The president of a ratepayer advocacy group has been issued a two-year intervention order after a magistrate determined he had stalked and harassed a Melbourne mayor under the guise of political commentary — and was likely to continue doing so.
Stonnington mayor Melina Sehr was granted a Personal Safety Intervention Order (PSIO) on Tuesday against Dean Hurlston, president of Council Watch, after alleging he had harassed her for six years.
Magistrate Michelle Hodgson ruled that although some of Mr Hurlston’s communications fell within the bounds of political criticism, the intensity, frequency, and personal nature of his behaviour had stripped it of any political legitimacy.
Ms Hodgson said Mr Hurlston demonstrated “ample evidence of ill-will, spite and animosity” toward Cr Sehr, and that his denial of intent and attempts to justify harm during proceedings made him an unreliable witness. She stated that personal malice cannot be masked as political discourse or public-interest journalism.
While acknowledging that some of Mr Hurlston’s social media activity, emails, texts, and videos were valid political commentary, Ms Hodgson highlighted how the delivery — often combined with personal attacks — crossed a line. In one example, he paired an accusation of financial misconduct with a deeply personal comment accusing Cr Sehr of using her mother’s death for political advantage.
Cr Sehr told the court that the harassment began in 2019 after the council decided to build netball courts near Mr Hurlston’s home. She described a pattern of relentless mockery, abuse, and intimidation, including posts likening her actions to the Holocaust, fat-shaming images, a pinned map of her residence, and comments suggesting she “might need a spare pair of undies.” She also alleged he falsely claimed she inappropriately touched staff.
The court also heard that Mr Hurlston sent her an email under a false identity, claiming to represent a fake media outlet. He admitted this in court, explaining he believed she wouldn’t respond to him otherwise. Cr Sehr said the email was sent to her employer, resulting in the termination of her contract.
Three other current and former Stonnington councillors gave evidence that Mr Hurlston had also targeted them and continued to do so despite being asked to stop.
Magistrate Hodgson made clear that the case was not about proving whether Mr Hurlston’s allegations against Cr Sehr were true, but rather about the nature of his conduct.
Mr Hurlston described Council Watch as a “multifaceted organisation” involved in consultancy, lobbying, and media. He admitted the group often used “salacious” and “intentionally clickbait” material to draw attention and said some of the content was “offensive, blunt, and crass,” but insisted it addressed real issues. He also said his criticism of Cr Sehr was not personal, claiming councillors had also targeted him.
At one point, Mr Hurlston defended crude remarks he made about councillors, stating that while the comments were “deeply offensive,” they had to be seen in context.
Though Mr Hurlston has not been criminally charged, any breach of the intervention order could lead to jail time. The order permits him to continue political commentary on Cr Sehr, but it must be fact-based and focused solely on her public duties. He is banned from making personal or degrading remarks and from managing any online forums used for that purpose.
