Defame case sparked by lawn bowls battle

A man who distributed flyers that falsely claimed his former lawn bowls partner was a paedophile has been charged.

A man who distributed flyers that falsely claimed his former lawn bowls partner was a pedophile has been charged with criminal defamation.

The flyers were allegedly sent to homes in Noosa late last year after Tinbeerwah man Richard Sinclair, 67, had a falling out with his 70-year-old former Tewantin Noosa Bowls Club teammate.

Printed on the flyers were the name and address of Mr Sinclair’s former teammate, along with a number of false allegations about his supposed criminal history, which police said were “completely unfounded”.

Most defamation matters are played out in civil court after a claim is lodged by someone who believes they have been wronged.

Criminal defamation is deemed to have been committed if the person published defam­atory matter “knowing the matter to be false” and “with the intent to cause serious harm”.

Senior Sergeant Ben Carroll of Noosa police said the charge was rare and required signing off by the Department of Public Prosecutions. “I’ve never seen it in 32 years,” he said. “In this instance, the allegations that had been ­alleged were completely unfounded. The severity of what the allegations were and the serious nature (led to the charge).”

It is understood that after the victim learned of the flyers he conduct­ed his own doorknock of the neighbourhood and retrieved several of them.

Police were alerted to the flyer­s on November 30 after the victim’s wife was handed a copy by a member of the bowls club.

Detectives conducted a for­ensic examination and raided Mr Sinclair’s home, where they found sufficient evidence to seek permission from the DPP to lay the charges.

Sergeant Carroll said the victim­ and his family were devastated by the allegations.

“This should serve as a warning to others that police take offenc­es like this very seriously and will prosecute over the sharing­ of defamatory and malicious information,” he said. “The victim and his wife were obviously distressed. He now has the opportu­nity in court to clear his name and restore his reputation.”

Sergeant Carroll said there had been a falling-out. “They had a break-up in the partnership and it appears that break-up wasn’t very amicable,” he said. Mr Sinclai­r is due in court on July 9.