Dean Martin, bikie uncle of Dustin, secures major legal victory
Dean Martin, ex-Rebels bikie and uncle of retired Richmond superstar Dustin Martin, has had a major win against deportation.
Dean Martin, the bikie uncle of Richmond superstar Dustin Martin, has had a huge court win that means he is no longer facing deportation from Australia.
The 56-year-old Martin walked free from Melbourne Immigration Detention Centre last week after providing proof he is of Aboriginal descent, as first reported by the Herald Sun.
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Martin, the brother of Dustin’s deceased father Shane, was facing deportation back to New Zealand reportedly on character grounds.
With Martin prepared to fight the federal government over the ruling at a Supreme Court hearing, that has now been vacated after court documents showed he is a recognised member of the Manegin Aboriginal community in Tasmania.
Under the constitution, non-citizen Aboriginal Australians can’t be deported as aliens.
“Last week the government received advice that those thresholds had been met in this case and Mr Martin was to be released,” a Home Affairs office spokesperson said.
“We’ve handled this in the same way the previous (Morrison) government handled detainees who met the same threshold.”
On July 18, Home Affairs minister Tony Burke cancelled Martin’s Special Category visa allowing New Zealand citizens to stay in Australia.
He was then detained four days later, according to the paper.
Martin, who was once the national president of the Rebels bikie gang, has now been placed on a special purposes visa and can stay in Australia.
Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe, who previously dated Martin, slammed the original decision.
“How can an Aboriginal man be deported from his own country?” she said.
The paper added that Dustin’s dad Shane considered a High Court challenge after his deportation to New Zealand back in 2018, but died in Auckland three years later.
Dustin Martin, 33, one of the greats of the modern era, just announced his retirement following 302 games, three premierships and three Norm Smith medals with the Tigers.
Originally published as Dean Martin, bikie uncle of Dustin, secures major legal victory
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