Former South Australian Labor MP Annabel Digance and her husband Greg, who are accused of blackmailing the SA Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas, have had their application to travel freely to locked-down states knocked back by the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

Key points:

  • The Digances submitted a joint application to travel freely interstate for business
  • They were arrested and charged in April after allegedly threatening the SA Labor leader
  • Judge Mary-Louise Hribal today said she would not vary their bail conditions

Police have alleged the Digances sought to gain personally by threatening to make allegations of misconduct by Mr Malinauskas on February 12 and March 29 last year.

The couple was previously released on bail on the condition they did not travel interstate or have any contact with Mr Malinauskas.

But today Mr Digance’s lawyer Danni Stephens said her client was “loath” to come to court every time he wanted to travel interstate.

They asked the court to vary their bail conditions so that Mr and Ms Digance could travel interstate for work at short notice, to Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales over the next six months.

“My client … owns and operates a hydraulics company — he needs to travel interstate at short notice. With issues that are occurring at the moment with borders, that is variable,” Ms Stephens told the court.

“My client intends to go to what’s called ‘field days’, ‘agriculture days’, meeting with various clients when he’s there and will go to various companies whilst he’s in the jurisdiction.

Ms Digance is accused of blackmailing Labor leader Peter Malinauskas.(

ABC News: Michael Clements

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The court heard Ms Digance is also part of the company and needed to travel with her husband.

At most, the couple would travel interstate once a month, the court heard.

“We’re asking for a condition whereby he be permitted to leave the state on no application to police, signing in before leaving and returning to the state,” Ms Stephens told the court.

The prosecution opposed varying the bail condition, which would allow the couple to travel “at any time without notification”, but said it would not oppose the court approving requests to travel interstate administratively.

Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribal said that, given the nature of the charges, she would not vary the bail conditions and knocked back the joint application.

“So I’m not with you in relation to your application to vary bail.”

The court heard more material needed to be provided by the prosecution before the couple answered the charge.

The matter will return to court in October.

Posted , updated