By Darren Coyne
Lismore’s mayor Isaac Smith is seeking an apprehended personal violence order against Big Rob, the failed mayoral candidate who managed just three per cent of the vote.
Cr Smith confirmed to Echonetdaily that he had spoken to Richmond Local Area Command police about the best way to stop Big Rob’s alleged online harassment of himself and family members.
‘I believe what he is doing is bullying and I won’t stand for that. People should stand up to bullies and that is what I am doing’ Cr Smith said.
‘This (taking an AVPO) is the most practical way forward.’
Cr Smith said Big Rob had published photos of his private residence online and had also made posts focusing on his family, resulting in his family members being approached by others following claims he was illegally using the mayoral car to teach his daughter to drive.
‘That led to a focus on my family and resulted in family members being contacted.
The AVPO application is set down for a mention on 28 February.
The latest court action against Big Rob follows his arrest in November last year following an incident at a sushi restaurant in Lismore.
Police allege the 45-year-old Lismore man had a disagreement with a female victim at a restaurant in Lismore on Tuesday, November 22, and subsequently assaulted her.
After the victim left, police said she discovered that the 45-year-old had been using Facebook to post comments that she found to be intimidating, harassing and menacing. He had also contacted her place of work.
At a recent mention in the Lismore Local Court, Mr Rob asked that the matter be transferred to Coffs Harbour because ‘no local Magistrates can impartially sit on my matters’.
He has also requested that the matter be dealt with by way of a jury trial.
The matter will return to court in two weeks.
Mr Rob, who operates a number of Facebook sites focussed on crime and politics, was a mayoral candidate in the recent local government election but managed just over three per cent of the vote.
He has indicated previously that he will not speak with the Echonetdaily, and regularly makes posts describing this reporter as a ‘drongo’ or ‘druggo’, and regular labels community members stalkers, ferals and paedophiles.
In a post on one of his Facebook pages this morning, Big Rob confirmed that he had been advised ‘yet another APVO application has been made against me’, adding that such applications were ‘trying to censor me’.
‘No application has ever been instigated by police and no final orders have ever been made against me with all being dismissed or withdrawn after wasting everyone’s time and a lot of resources trying to censor me,’ Mr Rob wrote.
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