Ronald Dean Munro was scheduled to enter a plea in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday. (ABC News)
In short:
An Adelaide man is accused of sending several "menacing" emails to federal MP Matt Burnell.
Ronald Dean Munro was scheduled to enter a plea on Wednesday to the charges, but prosecutors are reconsidering the plea offer.
What's next?
The federal police provided no further comment on the case as the matter was before the courts.
Prosecutors are reconsidering a plea offer put to a man accused of sending multiple harassing emails to a South Australian MP due to recent events, a court has heard.
Ronald Dean Munro, 74, was today scheduled to enter pleas in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to 10 counts of using a carriage service in a harassing or offensive way for allegedly sending "menacing" emails to the member for Spence, Matt Burnell.
But, prosecutors told the court they were re-thinking their position on the matter.
"We have previously had some negotiations in relation to this matter, but prosecution is presently reconsidering the plea offer put to consolidate the charges and is not presently in a position to maintain our previously foreshadowed agreement," the prosecutor said.
Federal Labor MP Matt Burnell was elected in 2022 to the seat of Spence in Adelaide's northern suburbs. (ABC News)
The development in the case came two days after an unrelated incident where a man allegedly drove his vehicle into federal MP Helen Haines in Wangaratta outside her electorate office.
Mr Munro's defence lawyer, James Caldicott, told the court he was in the process of taking instructions from his client about the proposed plea deal when he was informed about the prosecution's change of position.
"Dynamically things have changed in recent times which has caused a reconsideration by the Commonwealth director as to how matters of this type ought to proceed,"
Mr Caldicott said.
He said the matter was now "destined for trial".
According to court documents, Mr Munro, of Elizabeth South in Adelaide's northern suburbs, allegedly sent emails that "reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, menacing, harassing or offensive" between May 2023 and December 2025.
They alleged emails were sent to Mr Burnell's official email address twice in 2023, on May 2 and November 30, and three times in 2024, on May 12, August 4 and August 20.
They further alleged Mr Munro sent a further five emails in 2025, on June 6 and 17, July 14 and 15 and on December 31.
Mr Munro did not enter any pleas and the matter was adjourned for two weeks.
Ronald Dean Munro spoke briefly outside of court to media today. (ABC News)
Outside court, Mr Munro said he would be pleading not guilty to the charges.
At the time of his arrest in February, AFP detective and acting superintendent Simon Lalic said the federal agency took all allegations relating to the safety and security of Australian parliamentarians "seriously".
"The AFP supports freedom of speech and political expression, but does not tolerate criminal behaviour, including threats and harassment,"
he said.
The AFP today said no further comment could be made as the matter was before the courts.