Former senator Rod Culleton calls for magistrate to recuse herself during brief court appearance in Albany

Former One Nation and independent senator Rod Culleton called for a magistrate to recuse herself during a brief appearance in Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday. The 57-year-old represented himself on charges of travelling with a body part protruding, using an unlicensed vehicle on a road, willfully misleading a person performing a function under a road law, driving a vehicle contrary to the conditions of a permit and failing to provide personal details. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan repeatedly asked Mr Culleton if he wanted an adjournment on the matters, given it was his first appearance on the charges. Mr Culleton initially refused to answer the question, speaking over Ms Scaddan and calling for her to “recuse yourself” from presiding over his matters. After finally agreeing to an adjournment, Mr Culleton continued to speak despite being asked to sit down. Ms Scaddan then told him if he did not take his seat at the back of the courtroom he would be escorted out. He is due back in Albany Magistrates Court again on May 12. Speaking outside the court on Thursday, Mr Culleton claimed he had not been served the paperwork for his Albany charges. “I am a little bit bewildered because I haven’t been served the documents,” he said. “I understand the police have told me that they were served .... that is not my address. “So we have to look at the material statement of facts. “But I understand, I believe just through the media, it’s for an alleged offence for driving an unlicensed vehicle which had a valid permit at the time, so a temporary movement permit. “I am not sure how this has all found its way to a court when there is a valid permit in place.” In response to the charge of travelling with a body part protruding, Mr Culleton said he believed “WA Police are getting a little bit tired of being held to account”. “We are talking Albany and it’s cold down here and not many people would want to put their arm out a window,” he said. Mr Culleton, whose campaign bus was parked on Stirling Terrace near the court, said he was heading to Kalgoorlie after a visit to Harvey Norman. “I’m going down to Harvey Norman so I can buy a three-drawer filing cabinet to fit all these summonses in,” he said. Thursday’s court appearance comes after the controversial politician — who is listed on the Great Australian Party website as its leader and candidate for WA in the forthcoming Federal election — appeared in both the Perth and Kalgoorlie Magistrates Courts in recent weeks. Mr Culleton faced Perth Magistrates Court on March 29, charged with assaulting a public officer. The incident is said to have taken place in Ryansbrook, about 300km south-east of Perth, in October last year. However, during his Perth court appearance, Mr Culleton claimed he was unaware of the offence, asking to read the paperwork in order to clarify the claim against him. Mr Culleton appeared in Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court a week later on April 5, charged with failing to comply with a direction. In the Kalgoorlie hearing, Magistrate Matthew Holgate stopped Mr Culleton as he went on to argue the direction he was accused of failing to comply with was not lawful, and said he would be enlisting the help of a “constitutional barrister”. He told the magistrate he would be taking his matter to the High Court. The Kalgoorlie matter was adjourned for four weeks for legal advice.