Norris Regers Smith: Sophie Scamps’ independent campaign volunteer pleads guilty to assault
An angry campaign volunteer for a ‘Teal’ independent who assaulted a Liberal Party official, has appeared in a Sydney Court, See the outcome here.
Manly
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A man, who identified himself as a campaign volunteer for a “Teal” independent federal election candidate, has pleaded guilty to assaulting a Liberal Party official at a political function in Sydney.
Police allege Norris Regers Smith, 66, angrily approached the male victim and pushed him against a wall soon after high-profile Liberal candidate Katherine Deves arrived for a ‘Politics in the Pub’ event at Forestville RSL.
Manly Local Court heard on Wednesday that Smith, from Davidson, was pleading guilty to one count of common assault.
Smith did not appear in court, but his solicitor had emailed the Court Registrar to lodge the guilty plea and ask for a date for Smith to be sentenced.
No facts of the offence were tendered in court.
But the court papers named the assault victim as Angus Mackie. Mr Mackie is secretary of the Liberal Party’s Warringah Federal Electoral Conference and has worked as a ministerial advisor in the NSW Government.
The private function on April 22 was organised by former Mackellar Liberal MP Jason Falinski as a chance for invited supporters to meet him and Ms Deves, who was the Liberal candidate in the neighbouring seat of Warringah.
It has been reported that Smith identified himself to witnesses outside the event as a volunteer for independnt candidate for Mackellar, Sophie Scamps, as he waited near the front door of the club at about 6pm.
Soon after Ms Deves arrived outside the club and made a brief statement to waiting media, Smith reportedly tried to follow her and Liberal Party officials into the private event.
Witnesses told media that Smith began yelling aggressively towards Ms Deves and had become agitated, prompting at least two people to get between him and Ms Deves in the club’s foyer.
A manager at the club then intervened and escorted Smith outside while he yelled “this is a public event” and “I’m a member of the club”.
Mr Smith told news.com.au that he had no interaction with Ms Deves, but was angry about being barred from the event when he was a member of the RSL club.
“I’ve never done anything like that in my life,’’ he said.
“I am 66. It’s the first time I’ve actually been thrown out of any venue that serves alcohol in my life.
“My son works in mental health. He’s 29. He works with kids 12 to 25 and he said ‘this just caused a s***storm for us’,” news.com.au reported..
Smith will be sentenced in Manly Local Court on July 13.
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