IT business owner Bruce Kerr trial date set for extortion, computer hacking

A Rockhampton businessman accused of extortion and computer hacking will have his charges go to trial by the end of the year.

Bruce Kerr

A Rockhampton businessman accused of extortion and computer hacking will have his charges go to trial at the end of the year.

Bruce Arthur Kerr is charged with extortion and computer hacking over allegations he threatened to interfere with a client’s computer systems if he was not paid.

His Brisbane-based barrister Andrew Hoare put a case to Central Region Judge Jeff Clarke on June 9 for a Change of Venue, which was not successful.

Mr Kerr’s matters will next be mentioned in Rockhampton District Court on July 28.

His two-to-three day trial is listed to start on November 6, in visiting Judge William Everson’s courtroom.

Mr Kerr’s charges were committed to the higher court when Magistrate Jason Schubert ordered him to stand trial in July 2022.

It is alleged Mr Kerr threatened to cut off client Green Steel’s computers to a server under Mr Kerr’s control if outstanding invoices, which Mr Kerr dropped off on the morning of May 27, 2021, were not paid by 2pm.

Mr Kerr allegedly put the threat in writing when he emailed Green Steel owner Brett Steven Green at 1.15pm on May 27, again asking for the invoices to be paid by 2pm to “guarantee uninterrupted access to all their business systems”.

Green Steel sells steel products in retail and wholesale fashion, with three branches in Queensland – Brisbane, Rockhampton and Emerald – and employs about 50 people.