Search

Placeholder Content Image

Home and Away catfisher has jail sentence increased

<p dir="ltr">A woman who posed as <em>Home and Away</em> actor Lincoln Lewis to catfish online victims and stalk multiple women has had her prison sentence increased after losing her appeal.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lydia Abdelmalek, 32, was sentenced to four years imprisonment at the County Court of Victoria earlier this week, an increase of one year and four months on the original sentence handed down around three years ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Claire Quin said she regarded Lydia’s offences as a “very serious example of stalking” and material she had received from the victims demonstrated the “cruel, brutal and ongoing impact” it had on them and their families.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Despite the content of some of the material being reflective of a fictional soap opera, it was not fantasy. It was real and impacted real people,” Judge Quin said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What may begin as lighthearted can quickly escalate and have significant consequences for the psychological wellbeing of those to whom the ruse is directed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was persistent and malicious.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Quin also noted that Abdelmalek showed no remorse for her crimes, even after one of her victims took her own life. </p> <p dir="ltr">Abdelmalek used various online personas over several years, including former <em>Home and Away</em> actor Lincoln Lewis and British soap star Danny Mac, to catfish and stalk people online from 2011.</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Quin suggested Abdelmalek’s offending may have been driven by a “number of complex personality factors”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her behaviour has been driven by a wish to seek relational intimacy and wish fulfilment on a background of perceived inadequacy,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison in the Heidelberg Magistrates Court back in June 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">She was later released on bail after she appealed the conviction but failed to overturn the six counts of stalking earlier this year.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: County Court of Victoria</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Senator accused of "disgusting statement"

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has been accused of telling Liberal Senator Hollies Hughes “at least I keep my legs shut” during a debate in parliament.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Senator Thorpe made the interjection during Question Time on Wednesday, while NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds was answering a question about International Day of Persons with Disabilities. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though parliamentary microphones failed to capture the comment, Amanda Stoker, a trained lawyer and Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, said she had clearly heard what was interjected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can tell you what I heard with my own ears. She said, ‘At least I keep my legs shut’,” Senator Stoker told </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Liberal Senator Ben Small said he also heard the comment clearly and addressed it in parliament.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Senator Thorpe just made the most outrageous statement directed at Senator Hughes, which you probably didn’t hear,” he told parliament shortly before 7.30pm that night.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But in the scheme of disgusting statements made in this chamber that surely ranks at the top of them.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Senator Thorpe responded by retracting the comment.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I am happy to retract. I just got a view of something over there that disturbs me, but I’m happy to retract,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside of parliament, Senator Small told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that he had clearly heard Senator Thorpe’s remarks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I did very clearly hear Senator Thorpe heckle ‘at least I keep my legs shut’,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846046/lydia-thorpe1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d793decc8cd84889a2a4257016282e74" /></span></p> <p><em>Senator Thorpe brought up the recent deaths of two Indigenous women in custody during Wednesday's debate. Image: @senatorthorpe (Instagram)</em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The heckle <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/greens-lidia-thorpe-apology-sexist-comment-hollie-hughes/100668108" target="_blank">appears to have come</a> after Senator Hughes heckled Senator Thorpe, saying she had “dismissed people with a disability” by redirecting the debate towards the recent deaths of two Indigenous women in custody.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Really classy,” Senator Hughes said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest incident comes a day after Liberal Senator David Van apologised for making an interjection while independent senator Jacqui Lambie spoke, after several senators described his interjection as a growl.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He made an “unreserved apology” but denied he was making an animal noise. He did concede that he had interjected while Senator Lambie was speaking, which was not appropriate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was just interjecting with a gruff voice and I think with the mask and everything, in all the noise that was going on, it was that,” Senator Van said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was in no way an animal noise or meant to be disrespectful to (her) in any sort of gendered way.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

News

Our Partners

Over 60

© Copyright 2024 OverSixty.All Rights Reserved.