South Australian One Nation candidate Aoi Baxter wanted in the UK for failing to appear in court
A South Australian One Nation candidate is wanted by police after failing to appear in court on an outstanding charge in the UK.
Aoi Baxter was running for the Adelaide seat but was removed from One Nation’s website on the eve of the election after allegedly failing to appear in court over allegations he inappropriately touched a woman in the UK.
The ABC reported that Mr. Baxter, also known as Trent Baxter, was accused of sexually touching a woman without her consent for an incident that allegedly occurred in September 2023.
Mr Baxter, the former ABC spokesman for Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service in the UK, has a non-bailable warrant for failing to attend court.
“Knowing its location will assist the court and relevant authorities,” a spokesman said.
Mr Baxter’s profile was removed from the One Nation South Australia website following the allegations and replaced with a generic message: “Maybe Albo has broken the internet (again), or maybe the page you’re looking for can’t be found on our fantastic new website.”
A One Nation spokesperson said in a statement that they were aware of the allegations regarding the party’s Adelaide candidate.
The spokesman confirmed that Mr Baxter was no longer their party’s candidate.
“Our understanding is that Mr Baxter may have a warrant for his arrest in the UK for failure to appear,” a spokesman said.
“This was not disclosed to One Nation by Mr Baxter. It is unclear whether this relates to the same person.
“One Nation will fully cooperate with law enforcement regarding this matter.
“One Nation carried out a nationwide police check on Mr Baxter, as it does on all candidates. No problems were found.
A spokesman said: “The party is taking this matter seriously and is seeking further information. This includes whether other parties have already obtained this information and have chosen not to disclose it when they have not.”
Mr Baxter was contacted for comment, but when Channel Nine asked him if he denied the allegations, Mr Baxter said he believed someone was “innocent until proven guilty”.
“I believe in innocence until proven guilty, that’s all I have to say right now, I will make a full statement,” he said.
