Cairns courts: Larry Joe Woosup to stand trial again over alleged $200,000 fraud

High profile Cape York traditional owner Larry Joe Woosup will face a fresh trial in Cairns in coming months, after two fraud convictions were set aside on appeal.

Ankamuthi traditional owner Larry Woosup will stand trial on October on fraud charges. He was found guilty by a jury in 2021 but won an appeal against the two convictions. PHOTO: BRENDAN RADKE.

A new trial date has been set for a high profile traditional land owner in Far North Queensland after he appealed his fraud convictions for allegedly obtaining more than $200,000 dishonestly following a deal with a mining company.

Larry Joe Woosup, a traditional owner of land on the western side of Cape York Peninsula, known as Ankamuthi Country, was found guilty by a Cairns District Court jury in November 2021 of two counts of dishonestly obtaining a benefit of more than $30,000.

But the convictions were set aside by the Queensland Court of Appeal.

Ankamuthi traditional owner Larry Woosup will stand trial on October 7 on two counts of dishonestly obtaining a benefit of more than $30,000. PHOTO: BRENDAN RADKE.

Mr Woosup appealed on the basis the trial judge failed to adequately direct the jury to decide how the nature of his knowledge, belief or intent was dishonest and that caused a miscarriage of justice.

Justices Peter Flanagan, Philip Morrison and Peter Applegarth found the inadequacy of the judge’s direction resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

A fresh trial will be held on October 7, with a review date set down for May 7.

It was alleged Mr Woosup dishonestly obtained $210,000 after entering into an agreement with Gulf Alumina Limited in December 2013 over a proposed bauxite mine without authorisation from the Ankamuthi community.

Ankamuthi traditional owner Larry Woosup. PHOTO: BRENDAN RADKE.

Mr Woosup, a Cape York Alliance director, was one of only two registered native title claimants for the Ankamuthi people at the time.

Mr Woosup rose to prominence as a vocal opponent of Australia’s biggest native title claim for 14.6 million hectares of land and inland waters on Cape York in Queensland’s Far North not already under native title.

Mr Woosup risked being remanded in custody during the 2021 trial after allegedly calling a journalist a “white c***” and threatening to smash them in the face with his phone, as well as an abusive phone call to the journalist’s employer, in which he allegedly threatened to go to their home.

Judge Dean Morzone KC imposed conditions on Woosup’s bail, including that he not contact or communicate with the media.

Originally published as Cairns courts: Larry Joe Woosup to stand trial again over alleged $200,000 fraud