David Speirs wears same black shirt in ‘deepfake’ kitchen video as a social photo taken in Qld

David Speirs has claimed a video of him appearing to snort white powder from a plate in his kitchen is a fake. The Advertiser discovered he was photographed in the same black T-shirt a month later.

• Digital forensic expert’s full report

David Speirs claims that a June 30 video appearing to show him snorting white powder in his home kitchen – in which he is wearing a Flinders Ranges T-shirt – is a deepfake.

Yet the only publicly available image that The Advertiser has found of him wearing the same T-shirt is a social media picture taken in Far North Queensland on July 28.

In the video, the former state Liberal leader is almost side-on to the camera.

While in the Facebook photo, he is front-on to the camera.

David Speirs wearing the Over The Edge T-shirt in Far North Queensland on July 28, left, and wearing the same shirt on June 30 appearing to show him snorting white powder.

The black T-shirt is from the Over The Edge bike shop and cafe in Melrose in the Flinders Ranges, where Mr Speirs has declared he owns a property.

The town is home to about 80km of single-track trails in the foothills of Mount Remarkable.

The outdoor adventure sport trails were a passion project of Mr Speirs when he was environment minister under the previous Marshall Liberal government.

His own social media has multiple photos of him mountain biking in the area, including happy snaps with Over the Edge – which has also posted images of the former party leader.

David Speirs was photographed in what appears to be the same Over The Edge T-shirt in Barron River, in Far North Queensland, on July 28.

In the latest Ordinary Return Register of Members’ Interests, Mr Speirs has declared “interests in land” of “one title” at Melrose.

That adds to the five properties he declared at Kingston Park, three at Christies Beach and one each at Oaklands Park, Mitcham, Brighton, Inman Valley and Middleton.

Mr Speirs was photographed in what appears to be the same Over The Edge T-shirt in Barron River, in Far North Queensland, on July 28.

David Speirs wearing the T-shirt at home in his kitchen on June 30.

In the post, shared by Liberal National Party hopeful Bree James ahead of the Queensland election next month, Mr Speirs is seen in the same shirt and a Hugo Boss baseball cap – the same cap he wore through Adelaide Airport when he returned from his cousin’s wedding in Scotland earlier this month. “Great to meet the LNP Leader for South Australia today, David Speirs MP,” Ms James wrote on the post, which attracted 10 likes but no comments.

“ Thanks for visiting the Barron River Electorate. Hope you enjoyed Christmas in July.”

The T-shirt can currently be bought from the Over The Edge website in a kids size for $35.

Other designs in adult sizes retail from $45.

Mr Speirs has vehemently denied that the June 30 video in which he appears to be snorting a white powder is authentic, claiming it is a deepfake.

He has said that other people had access to his home during June while he was overseas.

The Advertiser is not suggesting any wrongdoing on Mr Speirs’ behalf, nor is it asserting the substance in the video was illicit.

The video and images from Mr Speirs’ kitchen were forensically assessed for The Advertiser by internationally-recognised expert in the field of digital evidence, Dr Matthew Sorell, who found they were not faked.

David Speirs baking fruit mince pies in his kitchen in a video posted on YouTube.

It is not the first time the public has got to see inside Mr Speirs’ home kitchen.

In December 2022 he posted a video on YouTube in which he taught South Australians how to make his aunt’s fruit mince pies.