Advertisement

Broadcaster Hinch arrested in Melbourne

Broadcaster Derryn Hinch has been arrested for failing to pay a $100,000 fine for contempt of court.

Hinch, 69, was taken to Melbourne Assessment Prison from where he will be sent to a Victorian prison for his short jail stint.

Hinch was ordered to pay the fine or face 50 days in jail, after breaching a suppression order relating to Melbourne woman Jill Meagher’s killer.

Department of Justice officers arrested Hinch on Friday afternoon at his Melbourne home.

“Just like anyone coming into the prison system, Derryn Hinch will be subject to medical, mental health and security assessments before being classified and placed in appropriate prison accommodation,” a department spokesman said.

Hinch was found guilty of contempt for breaching a suppression order made by Victorian Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Nettle and ordered to pay the $100,000 fine within 90 days, a deadline which lapsed this week.

Hinch on Thursday said he would go to jail on principle to draw attention to what he believes are inadequate sentences for crimes of violence, child pornography and king-hit killers.

In sentencing Hinch in October, Victorian Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye said the former broadcaster’s web posts, in which he breached the order, had been populist, self-serving and grossly irresponsible.

It was Hinch’s sixth conviction for contempt of court or related offences, a record which Justice Kaye said was disgraceful.

Hinch served 12 days in jail in 1987 for contempt of court after he revealed pedophile priest Michael Glennon’s prior conviction while a trial was pending.

He was also sentenced to five months’ home detention in 2011 after publishing the suppressed identities of sex offenders.

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.