An assault charge against Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly has been dismissed by a magistrate. Cr Jolly faced allegations of hitting a protester who attended a 2024 election afterparty uninvited.
Magistrate Jill Prior stated that while she acknowledged Cr Jolly did make contact with the woman, the prosecution failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to commit an assault.
Stephen Jolly, a long-serving councillor in the City of Yarra, was found not guilty of striking a protester at an afterparty related to the 2024 local government elections. Magistrate Prior dismissed the assault charge after reviewing the evidence, which included a chaotic scene lasting between 30 seconds and a minute.
During her ruling, Magistrate Prior noted the tumultuous nature of the event, which involved multiple individuals in close proximity. Following the verdict, Cr Jolly celebrated with his supporters in the courtroom.
The incident took place on November 1, 2024, at Ziggy’s Disco Lounge in Fitzroy, where approximately 50 attendees witnessed the confrontation. Protesters, some wearing Halloween masks and carrying a megaphone, confronted Cr Jolly upon their unexpected arrival.
Video footage captured by one of the gatecrashers showed part of the altercation and included various unverified allegations against Cr Jolly. One protester, identified as Peaches McCormack, was heard making inflammatory statements about the councillor in the recording.
Ms Burrows, the complainant, testified that she was protesting Cr Jolly’s re-election and intended to display a banner. She claimed that he approached her quickly and struck her face with significant force, which took her by surprise.
In his police interview, Cr Jolly denied any physical aggression. His legal counsel argued that even if Ms Burrows was indeed struck, it would have been an accident or in self-defense.
Cr Jolly’s barrister, Michael McGrath, remarked that his client had faced a sustained political campaign against him, referencing a previous incident where an egg was thrown at Cr Jolly during a public event 13 months prior. The councillor did not testify during the proceedings.
Character references were provided to support Cr Jolly, including one from academic Jacinta Chavulak, who recounted feeling frightened when the masked protesters confronted him. She emphasized her long-standing relationship with Cr Jolly and asserted she had never witnessed him engage in or threaten violence.
Outside the courtroom, Ms Burrows expressed her disappointment with the verdict, calling the legal process “ridiculous.” She noted that while she was not surprised by the outcome, she found it disheartening.
Cr Jolly spoke to the media following the court’s decision, reiterating his denial of the assault and expressing regret for not having hired security for the event. He described the legal proceedings as a significant misuse of resources and claimed he had been targeted by the same group of protesters for an extended period. He dismissed the sexual assault allegations against him as unfounded, stating that he chooses to remain positive despite the situation.
