Latest news with #DavidGraham
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Serious harm': ‘Cooker' podcaster hit with defamation trial
An well-known Aussie conspiracy theorist, who allegedly falsely accused a religious order member of 'drinking human blood', is set to face a major defamation trial over the claims. This week, the NSW District Court heard how David Michael Graham, known online as 'Guru,' made a series of statements about David Bottrill, an Australian man who is a part of the Ordo Templi Orientis Australia. The claims were made during three podcasts live streamed on X. In the podcasts, Mr Graham falsely stated that Mr Bottrill drank human blood and was the leader of a cult which 'concerned itself with child abuse', the court heard. On Friday, District Court Judge Judith Gibson handed down a decision in the case, finding that Mr Bottrill had established 'serious harm' to his reputation and that the defamation case should proceed to trial. As part of the decision, Judge Gibson outlined how Mr Graham was colloquially known as a 'cooker'. 'They eschew the term 'sovereign citizen' (first matter complained of, 15:40 minutes) but accept they are called 'cooker' websites,' Judge Gibson stated in her decision. 'This is not a complimentary term. 'It is used by their opponents because their lengthy and one-sided commentary system by Guru-approved contributors leads to listeners' brains being 'cooked'.' Judge Gibson said the podcasts were posted to Mr Graham's X site entitled 'Guru n Crew' where 'lengthy daily podcasts' were uploaded 'warning about the coming apocalypse caused by inept governments, a corrupt legal system and misconduct by those of whom were in positions of power'. Also named in the proceedings was Mrs Cathryn Gale Gibson, who was a co-host on the podcast. The court that Ms Gibson, who was self-represented throughout the case, used AI to write her defence submissions. Judge Gibson said that the AI submissions drew upon previous cases that did not actually exist. 'It should be stated that it is not to the credit of the second defendant that she put false AI-generated material before the court, and it must not happen again,' Judge Gibson said. Guru's run in with Ben Fordham In handing down her decision, Judge Gibson made reference to a number of incidents which had put Mr Graham into the 'public spotlight'. The court heard how in March 2023, a Wollongong surf club was forced to shut down a nippers carnival after Mr Graham called on his followers to storm the surf club over their Pride Rainbow Beaches initiative. The court also heard how Mr Graham had also been sentenced for harassing journalist Ben Fordham in 2023 – for which he was sentenced to a 12-month court order and fined $2000. Judge Gibson said both these incidents have brought Mr Graham into the 'wider community' meaning his allegations against Mr Bottrill held greater weight. The defamation case will next appear on September 4.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- CTV News
Edmonton police say shootings are down from last month
Edmonton police say that shootings have been on the decline. There were eight recorded shootings last month, a decrease from 11 shootings recorded in April and the 10 shootings recorded in May 2024. 'The drop in shootings last month is certainly a positive and hopefully is a trend,' says Staff Sgt. David Graham of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Firearms Investigation Section. 'The EPS has built a strategy to not only fully investigate every shooting and the individuals and groups involved but also trace the origins of the firearms in an effort to work towards prevention.' EPS Edmonton police say shootings have gone down from last month. (Supplied) Of the eight reported shootings in May, seven were believed to be targeted and five resulted in reported injuries. There was one death as a result of a shooting last month. Police also seized 56 firearms in May, contributing to a total of 312 seized so far this year. Last year at this time, Edmonton police had confiscated 332 firearms.
