Updated ,first published
Former Liberal leader Matthew Guy has demanded a public apology from his party room colleague Moira Deeming for making an unfounded assault allegation against him.
It came after Victoria Police reviewed CCTV footage of an innocuous interaction between Guy and Deeming at a community function last month, and concluded on Thursday he had no case to answer.
He said he was also owed an apology from Premier Jacinta Allan and Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny who on Thursday sought to exploit the turmoil caused by Deeming’s claims for political gain.
“They can come to me the honourable and easy way or a harder way,” said Guy, who was flanked by his lawyer as he read a short statement addressing for the first time the allegations levelled against him.
“My family name, my reputation, is not a political toy – no one’s is,” he said.
“There was no ambiguity. I did not do what was alleged.”
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson backed Guy and said she would discuss the matter with Deeming when she returns to Melbourne from London, where she is attending a conservative political conference.
“Matthew does deserve an apology,” she said. “I think that it is entirely reasonable that he has asked for that. I’m devastated for Matthew.”
Guy has left open the possibility of legal action against Deeming. His solicitor, Candice Almeida from Queenie Thompson Lawyers, said Guy had “endured immense personal and professional harm” since Deeming first accused him of assault.
“False allegations have devastating consequences,” she said. “They can damage a person’s reputation, career, mental health and their family life, even when those allegations are ultimately found to be unsubstantiated.”
Guy and Wilson’s comments will add to momentum within both the parliamentary and administrative ranks of the Victorian Liberal Party to hold Deeming to account for making spurious claims about a colleague and potentially bringing the party into disrepute.
Deeming accused Guy of assaulting her by putting her in a violent headlock while the pair were seated at a Macedonian community dinner on May 23.
She made a formal complaint to police on June 16. Victoria Police announced on Thursday they had concluded their investigation and “no offence had been detected”.
Guy was not questioned by police as part of the investigation. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush on Friday told 3AW that video footage taken from inside the venue was the decisive evidence.
“Often it is a matter of perception but we deal with reality and we deal with evidence and that is what we have made our decision based on,” he said. “It is mainly based on the video that is in the public domain.
“I think everybody has come to a similar conclusion.”
Guy told this masthead on Thursday night that Deeming’s claims were ridiculous and unsubstantiated.
Deeming, in text messages to colleagues, claimed Guy grabbed her roughly on the back of the neck and likened the force involved to being smashed in the base of her skull with a wine bottle.
CCTV footage from inside the venue instead shows Guy briefly resting his right hand on Deeming’s shoulder as the pair lean in to have a conversation in a crowded, noisy room.
“Police have concluded an investigation following reports of an assault at a function venue on Sommerville Road in Sunshine West on 23 May,” Victoria Police said in a statement.
“It was reported a woman was assaulted by a man at the event.
“Following a thorough investigation, it has been determined there was no offence detected.”
Deeming was contacted for a response.
She has not publicly explained the discrepancy between her version of events and the video footage.
One Liberal MP said there was “white-hot anger” among colleagues about what Deeming had done, and they expected the party to take action.
“Doing nothing is not an option,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Even MPs who supported Deeming throughout her previous dispute with the party and former leader John Pesutto have now distanced themselves from the upper house MP, who was recently pre-selected to stand again as a Liberal candidate in the Western Metropolitan Region.
Under the Liberal Party’s constitution, any MP found to have brought the party into disrepute would face expulsion from the party.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Chip Le Grand leads our state politics reporting team. He previously served as the paper’s chief reporter and is a journalist of 30 years’ experience.Connect via email.From our partners
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
