A RECLAIM Australia member has told a Bendigo court he will contest all three charges of possessing prohibited weapons and items, including at a rally in Bendigo last year.
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Phillip Galea, 31, of Braybrook, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with possessing a distress signal without reasonable excuse.
Galea had allegedly been found with a flare at an anti-mosque rally in Bendigo on October 10.
He was also charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, after allegedly being found in possession of Tasers following a raid on his house in November.
All three charges will be contested.
Galea told the court he did not believe the cases against him were strong, and objected to media requests for details about his case.
“Police are engaging in trial by media,” he said.
“This would affect the other cases that are before the courts at the moment as well.”
But Magistrate Mary Robertson rejected this claim outright.
“There’s no such thing,” she said.
“Magistrates are immune from media coverage.”
Galea was allegedly found in possession of five Tasers and a quantity of mercury during a raid ahead of a rally in Melton last year.
During a hearing in November, Magistrate Patrick Klestadt described the possession charges as “an aggressive attack on those in the community with whom you have a disagreement with”.
Galea told the court he was a member of Reclaim Australia and not another far-right group, but Mr Klestadt said the far-right groups were “all the same”.
Galea’s bail was extended and he will reappear in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court to contest his charge on April 26.
