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Disrupt Burrup Hub media adviser Jesse Noakes has avoided time in prison over defying a police order to give them access to seized devices following an alleged incident outside the Woodside CEO’s home.
Mr Noakes, 34, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, where he argued he couldn’t give Western Australia Police detectives access to two mobile phones and two iPads because of sensitive and confidential information stored on them.
Mr Noakes said some of the information related to native title and Aboriginal heritage matters.
He also said he should be granted the same protections as journalists, as he had published media articles and is a member of the media union, MEAA.
The first phone and tablet were seized following an incident in which a stink bomb was used to disrupt the Woodside AGM in April.
The second set was seized after Mr Noakes was arrested on August 1 following an alleged failed protest outside the Perth home of Woodside boss Meg O’Neill.
The Disrupt Burrup strongly opposes Woodside’s Burrup Hub gas project being developed on the Burrup Peninsula, in WA’s Pilbara region, because of both its environmental impacts and damage caused to the nearby Murujuga rock art, which are some of the oldest Indigenous pictoglyphs in the world.
Appearing before Magistrate Gavin Maclean on Tuesday, Mr Noakes’ lawyer Zarah Burgess argued her client was a highly-respected member of the community.
She presented character references from 2003 Australian of the Year Dr Fiona Stanley and homelessness advocate Dr Betsy Buchanan.
Mr McLean found Mr Noakes guilty of four charges of refusing to comply with digital access orders, but noted the offending was “about a million miles away” from the likes of those usually charged with the same offence such as drug dealers.
He also said Mr Noakes was “very well regarded by people that know (him) well.”
Although the charges can attract prison time, Mr Noakes was ordered to pay a $1000 fine, plus $137 in court costs.
The decision was met with cheers from Disrupt Burrup supporters in the public gallery.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Noakes and three other Disrupt Burrup members appeared before Perth Magistrates Court charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence over the August demonstration outside Ms O’Neill’s home.
Those matters were adjourned to later dates for all parties involved.
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