Former federal MP Craig Thomson fails in bid to lift AVOs

Former federal MP Craig Thomson faced a NSW central coast courthouse on Wednesday after being charged with harassment and served two AVO applications last week.

Former federal MP Craig Thomson.

Former federal MP Craig Thomson faced a NSW central coast court on Wednesday after being charged with harassment and served two apprehended violence order ­applications last week.

The self-represented 57-year-old tried to vary his bail conditions and remove a preliminary AVO, which he said was “harsh and unnecessary”.

On Friday, police arrested Mr Thomson after receiving reports of “several email threats” he allegedly sent to his ­estranged wife, Zoe Thomson, the mother of his three children.

He was granted strict con­ditional bail and banned from approaching or contacting his wife, or going within 200m of where she lives or works.

Police took out a fresh AVO prohibiting him from assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing and intimidating his wife.

Officers also applied for an AVO to protect his mother-in-law after he allegedly followed her on the first weekend of December before allegedly “blocking” her in with his car at Ms Thomson’s home and refusing to let her leave.

Mr Thomson told Gosford Local Court on Wednesday the AVO protecting his estranged wife was “cruel and unfair”, according to The Daily Telegraph.

“The lawyers Zoe Thomson is using don’t respond because they’re not getting paid,” he told the court. “The only people who have put this in place are the police. It’s a total abuse of the AVO process.”

Magistrate Jennifer Price disagreed, telling Mr Thomson she did not “like the tone” of his submissions before granting an interim AVO that continues to prevent him from contacting Ms Thomson unless through a lawyer, mediator or court order.

He is also banned from entering his wife’s home and workplace, and from assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating his wife or anyone with whom she has a domestic relationship.