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Former AFL player and coach Dean Laidley has had his stay in rehab extended by a Melbourne court. The 53-year-old premiership player was released on bail last month after being charged with stalking and drug charges. A magistrate ordered he spend 28 days in a residential rehabilitation facility in Geelong before moving to transitional housing, but his lawyer on Tuesday asked that to be extended. Rob Stary said Laidley needed another week to 10 days in the rehab centre’s first stage before a stint of a couple of months at a transitional facility in Melbourne. Laidley is accused of menacing and stalking a woman over a financial dispute. It’s alleged he took photos of an apartment he owned, which the woman was living in, and that he asked the body corporate for CCTV footage. Police also allege they found 0.43g of crystals, believed to be methamphetamine, in an adhesive bra Laidley was wearing when he was arrested. Mr Stary told magistrate Kieran Gilligan he expected Laidley would plead guilty to some charges. “There’s just one discussion that we still need to have – we’re expecting all will be resolved,” he said. His case has been adjourned until December 14. The AFL Players Association is funding Laidley’s in-house care at the treatment facility, which offers 24-hour supervision, drug testing and treatment. Former coaches Mark Williams, Guy McKenna and Denis Pagan wrote references for Laidley, as did his former North Melbourne teammates Brent Harvey and Wayne Schwass and ex-club president James Brayshaw. “This man here now is a very different person to those who knew him and knew him well,” his barrister Phil Dunn said last month. He said Laidley’s mental health had been low for some time since leaving his football bubble. Australian Associated Press

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Former AFL player and coach Dean Laidley has had his stay in rehab extended by a Melbourne court.

The 53-year-old premiership player was released on bail last month after being charged with stalking and drug charges.

A magistrate ordered he spend 28 days in a residential rehabilitation facility in Geelong before moving to transitional housing, but his lawyer on Tuesday asked that to be extended.

Rob Stary said Laidley needed another week to 10 days in the rehab centre’s first stage before a stint of a couple of months at a transitional facility in Melbourne.

Laidley is accused of menacing and stalking a woman over a financial dispute.

It’s alleged he took photos of an apartment he owned, which the woman was living in, and that he asked the body corporate for CCTV footage.

Police also allege they found 0.43g of crystals, believed to be methamphetamine, in an adhesive bra Laidley was wearing when he was arrested.

Mr Stary told magistrate Kieran Gilligan he expected Laidley would plead guilty to some charges.

“There’s just one discussion that we still need to have – we’re expecting all will be resolved,” he said.

His case has been adjourned until December 14.

The AFL Players Association is funding Laidley’s in-house care at the treatment facility, which offers 24-hour supervision, drug testing and treatment.

Former coaches Mark Williams, Guy McKenna and Denis Pagan wrote references for Laidley, as did his former North Melbourne teammates Brent Harvey and Wayne Schwass and ex-club president James Brayshaw.

“This man here now is a very different person to those who knew him and knew him well,” his barrister Phil Dunn said last month.

He said Laidley’s mental health had been low for some time since leaving his football bubble.

Australian Associated Press

Former AFL player and coach Dean Laidley has had his stay in rehab extended by a Melbourne court.

The 53-year-old premiership player was released on bail last month after being charged with stalking and drug charges.

A magistrate ordered he spend 28 days in a residential rehabilitation facility in Geelong before moving to transitional housing, but his lawyer on Tuesday asked that to be extended.

Rob Stary said Laidley needed another week to 10 days in the rehab centre’s first stage before a stint of a couple of months at a transitional facility in Melbourne.

Laidley is accused of menacing and stalking a woman over a financial dispute.

It’s alleged he took photos of an apartment he owned, which the woman was living in, and that he asked the body corporate for CCTV footage.

Police also allege they found 0.43g of crystals, believed to be methamphetamine, in an adhesive bra Laidley was wearing when he was arrested.

Mr Stary told magistrate Kieran Gilligan he expected Laidley would plead guilty to some charges.

“There’s just one discussion that we still need to have – we’re expecting all will be resolved,” he said.

His case has been adjourned until December 14.

The AFL Players Association is funding Laidley’s in-house care at the treatment facility, which offers 24-hour supervision, drug testing and treatment.

