David Lindsay Davies walks free from court after denying phone access in investigation into alleged death threats against Shane Isaac

A Brisbane computer nerd who stymied a police investigation into threats to kill a metaverse real estate company CEO and his family, has walked free on a suspended sentence after he refused to give cops the code to access his phone.

Fairfield man David Lindsay Davies leaves Brisbane Magistrates court. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

A Brisbane computer nerd who stymied a police investigation into threats to kill a metaverse real estate company CEO and his family, has walked free from court on a suspended sentence after he refused to give cops the code to access his phone.

David Lindsay Davies, a dad of one, appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to one count of failing to give police the access code to his Apple iPhone when asked during a search of his home on 26 October last year.

Police were investigating alleged threats to kill a company CEO made on a chat platform popular with computer gamers.

A second charge of stalking, intimidation or harassment was dropped by prosecutor Jordan Theed, who instead successfully applied for an order banning the 40-year-old from further harassing Shane Isaac.

Fairfield man David Lindsay Davies leaves Brisbane Magistrates court. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Davies, from Fairfield in Brisbane’s south, was probed by police after threats were posted online to kill Mr Isaac, the chief executive officer of Earth Version 2 Pty Ltd, a company based in Queen St in Brisbane’s CBD.

Mr Theed told the court that Earth Version 2’s business is to offer a virtual version of earth where customers are able to “buy” parcels of land that would exist in the real world, but buy them in the virtual world.

Davies, who helps disabled people get jobs and who has no criminal history, was investigated by police for comments posted on Discord, a social chat platform commonly used by online gamers, where threats were made to Mr Isaac, Mr Theed told the court.

Shane Isaac, the CEO of Earth Two.

Mr Isaac received threats between June and October 2024.

“It is not accepted that it was minor offending that was being investigated,” Mr Theed said.

“The allegations involved threats to kill both the complainant and the family when they have travelled from Seoul to Brisbane,” Mr Theed told the court.

“That was accompanied on a server with photographs of their travel itinerary, there was sexualised comments towards the complainant’s wife, and a number of other matters that were being investigated.

“Now obviously the defendant is not being said to have done that in terms of the plea for the PIN code.

“Police have not been able to gain access to the phone and have not been able to investigate it further because Mr Davies has not provided the PIN code.

“It would not be accepted based on Mr Davies’ say-so that there would not be evidence on the phone had they been able to gain access.

“The offence is hindering a police investigation by not complying with a court order.”

Fairfield man David Lindsay Davies leaves Brisbane Magistrates court. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Solicitor William Kennedy from Beavon lawyers submitted his client regretted not giving his PIN to police and he wrote a letter of apology.

“The conduct that enacted the warrant... was some messages in a chat forum that related to another party,” Mr Kennedy said of his client’s actions.

Mr Kennedy told the court his client made a foolish mistake in stressful situation, and had suffered severe anxiety and depression.

“If given a second opportunity to provide the PIN code, he would have,” Mr Kennedy said.

Magistrate Clare Kelly sentenced Davies to a wholly-suspended six month jail sentence. He must not commit another crime for a year, or will risk coming back to the court to serve his six-month sentence.

“It is a serious offence,” Ms Kelly told Davies.

Originally published as David Lindsay Davies walks free from court after denying phone access in investigation into alleged death threats against Shane Isaac