The online harassment and threats against Brittany Higgins, a high-profile Australian rape survivor, have led to a 3-year jail sentence for her stalker, David William Wonnocott.
The 51-year-old was found guilty of sending threatening and harassing messages to Higgins, her husband, and even their pet dog.
A History of Hate and Harassment
Wonnocott has a long history of sending hateful and offensive messages online, targeting individuals with homophobic, racist, and misogynistic comments.
His actions led Higgins and her husband to fear for their safety, ultimately forcing them to leave Australia for France.
In addition to his threats against Higgins, Wonnocott also sent nearly 50 hateful messages to other individuals, including NSW MP Alex Greenwich, in an unrelated online rampage.
The Threats That Changed Everything
The threats against Higgins and her family were particularly disturbing. In a lengthy exchange with Higgins’ husband, David Sharaz, on Instagram, Wonnocott threatened to kill them and chop their dog into “little pieces.”
He also sent skull and bones and coffin emojis, stating “I’ll bury you both.” These threats were not empty; they had a real-world impact on the couple, making them terrified to leave their house alone.
The Victim Impact Statement
In a powerful victim impact statement, Sharaz revealed the lasting effects of Wonnocott’s threats.
“My wife and I have been exposed to a lot of public abuse since she came forward about her alleged rape in Parliament House,” he wrote.
“However, it was an escalation of death threats by Mr. Wonnocott that made us terrified to leave the house alone.”
The couple’s sense of safety was forever altered, and they became petrified of encountering the person who threatened to end their lives.
The Judge’s Verdict
Judge John Pickering delivered a scathing assessment of Wonnocott, stating that he “might just be an awful person” with “awful views.”
The judge acknowledged that while many people say offensive things online, Wonnocott’s actions were different. “He wanted him to genuinely feel that this was more than just another idiot online,” Pickering said.
Wonnocott’s extensive history of hate and harassment was a key factor in the sentence, with the judge noting that he had previously been convicted for making offensive comments against gay people and encouraging comments about the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.
A Warning to Online Trolls
This case serves as a warning to online trolls and harassers that their actions have real-world consequences. Higgins herself posted on social media before the sentence, highlighting the impact of such threats on those who receive them.
As the judge said, “If we were to process and imprison every moron who said something offensive about Brittany Higgins online, I’d be sentencing people for the next 10 years.” However, Wonnocott’s case was different, and his sentence reflects the severity of his crimes.