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Top seniors head to Grandover for Golfweek Senior National Championship
Top seniors head to Grandover for Golfweek Senior National Championship Grandover Resort has a rich history when it comes to hosting college golf events. The Greensboro, North Carolina, resort has welcomed everything from the NCAA Division III National Championship to NCAA Division I Men's Regionals to the ACC Women's Golf Championship. And now, once again, it's the seniors' turn. Two years after extensive course renovations, Grandover will welcome a national field of senior amateurs for the Golfweek Senior National Championship. The 54-hole tournament will be played June 9-11 and players will compete in the usual four age divisions: Senior (ages 55-64), Super Senior (65-69), Legends (70-74) and Super Legends (75 and over). The tournament will take place on Grandover's East Course, which features many tree-lined fairways as well as several holes that have a 'stadium-type effect.' The East, as well as Grandover's neighboring West Course, was designed by David Graham and Gary Panks. A year ago, Trent Gregory won the senior division title after making birdie on the first extra hole against Michael Arasin. But neither Gregory nor Arasin will not be in the field this week, clearing the way for a new Senior Division winner. Undoubtedly, the favorite entering the event is Bryan Hoops, a Tempe, Arizona, resident who turned 56 in February and made his debut on the Golfweek senior circuit the same month. Hoops lost to Bob Royak, a former U.S. Senior Amateur champion, after a lengthy playoff at the Golfweek Pirates Classic but then won back-to-back Golfweek senior events in the Southern California desert in April. After that he just kept on winning, claiming the Society of Seniors' Senior Masters trophy days after his Golfweek wins. Hoops also won the Trans-Mississippi Senior Championship in Rancho Mirage, California, and the Huddleston Cup in Carrollton, Texas, earlier this year. The senior division, however, also includes two-time defending Golfweek Senior Player of the Year Kevin VandenBerg, who won this event in 2022. VandenBerg and Hoops are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the Golfweek National Senior Amateur Rankings. In the Super Senior division, the top four players in the Golfweek rankings will all tee it up: Marcus Beck, Greg Goode, James Starnes and Stevie Cannady. That division also includes 2023 champion Bob Edens. Golfweek's top-ranked Legends player, Greg Osborne, is among the field in that division at Grandover and so is No. 2-ranked Jeff Knox. Defending champion George Owens is back in the Super Legends division.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Big Brother star David Graham used a vile homophobic slur before assaulting a young man on his farm
A Big Brother contestant who famously came out as gay on national television called a young man who was staying at his farm a 'f***ot' before assaulting him one night. David Graham, known as 'Farmer Dave' to his fans, previously gave Daily Mail Australia his version of events leading up to the assault but didn't mention using homophobic slurs. The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of common assault last Friday, when he was convicted and sentenced to a nine-month conditional release order. Graham had originally faced further charges of choking, intimidation and damaging property when he appeared at Windsor Local Court, in Sydney 's north-west, but those matters were withdrawn. A statement of facts tendered in court listed Graham's occupation as 'presenter/farmer/youth worker' but revealed his only source of income was $1,500 a week in worker's compensation. Those payments were due to post-traumatic stress disorder and went towards rent as well as raising five children and caring for seven dogs. Graham's victim, whom Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to name, was staying at his farm at Glossodia in the Hawkesbury region but moved out after the attack. The victim had been living with Graham for four months but the pair had known each other 'for an extensive period of time', according to the statement of facts. Graham told Daily Mail Australia on Monday night that he had allowed the young man to live on his farm because he 'had nowhere else to stay'. The reality television star said he met the young man through his work assisting troubled youth to train dogs and learn trades. Graham also claimed the victim 'hosted drinking parties' at his farm while he was away in Queensland visiting his terminally ill mother. 'I counselled him that he must find alternative accommodation,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Graham also claimed the young man had not fed his animals while he was away and he found one of his dogs in almost skeletal condition. The statement of facts tendered in court made no mention of alcohol, the deteriorating health of Graham's mother or emaciated dogs. According to the court document, Graham had asked the victim to charge the security cameras at his property on January 27. Graham did not believe the man had done what he was told 'and began berating the victim, yelling abuse at him, calling him a 'f***ing c***' and a 'f***ot'.' The argument 'got heated' at about 4.30pm and the victim ran to his car, attempting to leave the property. 'On doing this the accused followed him to the vehicle,' the statement of facts said. 'The accused grabbed the car door handle attempting to open it and hit the car window. 'This caused the victim to become scared for his welfare, fearing he was going to be assaulted and drove off from the location.' The victim returned to the farm about 8.30pm with a male friend to collect his belongings. While the victim was gathering up his possessions, Graham became abusive towards his friend who was standing beside a truck. The victim recorded Graham calling him and and his friend 'f***ing c***s' and 'f***king f***ots'. The victim told Graham 'Don't push him' in an effort to protect his friend, then when Graham pushed the victim he said, 'Don't touch me.' Shortly afterwards, the victim was in his bedroom when he heard a loud bang, according to the statement of facts. He then saw Graham drop his cupboard, causing a drawer to fall out and a wheel to break off. Graham said to the victim, 'Stop with the smart a*** response' and the victim replied, 'I'm not being a smart a***'. The next morning, police attended Graham's farm, where he was arrested. Asked if he had grabbed the victim the previous night, Graham said: 'To get him out of the house, 100 per cent.' Asked again about committing the assault, Graham said: 'To push him out of the house, yes.' Back at Windsor Police Station Graham became 'physically distressed' during an electronically recorded interview in which he described the assault. 