr Gregory had become “more angry and abusive” over time.
The senator also expressed concerns about the wellbeing of her children.
Sue Chrysanthou SC is acting on behalf of Lesley Turner through the Darwin defamation hearing. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
Senator Nampijinpa Price denied a suggestion her affidavit “exaggerated” the seriousness of Mr Gregory’s communication attempts.
“He certainly had eyes on me outside the court room and that felt quite uncomfortable when someone has consistently tried to contact me, harass me, is sitting there gazing on me while I’m trying to appear in this trial,” she said.
The court heard Mr Gregory posted on social media that the AFP came to his home and gave him a warning at the senator’s request — a tactic he likened to that of “Nazis or Gestapo”.
Keith Gregory has been formally excluded from court during the remainder of the senator’s civil defamation trial. (ABC News: Marcus Kennedy)
In handing down his decision on the application, the judge referenced a letter Mr Gregory sent to the court apologising for any disruption to proceedings.
“He stated that it was never his intention to make Senator Price feel unsafe or threatened by his presence, and that he deeply regretted that his attendance might have caused her any distress,” Justice Wheelahan said.
In the letter, Mr Gregory said he attended court because he was unable to hear proceedings clearly via the online stream.
Mr Gregory has not entered the courtroom since Tuesday.
Land council boss ‘appalled’ by press release
Mr Turner’s wife, Catherine Vandermark, told the court her partner was “shocked” when news first broke in 2024 about an alleged no-confidence motion against him.
Lesley Turner’s wife Catherine Vandermark gave evidence in the Federal Court on Thursday. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
Then-chairman Matt Palmer published a press release claiming Mr Turner had faced a motion during a meeting of male council delegates, who voted down the no-confidence bid.
Ms Vandermark said Mr Turner was “appalled” to see a subsequent release by Senator Nampijinpa Price echoing the false claims.
The witness said her husband was distressed that a senator was “promulgating” inaccurate information about the alleged motion and Mr Turner’s ability to continue as chief executive.