A 20-year-old Australian man has been sentenced for issuing threats to kill Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns via social media. Will James King was sentenced on Friday to seven months imprisonment, conditionally suspended for 12 months, after sending a direct message to Minns' Instagram account in January.
The message, read in Mandurah Magistrates Court, contained anti-Semitic remarks and stated, 'I'll assassinate you and Albo, and the country will be a better place.'
King's defense lawyer, Tendayi Chivunga, told the court that the man was triggered by Australia's housing crisis and immigration policies. She stated that King had been reading political articles and online comments before sending the messages, describing his actions as "hyperbolic, rage-filled venting using his keyboard in frustration over his powerlessness." A psychological report indicated King had no intent to carry out the threat.
Chivunga also cited the "difficult political climate" following the Bondi Beach shootings and the economic challenges facing young Australians as context for King's actions, calling it an "emotional and immature outburst."
Magistrate Clare Cullen acknowledged King's use of anti-Semitic hate speech, noting that such language has historically been used to spread hostility and discrimination. "Anti-Semitism and any form of hate speech stand in opposition to the Australian values of respect, fairness, and liberty," Cullen stated. She added that the inclusion of the word "assassinate" conveyed sinister intent, especially given the timing amid heightened social unrest.
The magistrate emphasized that parliamentarians have a right to serve without facing threats and intimidation. "The ability for our politicians to carry out their duties is of prime importance to a well-functioning, democratic society, and the courts regard attacks on those in public office as a grave breach of the law," Cullen said. She described King, an unemployed construction worker, as being disconnected from the real-world impact of his words.
Cullen commented on the prevalence of online threats, stating, "The cowardice of keyboard warriors is all too common in modern-day life. This mentality that you can say what you want when you want, regardless of harm and distress that it causes ... cannot be tolerated."
The court heard that the Australian Federal Police recorded a 42% increase in incidents involving harassment and threatening communications against politicians in December 2024 compared to the previous year.
Western Australia's State Security Investigations team arrested King at his home in Mandurah, south of Perth. He told police he did not intend the message as a threat.