Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton launches action over AFP search of home

The MAFS bride’s Adelaide home is launching legal action, declaring the early moring raid an “abuse of power”.

A former reality TV star is pursuing legal action after her home was searched by federal police, a year after the death of her children’s bikie father.

Married At First Sight bride Stacey Hampton, 30, has claimed the operation was an “abuse of power” that left her son Kosta, 8, “shaken up”.

In documents filed to the Federal Court of Australia, Ms Hampton has named Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Services Australia as respondents to the complaint.

In an application for judicial review, Ms Hampton said she was woken by AFP officers about 6.30am on September 20, who had a search warrant for her Dernancourt home.

Ms Hampton said both Kosta and her youngest son Kruz, 6, who both have disabilities, were mourning the anniversary of the death of their father, Rebels bikie boss Shane Smith, at the time of the search.

Mr Smith, 38, was killed in a motorbike crash on September 14, 2022.

Reality star Stacey Hampton has launched legal action after federal police searched her home. Picture: Instagram

Ms Hampton was formerly engaged to Rebels bikie Shane Smith. Picture: Facebook

Ms Hampton claimed that police searched a number of her children’s “private and confidential medical files” and prevented her from accessing a mobile phone to contact her oldest son Kosta while he was at school.

“I asked multiple times for a device just in case he runs away as he had gone to school already shaken up by this ubrupt (sic) unexpected search,” Ms Hampton said in court documents.

“This was not given and I was not being arrested or charged yet, I was treated in a manner which defies innocent until proven guilty anyway.”

Ms Hampton claimed she was not aware of any allegations relating to the search warrant prior to the search being executed.

She is not being accused of wrongdoing and has not been charged with any offences.

Court documents show that Ms Hampton receives carer payments and pension payments from Services Australia for her son Kruz, 6, and is currently working with the Australian Tax Office on a review regarding these payments.

The 30-year-old claimed AFP officers seized evidence during the eight hour search, including a social media “ring light”, two iPhones and an iMac computer, documents show.

Police also seized “notes of paper which detailed monies NDIS owed me (and) prices of a cake for an event”, Ms Hampton claimed.

She also said she complied with an interview with a representative from Services Australia while the search was undertaken.

Ms Hampton has claimed the search was a breach of rules of natural justice and an “unreasonable exercise of power” and has sought a court order to quash “any investigation or decision” made as a result of the operation.

The case will return to court in February next year.

Ms Hampton outside Adelaide Magistrates Court in 2021 after being charged with Covid-19 breaches. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Naomi Jellicoe

Stacey Hampton celebrated her 30th birthday with a lavish Chanel bag, "gifted" by her young sons. Picture: Instagram

In a video shared to Instagram in October, social media influencer Ms Hampton showed her sons “gifting” her a pink Chanel handbag worth upwards of $12,000 for her 30th birthday.

“Surprised by my two beautiful boys,” she wrote.

Ms Hampton shot to fame on the hit Channel 9 dating show in 2020, when she was matched with Michael Goonan. The pair later split.

In June 2021, the reality TV star escaped conviction after admitting to breaching Covid-19 directions for going on an interstate shopping trip when she should have been self-isolating.

At the time, only essential travellers were exempt from quarantine, but non-essential travellers were required to isolate for two weeks.