Jack Alexander Lusty: Albany man who wielded knives at police and used sovereign citizen defence sentenced

An Albany man who cut himself with a knife while resisting arrest, breached police orders and tried to use a sovereign citizen defence to defy officers has been handed a community-based order and a $1300 fine. Jack Alexander Lusty pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday for carrying an article with intent to cause fear, breaching police orders, breach of protective bail conditions, failure to provide details to police and no authority to drive. On December 11, 2024, Lusty breached a police order by contacting the protected person 25 times and again on December 12 when he was found within 20m of her in the backyard of a Yakamia home. On December 16 , police pulled him over in Katanning and found he was driving without a licence, which had been suspended two months earlier for drug-driving. He refused to give his personal details to officers, telling them he was a “living man” — a pseudo-law concept claimed by sovereign citizens. Police were later called to a Katanning address where they found Lusty armed with kitchen knives, which he used to harm himself before police tasered and arrested him. Lusty’s lawyer Jamie Hodgkinson said his client’s life spiralled after he was fined for the deceitful sale of an uninhabitable mud-brick unit in Lower King, for which he felt he was unfairly convicted. Mr Hodgkinson said Lusty suffered a severe depression, making the “disastrous” decision to dabble in methamphetamine while also using opioids as pain relief for “excruciating” back pain. Magistrate Erin O’Donnell said Lusty was not previously of good standing, citing his $6500 fine for conducting unlicensed electrical work. “He doesn’t come across as a person who is particularly honest on certain occasions,” she said. She did, however, accept that Lusty’s “understandable confusion” after he was treated with a strong opioid at Albany Health Campus may have contributed to his breach of police orders and took into account his pleas of guilty and his lawyer’s submissions. Lusty was given an eight-month community-based order with program and supervision requirements, fines of $1300 and costs of $312, and was disqualified from driving for nine months. The 36-year-old, who appeared in court via videolink from Casuarina Prison, also pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault causing bodily harm and aggravated common assault. He is accused of assaulting the protected person on December 7 and again on December 10. She has since provided the court with a signed letter saying she does not want the charges to proceed. Lusty was granted bail and will next appear in Albany Magistrates Court on April 10 for the assault charges. If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, phone 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Crisis Care Helpline on 1800 199 008. Lifeline: 13 11 14.