Magnis shareholder pleads guilty to assaulting journalist at AGM

A disgruntled Magnis Energy Technologies shareholder has pleaded guilty to an assault charge following an incident at the company’s AGM last November.

Themi symbol of justice, close-up view istock image

A disgruntled Magnis Energy Technologies shareholder has pleaded guilty to an assault charge following an incident at the company’s annual general meeting last November.

Appearing remotely at Downing Centre court in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon, Matthew Boysen pleaded guilty to assaulting The Australian reporter David Ross on November 30.

Mr Boysen, a minority shareholder of the troubled Magnis - which was once worth $700 million but is now valued at less than 7 per cent of that - approached and assaulted Mr Ross at the shareholders meeting, just days before the company’s shares were put into a trading halt last year.

Mr Boysen is also a director of listed uranium player Gladiator Resources and had previously tried, unsuccessfully, to put an intervention order against Mr Ross to stop him from reporting on Magnis, which is under investigation by the corporate regulator over potential breaches of market rules.

Matthew Boysen at the Magnis AGM.

Mr Boysen’s lawyer, Angelika Yianoulatos, pleaded with the magistrate to avoid a criminal conviction for her 51-year old client, who she said had a clean record in the state of New South Wales and Victoria.

She said her client had been “distressed” at seeing Mr Ross at the AGM after learning he had been communicating with another Magnis shareholder in the course of his reporting.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis said the “verbal interaction” and the physical contact when Mr Boysen placed his left hand on Mr Ross’ shoulder with “some force” was at the “lower” end of the offending scale.

He said there would be no conviction, penalty, or fine for Mr Boysen. However, he imposed a 12-month good behaviour bond during which Mr Boysen cannot reoffend. If he does, Magistrate Tsavdaridis warned, Mr Boysen would be dragged back to the court for resentencing.

Shares in Magnis have plummeted from their highs in late 2021 when the company was valued at more than $700m, to just $40m when they last traded more than 130 days ago.

The Australian’s coverage of the company, led by Mr Ross, has exposed several disclosure omissions that have left shareholders in the dark about key financial and operational matters.