Court apology over error finding in MP blackmail case
The judiciary is apologising for an error in a case involving senior members of South Australia’s parliament.
A court has apologised for an error that recorded a guilty finding against a former MP accused of blackmailing South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.
Former South Australian MP Annabel Digance and her husband Greg were charged with one count each of blackmail after allegedly threatening to make accusations of misconduct against Premier Peter Malinauskas in 2020.
Those charges were later dropped.
Ms Digance is suing Malinauskas and the state of South Australia for $2.3 million for allegedly instigating what she claims was a malicious prosecution mounted to damage her reputation.
During a hearing over the lawsuit at the South Australian Supreme Court in July, Mr Malinauskas’ lawyer Michael Abbott KC claimed the Digances had been found guilty of blackmail in April 2023
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He told the court that the charges were later dropped on the basis that the pair did not contact Mr Malinauskas or his family.
However, the state’s Courts Administration Authority on Tuesday confirmed this was incorrect and the Digances were never found guilty.
An order – known as a nolle prosequi – was imposed in April 2023, which meant the legal action was abandoned with no sentence of imprisonment, fine or bond imposed.
A document referring to the court making a finding of guilt was generated in error and is incorrect, the Courts Administration Authority said in a statement.
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“The Courts Administration Authority unreservedly apologises to the parties for this error,” it said.
“The Courts Administration Authority will review all court matters with orders made in the same circumstances to ensure that court records are accurate.”
An external assurance review has also been launched into how the error was made.
During the hearing on the defamation lawsuit, the court was told the blackmail charges had stemmed from a meeting between Mr Digance and then opposition leader Malinauskas in February 2020.
That meeting was recorded by Malinauskas and handed to the police.
Defence documents filed by the state government say at that meeting, Mr Digance demanded Ms Digance “be secured an upper or lower house seat in the SA parliament, and that a failure to do so would result in Mr Malinauskas’ career being deliberately damaged”.
In her statement of claim, Ms Digance states Malinauskas reported the meeting to police in March 2020, “claiming he was a victim of blackmail”.
In her lawsuit, Ms Digance also alleges trespass, wrongful arrest and false imprisonment by SA Police.
The state government and SA Police’s lawyers have indicated that they plan to lodge applications for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
The matter is due back in court on September 4.