Former coaches Mark Williams, Guy McKenna and Denis Pagan wrote references for Laidley, as did his former North Melbourne teammates Brent Harvey and Wayne Schwass and ex-club president James Brayshaw.

“This man here now is a very different person to those who knew him and knew him well,” his barrister Phil Dunn said last month.

He said Laidley’s mental health had been low for some time since leaving his football bubble.

Former North Melbourne player and coach Dean Laidley will appear in a Melbourne court this morning charged with stalking.

Laidley was arrested on May 2 and accused of stalking a woman he met on Tinder. The 53-year-old was granted bail on Monday to attend a rehab facility.

Court documents from his bail hearing, obtained by news.com.au, accuse him of repeatedly calling the woman and attending her property, where he allegedly took photographs of her home and of the home’s underground carpark.

He allegedly phoned the woman 43 times on May 2 and loitered outside or near her home before police were called and he was arrested.

A VICTORIAN police officer is expected to be charged over the leaking of photos of former AFL player and coach Dean Laidley inside a police station.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed the male senior constable, from the southern metropolitan region, was suspended with pay on Monday.

He is expected to be charged with unauthorised access to police information.

The maximum penalty for the criminal charge is two years in prison or $40,000 in fines.

Mr Patton described the dissemination of the photos as “appalling”.

“It’s a breach of our values, it’s unlawful and criminal conduct and that’s the way we are treating it,” he told reporters.

Laidley was arrested on Saturday night outside a home in St Kilda and charged with stalking and other offences.

On Sunday, photos of the 53-year-old’s mug shot, as well as a photo of him in a long blonde wig and wearing a dress were disseminated on social media.

The latter photo appears to be taken from inside the police station looking into the interview room where Laidley was being questioned.

The photos subsequently appeared on the front page of the Herald Sun and The West Australian newspapers on Monday.

Mr Patton said six police officers were sent the photo by the senior constable via WhatsApp and could also face charges if it’s found they disseminated it further.

The police officer would also be subject to internal disciplinary measures and the corruption watchdog had been notified, he said.

Lawyers acting for Laidley, as well as civil liberties groups, have criticised the police officer’s actions.

“Outraged that pictures of my client, taken by some police officer, on the sly, when in custody in interview have hit the media. Typical #grossbreachofprivacy,” Laidley’s lawyer Dee Giannopoulo tweeted.

Another of his lawyers, Bill Doogue, also tweeted his anger.

“Disgraceful. Taking photos unlawfully and sharing them. And these were sneaky photos while in Police interview in Police Station by a Police Officer,” Mr Doogue said.

The Victorian Council for Civil Liberties described the release of the photos a “serious violation of Laidley’s human rights” with “transphobic overtones”.

“It appears that these images were released with the intention of publicly ‘outing’ Laidley,” the group said in a statement.

“Members of transgender and gender-non-conforming communities routinely report feeling distrustful towards police, and this incident will only further their concerns.”

LGBTIQ Legal, a branch of the community law service group St Kilda Legal Service, said they were concerned the incident would lead to further distrust of police officers.

“This incident requires an independent investigation as the first of many steps that are required for Victoria Police to do better for trans and gender non-conforming Victorians, many of whom have already experienced discrimination,” they said.

Laidley faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sunday and will remain in custody until May 11 after not applying for bail.

He played 151 AFL games from 1987-97 and was an inaugural player at West Coast before joining the Kangaroos from 1993.

He played 99 games at Arden St, including their 1996 premiership before he succeeded Denis Pagan as North Melbourne coach in 2003 and in 149 games led them to the finals three times, before resigning during the 2009 season.

He then had assistant coaching roles at three AFL clubs until 2015. He is currently Essendon District Football League club Maribyrnong Park’s senior coach.  

Victoria Police has suspended an officer over an “appalling” privacy breach after he allegedly shared unauthorised images of former AFL coach Dean Laidley in custody inside a police station.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said it was expected the officer would also be hit with criminal charges over the incident.

The photos were taken of former North Melbourne AFL coach Dean Laidley, who was remanded in custody over the weekend on allegations of stalking as well as other charges.

