Andrew Thaler,who rose to prominence after incorrectly claiming to be the spokesman for the family of Cooma,arrived at Bertie’s Cafe in Nimmitabel on Sunday afternoon as the ABCBack Roads crew was filming around town.
The ABC team had been seen eating lunch at the cafe on Friday,and had been filming in and around the building all weekend,cafe owner Sandra Drayton said.
Thaler,who had made social media posts critical of theBack Roads program and of Drayton’s cafe,arrived to confront Sandra and her husband on Sunday.
Drayton said Thaler and his supporters were filming the confrontation when a scuffle erupted.
“I told him to move on … he got his phone out and things got heated. He pushed me,I pushed him. I grabbed his phone and then he pushed me up against the wall,choking me,” Drayton said.
“The whole town is getting the best coverage,and he ruins it for everyone.”
Police were called to the Bombala Street cafe about 2pm and interviewed Drayton and a number of witnesses.
“Officers spoke to a number of people following an altercation at a nearby cafe where a 48-year-old-woman and a 53-year-old man were allegedly assaulted,” a police spokesperson said.
“A 51-year-old man was arrested and taken to Cooma police station.”
Thaler was charged with intentionally choking Drayton,assault occasioning actual bodily harm,two counts of common assault and remaining on land without a lawful excuse.
He was granted bail and will face Cooma Local Court on May 22.
An ABC spokesperson said their crew were not involved in the alleged assault.
“The ABCBack Roads team were not present for the alleged incident that occurred at a cafe in Nimmitabel on the weekend. The team were in town filming for an upcoming episode but were not present at the cafe in question,” the spokesperson said.
“TheBack Roads team have numerous safety procedures in place including notifying local police of our activities where appropriate.”
Thaler has run as an independent political candidate for the seat of Eden-Monaro and when Nowland was fatally Tasered at her aged care home last year,he presented himself as a spokesman for her family.
The family later clarified that Thaler was not their spokesman and did not represent them.
Last year at a voice to parliament campaign event in Cooma,Thaler filmed an incident where a Yes supporter appeared to spit on him.
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