Dinner-party guest found dead in Jackson-Lawler seaside home

Police are investigating ater a man was found dead at the home of Kathy Jackson and partner Michael Lawler.

The Jackson-Lawler home in Wombarra, 65km south of Sydney. Picture: John Feder

Disgraced trade unionist Kathy Jackson and her partner, Fair Work vice-president Michael Lawler, were enveloped in fresh drama yesterday following a death at their seaside home at Wombarra on the NSW south coast.

Police investigations were continuing last night after officers were called late yesterday morning regarding the death of a 45-year-old man, thought to be Shaun Fisher, a friend of Ms Jackson who was at the home on Tuesday night for a dinner party. Police indicated the death was not suspicious.

A man with shaggy blond hair driving a large, white, off-road vehicl­e aggressively confronted The Australian on the road outside the Jackson-Lawler house yesterday, shouting: “You guys from the media, you are f. .king scum.”

The Jackson-Lawler home in Wombarra, 65km south of Sydney. Picture: John Feder

The Australian revealed last year that Mr Lawler had been on sick leave on and off for almost 12 months of the past year-and-a-half, on full pay of $435,000. During this time he frequently assisted Ms Jackson on her legal defence against charges of rorting union Health Services Union members’ funds to spend on her mortgage, clothes and furnishings, artworks, extravagant holidays and other trappings of a blue-chip income.

Ms Jackson and Mr Lawler were understood to be at the Wombarra house, 65km south of Sydney, yesterday. They have hosted a variety of people at the property over the past year.

Ms Jackson and Mr Lawler were understood to be at the Wombarra house yesterday. Picture: John Feder

In recent days they have also sheltered a 46-year-old former member of the Australian Defence Force, who was granted bail on Friday in the ACT Magistrates Court. He was charged with threatening a female Defence psychiat­rist, sending violent text and phone messages that referenced firearms. The psychiatrist had been on a panel that had found the man, Kingsley John Kraschnefski, unfit for service.

Mr Kraschnefski has been treated for psychiatric disorders and is believed to have made Mr Lawler’s acquaintance recently. In the past year, both Ms Jackson and Mr Lawler frequently have checked into mental health facilities in Wollongong for brief stays.

Mr Kraschnefski was arrested at his Wollongong home on February 3 on a warrant issued in the ACT. He was extradited to the ACT the next day after appearing at Port Kembla Local Court.

Mr Lawler travelled to Canberra to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday before magistrate Robert Cook. He offered surety for Mr Kraschnefski, who was bailed on the understanding he live at Mr Lawler and Ms Jackson’s Wombarra home.

Mr Lawler has some ownership of Ms Jackson’s home after moving to shift the property into his own name ahead of the HSU’s move to freeze Ms Jackson’s assets last year.

That transfer was not completed after the Federal Court blocked Mr Lawler at the last minute. Ms Jackson later was found to have misused $1.4 million in HSU funds.

Mr Lawler has his own travails, with a tightening deadline after the federal government commissioned an independent inquiry into his taking of extended sick leave, following months of revelations by The Australian.

Last month Employment Minister Michaelia Cash received a report­ from former judge and barriste­r Peter Heerey QC into Mr Lawler’s behaviour. The government had asked Mr Heerey to make recommendations as to whether Mr Lawler should be remove­d from office by a vote of both houses of parliament.

Senator Cash has given Mr Lawler until tomorrow to respond. She told the Senate last week she would then outline what steps the government would take next.