The 53-year-old from Moonee Ponds was arrested on Saturday night after an incident outside a St Kilda home about 9:00pm.

The 1996 North Melbourne premiership player faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sunday.

The father of three did not apply for bail and remained in custody on Sunday evening.

Photo allegedly shared in WhatsApp group

Deputy Commissioner Patton said a male senior constable had been suspended with pay for allegedly taking the photos, which could constitute a breach of the Victoria Police Act for the unauthorised disclosure of information.

“It is expected he will be charged in due course,” Deputy Commissioner Patton said.

“He will also be subject to internal disciplinary action.”

Deputy Commissioner Patton said the criminal charge allows for penalties of up to two years in jail or close to $40,000 in fines, while the internal investigation could result in the officer being fined, demoted or sacked.

He said he was “appalled” that a Victoria Police officer had taken the photos.

“It’s not an authorised photograph and should not have been taken,” he said.

“It’s unacceptable conduct.

At a press conference this afternoon, Deputy Commissioner Patton said the senior constable had only recently been interviewed and it was still unclear exactly how many officers were involved.

He said he believed the photograph was shared on WhatsApp but it was unclear how the photos came to be on social media.

“It could be around six [people] that have had the photograph disseminated to them,” he said.

“We’ll continue that investigation. It is early days yet.”

Victoria Police apologises for ‘appalling’ breach of privacy

He said it was not clear whether the people who received the photos on WhatsApp were police members or civilians.

“That’s why we’re interrogating his phones,” he said.

“The investigation will explore who has committed any criminal offence in terms of forwarding or accessing information.

“If other [Victoria Police] members have, if you like, disseminated unauthorised information then they will potentially be facing exactly the same charges as this senior constable is.”

Deputy Commissioner Patton also apologised on behalf of the police force.

“The photograph has been taken inside a custody area, I understand, inside a police station,” he said.

“It’s not an authorised photograph and should not have been taken.

“Clearly we have let down that person who those photos were taken of. We’ve breached their privacy and I do apologise on behalf of Victoria Police.”

He said it was “one of the most appalling breaches” by an officer that he could remember.

“I cannot recall a breach of someone’s privacy like this, an individual when they’re in custody,” he said.

“It’s unlawful and criminal conduct and that’s the way we’re treating it.”

A police spokeswoman earlier said the Professional Standards Command had begun a “thorough investigation” into the photos and would be “looking at all aspects of the matter”.

“This is one of the most significant breaches of a person’s privacy and Victoria Police will not tolerate this sort of behaviour,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.

The matter has also been referred to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), Deputy Commissioner Patton said.

Lawyer ‘outraged’ over photos of client

Mr Laidley’s lawyer Dee Giannopolous wrote about the images on Sunday night, saying on Twitter she was “outraged” pictures of her client were allegedly “taken by some police officer, on the sly, when in custody in interview”.

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The director of the legal firm, Bill Doogue, described the apparent leak as “disgraceful”.

“Taking photos unlawfully and sharing them. And these were sneaky photos while in [a] police interview in [a] police station by a police officer,” he said.

“Police should investigate and those involved pull [the images] down immediately.”

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Mr Laidley played for the West Coast Eagles from 1987 to 1992 and North Melbourne between 1993 and 1997.

He was the senior coach at North Melbourne from 2003 to 2009 before holding assistant coaching roles at Port Adelaide, St Kilda and Carlton.

He finished his last AFL coaching role at the end of the 2015 season.

He is due to face court again on May 11.

AAP/ABC

Revealed: How a simple mistake with a text upped the ante in Dean Laidley’s alleged stalking campaign against woman he met on Tinder

• Dean Laidley allegedly sent text messages meant for a friend to his ex-girlfriend  
• He was charged with stalking the woman after he was arrested near her home
• Police leaked pictures of Laidley in custody showing him in a wig and dress
• The former AFL player is accused of breaching AVO ‘100 times’ prior to arrest 
• Reportedly angry she broke off relationship after he bought her an apartment

By Brittany Chain and Wayne Flower For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:02 EDT, 12 May 2020 | Updated: 01:53 EDT, 12 May 2020

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