Jordan Shanks, otherwise known by his YouTube moniker Friendlyjordies, has taken to social media to share a shocking statement about the legal battle with NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro that he is currently embroiled in.
Shanks released the statement on Facebook in relation to the proceedings that day. In the statement, Shanks alleges that Barilaro’s team used a “disgusting and disingenuous stalling tactic” that he believes “highlight the desperation of John Barilaro and his legal team”.
Yesterday was the first case management hearing for Barilaro’s defamation case against Shanks. Barilaro is suing Shanks over a series of videos that he claims are “vile and racist” and brought him into “public disrepute, odium, ridicule and contempt”. Barilaro has claimed that the videos released by Shanks portrayed him as acting corruptly.
Shanks first announced the defamation case to the public in mid-June when he released a YouTube video discussing the matter.
“For legal reasons I have to keep this video as straight-laced as I possibly can. My name is Jordan Shanks and I’m being sued by John Barilaro, the Deputy Premier of New South Wales,” Shanks began the video.
Watch the full video of FriendlyJordies Jordan Shanks announcing the legal case:
Following the first day of the trial yesterday, Shanks has posted a lengthy statement defending himself.
“Statement from Jordan Shanks regarding today’s proceedings,” the post begins.
“On the 3rd of June 2021 Paul Svilans of Mark O’Brien Legal served me a statement of claim that in my view was defective, late and laden with errors. The day after, on the whim of Paul’s client, my employee Kristo was violently arrested and his family assaulted for merely attempting to correct Paul’s errors.
“After being imprisoned, Kristo was released only to be placed under the most draconian bail conditions that prohibited him from even working on my defence.
“I didn’t have a team of lawyers immediately ready to go to defend myself against any of these obscene abuses of the legal system instigated by John Barilaro.
“After all this, Barilaro’s Barrister Sue Chrysanthou (who’s also Christian Porter’s Ex Barrister) is complaining that I filed my defence 3 days late.
“In my view, this is a disgusting and disingenuous stalling tactic that only serves to highlight the desperation of John Barilaro and his legal team, who appear to be too afraid to fight my defence on its merits,” it concludes.
Justice Steven Rares has set the date of 23 July, 2021 for the hearing to continue.
