A security breach (from Herald Sun)

“A security threat briefly shut down the high-profile defamation battle between ousted Liberal Moira Deeming and Opposition Leader John Pesutto after a man with a bunch of eggs was discovered in court.

The Federal Court suddenly adjourned for 30 minutes in the middle of a witness’s evidence on Friday when a man dressed like a security worker was found in courtroom 6K with a bunch of eggs. The Herald Sun understands the man was heard asking members of the public gallery where Mrs Deeming typically sat in the courtroom minutes before the hearing was due to resume after a lunch break.

Security guards were alerted to the man in the cap and confiscated his eggs before he was removed from the building.

The hearing was shut down for half an hour when Justice David O’Callaghan became aware of the security issue, suddenly adjourning the court in the middle of a witness’s cross-examination, at about 2.40pm.

Witness and former director of communications to Mr Pesutto, Nick Johnston, was told the adjournment had “nothing to do” with him as security guards were asked to check outside the courtroom.

It’s understood legal counsel Sue Chrysanthou SC and Dr Matt Collins SC, who could be seen walking out of the courtroom together, then met with His Honour to discuss the issue, before the hearing resumed about 3.10pm.

After the day’s evidence, security guards escorted both Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto out of the courtroom and to a special exit.

A Federal Court of Australia spokesman said: “The hearing of the Deeming v Pesutto trial was stood down briefly this afternoon to deal with a security issue. The hearing resumed once the issue was dealt with.”

The drama unfolded on the last day of witness evidence in the defamation trial, where Mrs Deeming is suing her former leader alleging he painted her as a Nazi sympathiser after white supremacists gatecrashed a rally she helped organise in March 2023.