Serial swindler Peter Foster brought out the wide weapons – Karl Stefanovic, 60 Minutes and the ABC’s Media Look – earlier than being granted bail in a Queensland court docket.
Foster is coping with a raft of charges after being arrested in Port Douglas in August 2020 over an alleged $2 million bitcoin fraud.
He modified into granted bail in NSW in March 2021 but modified into declared a fugitive after he did now not look in a Sydney court docket in Also can.
After six months of freedom, Foster modified into arrested for the 2d time at a Victorian winery discontinuance to Gisborne in December final 300 and sixty five days.
The 59-300 and sixty five days-ragged modified into extradited to Queensland the win he modified into charged with five counts of fraud, two counts of obtaining or coping with identification knowledge and one count of falsifying files.
A prolonged-haired Foster regarded in brief by video hyperlink in Southport Magistrates Court docket on Friday as his licensed workforce made an utility for bail.
Defence barrister Russell Pearce acknowledged it’d be “churlish in the intense” to imply there modified into no threat that the so-known as “international man of mischief” would possibly perhaps perhaps no longer appear in court docket.
“He would possibly perhaps perhaps very neatly be a man who has dined out every so ceaselessly on his notoriety,” Mr Pearce acknowledged.
A Media Look sage displaying Nine Community’s images of Foster’s dramatic arrest on Four Mile Seaside at Port Douglas in August 2020 modified into performed to the court docket as Mr Pearce argued it modified into a media residence-up.
He acknowledged the tournament modified into orchestrated by the Nine and non-public investigator Ken Gamble who clearly had a financial ardour to promote his possess industrial and modified into out of the blue credited in reports for “getting his man”.
Crown prosecutor Christopher Cook strongly objected to bail describing the utility as “simply breathtaking”.
“He has been convicted of dishonesty offences on 11 occasions in four varied countries and no less than in three states in Australia,” Mr Cook acknowledged.
“He has primitive 20 varied aliases.”
He insisted Foster modified into a “valuable threat” of failing to seem, interfering with witnesses or obstructing the direction of justice.
Justice of the Peace Janice Crawford granted Foster bail ordering he live alongside with his sister at Mt Tamborine in the Gold Flit hinterland.
Foster should always also put on a monitoring machine, resign his passport, no longer manner any airport, and sage thrice a week to the police.
Talking exterior court docket, Foster’s attorney Chris Hannay acknowledged his consumer had spent about 12 months in jail “for nothing” and deliberate to protect the costs.
“It modified into sure you seen from the clip it modified into a residence-up. Cameras in all places, drones in all places.”
He acknowledged Foster modified into thrilled to be granted bail and would celebrate his freedom with family on Friday evening.
“He (Foster) is obviously happy and we’re happy for him,” he acknowledged.
“Or no longer it should always give him a risk to put together his case and win on with life.”
Foster modified into remanded to reappear in Southport court docket in June for point to.