'The accused stated that he felt intimidated as there were knives left lying around the house,' the statement of facts said. 'However, the accused continued to escalate the situation by yelling at the victim and entering the victim's bedroom. 'The accused made admissions to assaulting the victim while trying to physically remove the victim from the residence.' When Graham spoke to Daily Mail Australia he admitted he had done the 'wrong thing' but said he planned to appeal the severity of his sentence. Graham said that after returning from Queensland he had asked the victim to leave his home, which he did, before returning with his friend later that night. He said he pushed the victim with two open palms after the pair had refused to leave the premises. 'I was shocked and as I'm in recovery from PTSD after five years working in a high- stress work environment,' he said. 'At the time I had no way of knowing how many men were in the dark... both men were well over six foot, I was alone on my rural property and needed to assert myself and I did so. 'I accept that pushing a human is assault.' Graham said he would 'no longer give assistance to the homeless' and he had learned that 'no good deed goes unpunished'. 'This is the universe telling me I must learn to set clear boundaries and not take on other people's problems and focus on my own recovery,' he said. Graham famously came out as gay to his housemates on national television during the sixth season of Big Brother in 2006 when he finished third in the competition. In 2022, he returned for the show's 14th season and finished 13th out of 22 contestants. The reality show fan favourite started the charity RuffTrack in 2019, with the aim of connecting at-risk young people with dogs to help foster responsibility and trust. He told Daily Mail Australia last December he had walked away from that initiative after becoming burnt out. Graham is now the subject of a two-year apprehended violence order protecting the man he assaulted.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Former Big Brother star David Graham breaks his silence and blames the victim after assaulting a man at his home
A former Big Brother contestant has been convicted of assaulting a younger man who was staying on his farm. David 'Farmer Dave' Graham, 45, broke his silence to Daily Mail Australia on Monday night after pleading guilty to common assault last week. Graham escaped jail time last Friday when he was sentenced to a nine month conditional release order in Windsor Local Court over the January 27 altercation. The order requires him to not commit any offences while subject to the order and to attend court if called upon at any time during its term. A two-year Apprehended Violence Order was also lodged against Graham, who famously came out as gay to his housemates on national television during the sixth season of Big Brother in 2006. While Graham admitted that he did the 'wrong thing', he plans to appeal the severity of the conviction. Graham said he allowed the victim, whom Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to name, to stay at his farm on Sydney north-west outskirts as the man 'had nowhere else to stay'. The reality television star first met the man through his work assisting troubled young people to learn trades and train dogs. Graham claimed the victim 'hosted drinking parties and consumed drugs' at his farm while he was away in Queensland visiting his terminally ill mother. 'I counselled him that he must find alternative accommodation,' he told Daily Mail Australia. He also claimed the young man had not fed his animals while he was away and alleged he found 'drugs and alcohol' in his home. After returning from Queensland, Graham asked the man to leave his home, which the victim complied. Graham claimed he woke later that night to find the man had returned to the property with a mate. He claimed the men refused to leave and insisted on collecting the victim's belongings. 'I was shocked and as I'm in recovery from PTSD after five years working in a high stress work environment,' Graham recalled. 'I pushed with two open palms (the victim) from my house out past the truck to get them away from my door. 'At the time I had no way of knowing how many men were in the dark ... both men were well over six foot, I was alone on my rural property and needed to assert myself and I did so.' Graham admitted he did the wrong thing. 'I accept that pushing a human is assault, I plead guilty to doing that,' Graham said. Three other charges including intentionally choke person without consent, stalk/intimidate intending fear physical harm, and destroy or damage property worth less than or equal to $2000 were withdrawn. Graham claimed the withdrawn charges were 'false allegations' and 'did not occur'. The AVO prevents Graham from assaulting or threatening the victim, stalking or harassing him, and intentionally destroying or damaging property or animals belonging to him. It expires on May 2027. Graham plans to appeal the severity of his conviction and says he's learned an important lesson. 'As a man recovering from severe depression and PTSD, I acted on impulses with the threat as presented to me in the night by men with a truck backed up to my house on a rural property,' he said. 'I know now 'no good deed goes unpunished' and will no longer give assistance to the homeless. 'I made a mistake by giving (the victim) another chance while I was away from my farm and not in a well mindset due to my personal issues and my mother's diagnosis. 'This is the universe telling me I must learn to set clear boundaries and not take on other people's problems and focus on my own recovery.' An animal behavourist and farmer, Graham first found fame when he appeared on the sixth season of Big Brother in 2006. Graham won nationwide support for coming out as gay to his housemates on the show, where he finished third. In 2022, he returned for 14th season of Big Brother, where he finished 13th out of 22 contestants. He has since become a presenter and speaker and worked with troubled youth through the RUFFtrack program he founded alongside his other roles. The program invited participants to train a dog, while training them in fields including landscaping, welding, and animal husbandry among other trades.
