Luke Beveridge alleged target of threats, $100,000 extortion plot

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was the target of alleged threats and a $100,000 extortion plot by a 53-year-old man who failed to attend the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Brendon Berry is accused of sending a letter to Beveridge demanding the money “in a manner which a reasonable person would regard as menacing”, according to court documents released to The Age.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge.Credit: AFL Photos

Berry, the son of late boxing trainer Leo Berry, allegedly issued the threat to the AFL coach between June 27 and 28. The contents of the letter have not been publicly revealed in court.

The charges could explain why the AFL integrity unit appointed a security guard to flank Beveridge during the Bulldogs’ game against North Melbourne on July 3.

Magistrate Donna Bakos moved to issue a warrant for Berry’s arrest on Tuesday morning, after he failed to appear in court for a scheduled hearing in the case.

The court heard Berry had failed to appear in court twice before, on October 3 and 14, and had not complied with his bail obligations to report to Richmond police station.

Attempts to contact the 53-year-old to compel him to attend court, including via two letters to his address, had been unsuccessful, the court heard.

“I don’t issue warrants ever lightly. We explore all possibilities as we should … and I think I’ve exhausted all those possibilities,” Bakos said.

Bakos said she needed to progress the case through the court, as it was “not fair to any witnesses” to delay it further.

Berry is charged with making an unwarranted demand for money with menace and using a postal service in a manner that could be regarded as menacing.

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The alleged threats and extortion plot against Beveridge follow unrelated threats made against Carlton coach Michael Voss and former Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin over the past season.

The AFL integrity unit responded by appointing security staff to accompany coaching staff during several matches.

Melbourne reported an online threat made against Goodwin to the AFL Integrity Unit following a loss to St Kilda on July 27.

A post from an anonymous account on X had included an image of a car in a car park and a caption which suggested the person responsible for the post was waiting for Goodwin after the game.

“Currently waiting outside Simon Goodwin’s car: Don’t fret fellow Melbourne fans you won’t need to worry any further,” the post read.

Goodwin supported the beefed-up security measures when he spoke to media a week later.

“The AFL are just taking all the precautions that they need, and I think that’s what we need in our game, and after last week, we just [put ourselves in the hands] of the AFL, and just a little bit extra [security] this week,” he told reporters.

On July 4, Voss was threatened by a Collingwood supporter, who left a text message on the MCG’s antisocial hotline service that referenced a “brutal end to his life”.

The threat was referred to the AFL by the MCG security team, while the Collingwood member was handed a five-year ban from all AFL and AFLW matches and all events held at the MCG.

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