Australian Businessman Claims Conspiracy After China Jail Sentence for Alleged Assault
Hobart man Nick Wilshire alleges he was targeted to prevent him from assisting with a friend's father's fraud case.
An Australian businessman has been jailed in China after allegedly headbutting a police officer during a confrontation at a courthouse, leading him to claim a conspiracy to silence him. Nick Wilshire, 46, from Hobart, Tasmania, was arrested in May following an alleged altercation with police and court officials in Ganzhou.
Wilshire, the deputy chairman of the China Australia Chamber of Commerce, had lived in China for 24 years and assisted expatriates with the country's legal system. He went to the courthouse to seek bail for a friend's father who was serving an 18-year sentence for fraud.
According to Wilshire, the confrontation began when court staff harassed him, and he responded by jokingly throwing an official's hat out the door. He claims the situation escalated when security guards demanded a police statement, leading to officers handcuffing him and pushing him to the ground. Wilshire stated that he "accidentally headbutted" an approaching policeman in the nose when he lifted his head out of fear after being kicked in the shins.
He was detained for two weeks following the incident, during which he claims he was also kicked and punched. Prosecutors allege the officer suffered "minor injuries" from what they described as Wilshire's "violent" assault. Wilshire initially anticipated a charge of "obstructing official duties," but it was upgraded to "assaulting a police officer," an offence that could result in up to 14 months in jail if convicted.
Now on bail in Huizhou, Wilshire is restricted from traveling to Beijing to meet Australian consular officials or to Hong Kong, where he operates a business. He believes the prosecution is an attempt to prevent his involvement in his friend's father's case, stating, "I honestly believe the way that everything has been done, that there’s a conspiracy to try and shut me up."
The Australian Embassy has reportedly informed Wilshire that it cannot intervene in the judicial processes of another country and advised him to seek legal counsel. His court-appointed lawyer has since withdrawn from the case. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.