Rodney Pearce speaks after police take out AVO to protect Larry Emdur

A man accused of trespassing at Channel 7 headquarters and demanding to see Gold Logie winner Larry Emdur claims he did nothing wrong.

Logie winner Larry Emdur. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

A Corio man who police took an AVO out against to protect Gold Logie winner Larry Emdur claims he “didn’t do anything wrong”.

Rodney Pearce is accused of trespassing at Channel 7’s head office in Sydney and demanding to see the TV identity.

NSW Police took out an AVO to protect Emdur after Mr Pearce entered the Channel 7 headquarters and got into a lift without security clearance.

Police were so concerned for Emdur’s safety after the disturbing incident at Seven’s Eveleigh Studio last Thursday that they took out the order to protect The Morning Show host.

From his Corio public housing unit on Wednesday, Mr Pearce told News Corp he “walked into a building and walked out”.

Rodney Pearce.

“That’s all you need to know,” he said.

Asked whether he had any apologies for Mr Emdur, Mr Pearce jokingly said, “Up yours”.

“Nah, he’s my friend,” Mr Pearce said.

The 52-year-old allegedly walked into the Central Ave building in Sydney, past a security desk and got into a lift before demanding to see the much loved TV host.Mr Pearce was unable to access the upper floors of the building, where Home & Away and Sunrise are filmed, because the lift requires a security pass.

Channel 7 security removed Mr Pearce from the lift and the building before police arrested him.

Mr Pearce was charged with unlawful entry into enclosed lands and possessing almost 3g of cannabis.

According to court documents at the Downing Centre Local Court, the incident occurred after 11.15am and Pearce spent the night behind bars.

The 52-year-old faced the court on Friday and was granted strict conditional bail.

As part of the conditions, the magistrate banned Pearce from entering Central Ave, the entire suburb of Haymarket and ordered him “not to go within 200m of that area or Channel 7”.

Pearce was also ordered to report to Redfern police every day between 8am and 8pm.

When asked by News Corp if he had to report daily to Redfern police he replied: “Why?”.

“For walking into a building and walking back out again and mentioning Larry Emdur?” Mr Pearce said.

“Lucky he wasn’t Barry Humphries.”

A NSW Police spokeswoman said: “Police were called to Central Ave in Eveleigh about 11.15am on Thursday 22 August 2024, after a man allegedly gained entry into a building.”

“The man was arrested and taken to hospital for assessment before he was taken to Surry Hills Police Station,” she said.

Mr Pearce is set to face the Downing Centre Local Court on September 5 while the AVO matter will be heard in the same court on September 16.

Originally published as Rodney Pearce speaks after police take out AVO to protect Larry Emdur