A man will have to wait to hear what happened to him after he threatened to kill former political aide Brittany Higgins, her husband and the couple’s dog in a vicious online rant.
David William Wonnocott wore a blue Hawaiian shirt and black trousers when he appeared in Lismore District Court on Monday. He pleaded guilty to using a transport service to threaten to kill and using a transport service to threaten or harass.
The 49-year-old targeted Ms Higgins and NSW politician Alex Greenwich in violent online attacks that posed a serious threat to their safety.
He was arrested on April 19 last year by the Terrorism Investigation Squad after police reportedly discovered 49 threatening and abusive messages sent from linked accounts.
Police discovered that Wonnocott had used one of the social media accounts to send messages to Higgins’ current husband, David Sharaz, making death threats against Higgins, Higgins and the couple’s beloved dog.
The court heard the couple became “fearful for their safety” after the messages.
The Banora Point resident also admitted sending threatening messages to openly gay Sydney MP Alex Greenwich in a separate incident.
Judge John Pickering noted that Wonnocott had “a deep-seated disapproving attitude towards the lesbian and gay community.”
David William Wonnocott, 49, (pictured) threatened to kill Brittany Higgins, her husband and the couple’s dog
Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz got married in May and recently announced they’re expecting a baby
Wonnocott was due to be sentenced on Monday, but his lawyer has asked the court for an extension so it can prepare a psychiatric report.
Judge Pickering adjourned the case until November.
Ms Higgins has been the victim of a barrage of online abuse since she publicly claimed in 2019 that she had been raped by a colleague in parliament.
Her political colleague Bruce Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to the assault in 2021, but the trial was later dropped due to juror misconduct.
The Director of Public Prosecutions declined to order a new trial over concerns for Ms Higgin’s mental health.
Mr Lehrmann was recently ordered to pay millions after he brought an unsuccessful libel case against Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
The couple ‘became afraid for their safety’
He alleged he was defamed in an interview between Ms Wilkinson and Ms Higgins on Network 10’s The Project in 2021.
In April, Judge Lee dismissed the case, ruling that, on the civil standard of probability, Mr Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
Six weeks later, Mrs Higgins and Mr Sharaz were married at The Valley Estate in Currumbin on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
After years of intense media attention, the couple moved to France with their four-legged friend Kingston, looking for a fresh start.
On Sunday evening, the couple announced that they are expecting their first child.