SA courts website abbreviates charges against Operation Ironside accused, wrongly links him with terrorism offences

An abbreviated charge on the SA courts’ website has wrongly linked an AN0M accused to terrorism offences – prompting an immediate correction.

A man arrested as part of Operation Ironside has been publicly – and incorrectly – linked to terrorism offences due to an abbreviation on the SA courts’ website.

The man, whom The Advertiser has chosen not to name, faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday over his alleged role in a drug trafficking syndicate.

However the court’s case list, published online and posted inside the building, listed a further charge of “contravening a requirement” of an order relating to a “serious/terrorism offence”.

Coincidentally the man, who has yet to plead to the charges, shares both his given and family names with a prominent YouTuber whose videos espouse fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Neither the courts, Commonwealth prosecutors nor the man’s counsel were aware of the public listing until alerted to it by The Advertiser.

Magistrate Christopher Smolicz said the public listing was not correct.

“I make it clear to all in court that these charges are not in relation to any terrorism offence … that is not in dispute,” he said.

“The charges relate to trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug.

“They also relate to contravening a provision of the Crimes Act in relation to the requirement to provide passwords to electronic equipment.”

Section 3LA of the Act, under which the man has been charged, deals with allegations relating to “serious organised crime or terrorism offences”.

David Edwardson QC, for the man, said he did not understand why his client’s charge had been abbreviated so that the word “terrorism” was published.

He asked the case list be amended as a matter of urgency.

“It’s a matter of some concern, and it’s simply not right … it would be preferable if that detail on the website was corrected,” he said.

Mr Smolicz agreed, saying the court’s registry would be contacted “immediately”.

He also granted the man’s application for home detention bail, ordering he be remanded to the house he shares with his wife upon surrendering all passports.

The man was also banned from communicating, in any way, with other defendants charged as a result of Operation Ironside – he will face court again in April.

Originally published as SA courts website abbreviates charges against Operation Ironside accused, wrongly links him with terrorism offences