‘Death threats’: No plea after letters to premier

A 70-year-old man who allegedly sent death threats to the premier after COVID-19 restrictions banned him from attending a funeral has not decided on his plea.

Alexander Dietmar Willer leaves Maroochydore Magistrates Court after he allegedly sent threatening letters to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Felicity Ripper.

A 70-year-old man who allegedly sent death threats to the premier after COVID-19 restrictions banned him from attending a funeral has not decided on his plea.

Alexander Dietmar Willer did not indicate how he would plea when he appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday.

He is facing two counts of written threats to murder and one count of unlawful stalking a woman between January 1, 2019 and November, 2 2020.

Defence lawyer Belinda Robinson asked for the matter to be adjourned so they could receive the brief of evidence.

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Police prosecutor Phil Stephens said he had already sent the brief on December 21 last year but feared it may have gone to an old email address.

"It's there to be collected," he said.

Outside court Ms Robinson said there was no indication of how Mr Willer would plead.

"The charges are indictable so they will need to be committed to the district court," she said.

"Until they are committed to the district court, we will be unable to indicate our client's position."

On November 23 the court heard another woman received a letter which included a threat to kill Ms Palaszczuk on September 16, and Ms Palaszczuk herself received a second letter threatening to kill her on September 22.

Ms Robinson told the Daily that the threats charges related to Mr Willer not being able to attend a funeral amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"COVID-19 restrictions I believe is what had caused a lot of these charges to arise,' she said.

"It certainly will be explained to the court either way whether our client goes to trial or if it's a sentence it will be known to the court that that was the context of offending."

Magistrate Rod Madsen adjourned the matter until February 17.

Mr Willer's appearance is not required on that date.

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