Byron Bay’s former mayor and current councillor Michael Lyon was back in court today, following his alleged breach of an AVO earlier this month at The Pocket.
Appearing before Magistrate Karen Stafford at Byron Bay Court House, the proceedings were delayed by technical problems with the AV link to the Department of Public Prosecutions, with Cr Lyon repeatedly called forward and then sent back to his seat while the technology problems were dealt with and other domestic violence cases were heard.
Pleaded not guilty
When Shaun Croner of the DPP was finally ready to go, the court was told Michael Lyon was pleading not guilty to the most recent charges of stalk/intimidation and breaching the existing apprehended violence order, both in relation to his wife.
There was then some discussion about whether all the charges could be heard on the already established date at Tweed Heads Court House on 11 March 2025. Cr Layon’s lawyer, Mr Weller, said he had made preliminary enquiries with the court, and estimated an additional 90 minutes would be required to hear the latest charges.
Magistrate Stafford asked, ‘What’s the more substantive charge?’ Mr Weller replied, ‘assault’ before attempting to say something about the alleged victim filing documents to withdraw the charge, but Magistrate Stafford cut him off abruptly.
Mr Croner confirmed that the DPP had carriage of both matters, and was happy for the cases to be run together at Tweed Heads on 11 March. The magistrate said all this was a waste of the court’s time, and that the parties should have organised themselves better in advance.
Why Tweed?
Apparently unfamiliar with the Lyon case, Magistrate Stafford then asked why the matter was ever sent to Tweed Heads. Croner explained that the case was heard outside Byron Bay because of the defendant’s position in the local community (Cr Lyon was mayor at the time of the original alleged DV charges in August 2024).
Mr Weller next sought to bring the matter forward to next Monday, but the magistrate said that was too soon, as the court’s listings were overwhelmed.
She then decided to fix the next court date (another mention, to fix a hearing date) to 11 November 2024 in Tweed Heads. Michael Lyon looked visibly distressed at this news.
A discussion of AVO and bail conditions followed, with nothing being substantively changed. Cr Lyon remains unable to visit the property at The Pocket without the prior written agreement of his wife, and he is only able to contact her via a lawyer.
You can read more about this case here.
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