Sydney man learns fate over death threats made against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

A Sydney man who took part in a “disgusting” social media tirade in which he made death threats against the Prime Minister has been spared jail.

Alexander Phillip David Keating, 36, was charged last July over online threats he made to Anthony Albanese ahead of the May federal election.

He pleaded guilty in December to using a carriage service to threaten/harass or offend.

He appeared before Downing Center Local Court for sentencing on Tuesday and sat quietly at the back of the courtroom as details of the case were read out.

Keating, who has complex mental health issues, made 45 posts on X (formerly Twitter) over a two-month period between February 2025 and April 2026.

Although the posts were too graphic to be published, the court was told they contained material that was racist, homophobic, Islamophobic and incited sexual and physical violence.

Deputy Chief Judge Theo Tsavdaridis said the facts of the case “do not make pleasant reading”.

“This behavior is disgusting,” he said.

Mr. Tsavdaridis said the posts were designed to dehumanize entire groups of people and promote extreme violence against them.

“The conduct for which the defendant is accused represents serious misuse of a social media platform and is a serious affront to the values ​​of a civilized society,” he said.

“There is no room for this much hatred in a country like ours,” he said.

Keating’s lawyer, Tom Seeney, told the court his client’s account had only six followers at the time and argued it could not be proven that anyone had seen the posts.

However, Mr Seeney argued that while his account was public, the person must actively seek the post.

“No one knows the breadth of the audience when it is cast into the social media ether,” Mr. Tsavdaridis acknowledged.

The court was told that when it came to these posts Keating became “increasingly disillusioned with government policies and the impact those policies had on his life”.

He cited “wokeness, communism, and immigration policies” as the source of his frustration, and felt “unable to form an opinion.”

The court was also told that Keating’s emotions and behavior at the time were directly related to his mental health problems, including impulse control problems and problems regulating emotions.

He will require ongoing mental health treatment and assessment, the court was told.

Keating was sentenced to a two-year community punishment order and will begin mental health treatment.

The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Meanwhile, the AFP previously said they launched an investigation in March 2025, linking the threats to Keating’s social media account and searching his home in Kingswood in May.

His devices were seized during the search and Keating was later charged.

AFP Acting Commander Mark Baron said the AFP took all reports regarding the safety and security of MPs seriously and assessed each matter based on the information provided.

“The AFP supports freedom of speech and political expression, but I want to make it clear that we will never tolerate criminal behavior, including threats and harassment,” Commander Baron said.