Court asked to declare far-right political hopeful Teresa Angela van Lieshout mentally incompetent over ‘terror’ plot
Doctors say this far-right wannabe MP, who stood for Clive Palmer’s party and is accused of plotting a revolution, is mentally ill. She won’t accept that so a court may have to commit her.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An Adelaide court has been told it must declare a far-right former political candidate mentally incompetent – because she will not accept two expert diagnoses of her delusional disorder.
One-time candidate for Clive Palmer Teresa Angela van Lieshout, 49, of Peterborough, faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday.
She is accused of importing 470 fake police badges to recruit an “alternative” force and arrest the members of federal parliament.
Her prosecution is part of an Australian Federal Police counter-terrorism operation against individuals in several states who are alleged to be part of the plan.
On Friday, the court was told a “a complication had arisen” in the case – not because of the AFP, but the objections of Ms van Lieshout herself.
Ms van Lieshout has run for state and federal elections for a number of parties, including Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and briefly Clive Palmer’s United Australia party. Most recently, she has run as an independent.
The court heard two psychiatrists had found her competent to stand trial, but incompetent to have committed a crime because she “suffers from a delusional disorder”.
Those doctors, the court heard, agreed that meant Ms van Lieshout did not realise her actions were wrong – meaning she should be sentenced to treatment, not prison.
Trish Johnson, for Ms van Lieshout, said her client did not deny importing the badges, but insisted she was mentally sound and “would resist” any attempt to declare her incompetent.
Prosecutors said that meant Magistrate Simon Smart would have to put Ms van Lieshout on trial and find her incompetent against her wishes – prompting her to interject.
“I will not co-operate with this; I’m sick and tired of being treated this way – I’m sick and tired of it,” she said.
Mr Smart replied: “Will you be quiet, please? I’m trying to look after your interests.”
He remanded her on continuing bail to face a pre-trial conference in December.
Moneylender’s alleged Finks links cloud Steve Williams’ disappearance
The moneylender believed to have arranged Steve Williams’ final meeting with Finks bikies before he disappeared now lives in a $1.9m home and is suspected of hiring a Finks-linked debt collector.
Horse trainer allegedly trafficked cannabis through family business
A successful horse trainer accused of trafficking more than 100kg of cannabis through his family business allegedly told police “fanciful” tales of being “set up”.