‘TikTok guy’ Jon-Bernard Kairouz abused via social media as punishment revealed

‘TikTok guy’ Jon-Bernard Kairouz who rose to fame ‘predicting’ NSW’s Covid numbers has avoided a conviction for addressing an anti-lockdown rally.

A TikTok comedian who shot to prominence after correctly “predicting” daily Covid-19 case numbers during the pandemic has escaped without a conviction after he addressed an anti-lockdown rally.

Jon-Bernard Kairouz, 25, on Wednesday learned his fate inside Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court after pleading guilty to two counts of not complying with a Covid-19 notice or direction.

Kairouz gained a following during Sydney’s 2021 lockdown when he correctly predicted the state’s Covid case numbers for five straight days.

He admitted breaching the public health order by attending an anti-lockdown rally in the city’s CBD on July 24 last year.

The court was on Wednesday told Kairouz was subjected to abuse via social media, including vile racial epithets, as he was handed a good behaviour bond.

Jon-Bernard Kairouz. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

He was also charged with encouraging the commission of crime, however pleaded not guilty, arguing the crowd was already gathered before he addressed them on the steps of Town Hall.

Defence barrister Daniel Grippi argued that Mr Kairouz could not have encouraged the 3500 protesters to breach the Covid-19 directions as they were already at the protest.

However, Magistrate Emma Manea on Wednesday found him guilty, dismissing the argument that the speech was part of Kairouz’s comedic act.

“I do find that he encouraged the commission of the offence,” Ms Manea said.

She said that on numerous occasions during his speech he stopped for the crowd to applaud and engaged with them.

Tik Tok comedian Jon-Bernard Kairouz. Picture: Supplied

The video, which was previously played to the court, showed the social media star atop the stairs of Town Hall, where he said: “As the people’s premier … I will say I’ve crunched the numbers; I don’t think the cases are going to be going up tomorrow.”

“Everyone that’s here, the people who are doing it tough, the small business … all we want is freedom,” Mr Kairouz said in the video.

Mr Grippi told the court Mr Kairouz had realised the gravity of what he did and had expressed remorse.

The court also heard he had been abused via social media.

Mr Grippi told Ms Manea that Mr Kairouz had received messages calling him a “dirty f***ing Arab” and telling him to “f*** off back to your s***ty country or kill yourself we don’t want you”.

The court heard that another message read: “Hopefully you get Covid and die, make a Tik Tok out of that d***head.”

“It’s an extremely sad testament to our society — hiding behind a screen,” Ms Manea told the court.

TikTok comedian Jon-Bernard Kairouz, who accurately ‘guessed’ the Covid numbers five days in a row, spoke to the crowd at the rally. Picture: Twitter

Ms Manea took into account that Kairouz had no criminal convictions, his charity work and his expressions of contrition.

She also said he had been publicly shamed and subjected to a “tirade” of horrendous abuse.

“I didn’t find (his speech at the rally) to be funny and perhaps they were a reflection of the immaturity of Mr Kairouz,” Ms Manea said.

Kairouz did not have a conviction recorded and was sentenced to a two-year conditional release order.

Outside court, Kairouz again referred to himself as the “people’s premier”.

“I want to apologise to the tax payers of NSW for wasting their hard-earned money,” Kairouz said.

“Under my leadership this would not have happened and I will lodge an appeal.”