Yarra mayor Stephen Jolly cleared of assaulting gatecrashing activist
Melbourne Magistrate Jill Prior found Stephen Jolly struck activist Estella Burrows but could not prove he meant to.
Stephen Jolly, the 64-year-old mayor of Yarra, was cleared of illegal assault on Friday. A Melbourne magistrate decided he could not have struck activist Estella Burrows on purpose.
Burrows and two other masked protesters gatecrashed Jolly's election after-party at a Collingwood venue on November 1, 2024, holding a banner and using a megaphone to accuse him of abuse. The magistrate found Jolly did make contact with the left side of Burrows's face.
But she was not convinced he did so on purpose. Stephen Jolly was possibly trying to take the megaphone from the group or move them away.
Jolly said afterward that he was relieved and that you can't just mask up, gatecrash a private event, terrorise the attendees and think you can get away with it. Burrows told reporters the justice system favors powerful people.
- 64
- Mayor age
- November 1, 2024
- Incident date
- Jill Prior
- Magistrate
- Two years
- Pending duration
Why it mattersThe not guilty verdict settles whether self-defence or accidental contact applies when protesters and event hosts clash.
AustraliaThe case sets a precedent for how Australian courts view contact during confrontations between activists and officials.
Corroborated bythenightly.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 h ago
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