This morning, at Byron Bay Courthouse, Magistrate Kathy Crittenden held over the matter of the Apprehended Personal Violence Order against John Anderson, aka Fast Buck$, taken out by the police on behalf of Byron Mayor Sarah Ndiaye.
The APVO has been in place since May 2021, and was due to expire in April 2024, but Cr Ndiaye requested then that it be extended for two years, due to ‘grave fear that harrassment and intimidation would recommence’, specifically affecting her role as a Byron Shire councillor.
In June 2024 Mr Anderson sought to have the APVO repealed, alleging he had ‘no case to answer’, but at that time Magistrate Stafford set her decision back to today, 20 February 2025. Mr Anderson grudgingly agreed to the delay, saying ‘if I’m still alive, yes your Honour.’
Despite the risk of two years in prison or a $5,500 fine, it was alleged today that Mr Anderson has since breached the APVO, making this a criminal matter. That case has already been set down for Mullumbimby Courthouse in April.
Representing himself, Mr Anderson appeared casually dressed, carrying his belongings in an Aldi bag.
When asked by Magistrate Crittenden if he had filed his evidence, he said, ‘What evidence?’ A short time later, when the PINOP (Person In Need of Protection) was referred to as a ‘victim’, he said, ‘She’s not a victim – I’m the victim here’.
Magistrate Crittenden admitted she was not across the details of the case, but found it very heavy-going as she sought to establish the basic facts of the situation.
Cr Ndiaye was present and available to speak as a witness, but was not called upon.
When the prosecuting sergeant mentioned the criminal charge (Anderson allegedly breaking the APVO), she asked the defendant if he was prepared to defend that today. He said no, he was not aware that he would need to do that, as the other side had not filed the relevant documents.
Magistrate Crittenden then said Anderson was potentially putting himself in greater jeopardy by representing himself in the civil case and potentially negatively affecting his forthcoming criminal case. She strongly urged him to seek legal advice, before adjourning the matter and moving on to other urgent cases, for which the court was closed to the media.
Following a very busy morning, the magistrate ruled that the Anderson/Ndiaye APVO matter would be delayed again, and heard together with the related case in Mullumbimby Courthouse in April.
Mayor Ndiaye said she did not wish to make any public comment at this stage.
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