“It’s about doing journalism”: A look at Kristo Langker’s controversial arrest

Written By Bradley Cagauan

Two months before his trial, Kristo Langker was cleared on charges of stalking and intimidating the former NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro. As a producer for the political commentator and satirist, Jordan Shanks (of Friendlyjordies fame), the clearance of charges is a vindication for alternative, grassroots journalism.

Last year, Langker was arrested in his home by NSW Police’s Fixated Persons Investigation Unit (FPIU), a counter-terrorist unit. Filmed and uploaded onto Youtube, Langker’s girlfriend, mother and dog were injured during the arrest.

Langker’s arrest was in the context of a now-settled defamation battle between Shanks and Barilaro where Barilaro sued Shanks for alleging he was corrupt. In typical Friendlyjordies style, evidence of alleged corruption was interspersed with scathing commentary and comedy skits. In one skit, Shanks and Langker filmed and heckled Barilaro at a public event in Chaser-esque fashion. Weeks later, Langker, on his way home from school, filmed an encounter with Barliaro asking, “Why are you suing my boss?” Hours later, Langker was arrested and charged for both encounters.

Pleading not guilty, Langker was subjected to strict bail conditions including being unable to possess imagery of Barilaro. With crowdfunding by Shanks’, Langker successfully argued for more reasonable bail conditions while Shanks defended his right to cover Langker’s case against a court challenge by NSW Police. Magistrate Milledge described the police challenge as “tantamount to an abuse of process.”

The arrest was subject to immediate public criticism. Media Watch described the arrest as “concerning,” while Kevin Rudd said it would, “chill supporters of free speech to the bone.” Former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery, questioned the use of the FPIU while others viewed the unit’s true purpose in “settling vendettas” rather than investigating actual stalkers.

More worrying are the comments made by Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Hudson during a Parliamentary budget estimates hearing. For the unit to be assigned to a suspect, a referral must be sent to the unit which is then referred to a NSW Health panel that determine whether a suspect’s fixated behaviour is due to mental health concerns. Hudson admitted Langker did not go through such a process and said: “I don’t think appropriate processes were properly followed.”

While charges were dropped, Langker said the arrest traumatised him and his family. The arrest serves as a sobering reminder that police resources can easily be misused to suppress and chill the freedom of political communication. Mark Davis, representing Langker, admitted the result was “lucky”: without the footage and crowdfunding, “[Langker] would likely be marching forward to a conviction.” It’s easy to see that a journalist without the crowdfunding and public platform Langker had would face up to 5 years in prison.

Despite this, Langker remains committed to his work. He continues working with Shanks, producing alternative political commentary, including a video alleging misconduct by the FPIU’s lead detective just last week. Last year, Langker was asked why he didn’t like Barilaro. He answered that it wasn’t about liking Barilaro, but rather, “It’s about doing journalism.”