Face of Nation : The father of two brothers accused of bashing of one of Victoria’s top cops has been charged after allegedly threatening police in a string of menacing social media posts.
Jared Pihlgren, also known as Pilgren, took to Facebook in the hours after his two sons were arrested in Malvern East for allegedly attacking off-duty Assistant Police Commissioner Chris O’Neill so severely he was hospitalised with bleeding on the brain and cracked ribs.
The father is the first person to be charged under new laws introduced earlier this year that make it an offence to intimidate a law enforcement officer, or a member of their family.
Section 31D of the Crimes Act makes it illegal to intimidate a law enforcement officer, or a family member of a law enforcement officer, and carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail.
Mr Pihlgren’s posts appear to threaten Mr O’Neill and police.
“I’d piss on you Chris O’Neill ya maggot dog,” he wrote. “I got zero respect and you know why. F— the police and your crew ya swine. You attack mine, god help yours.”
The 49-year-old father who lives in Southbank was arrested and charged on Wednesday afternoon with offences including using a “telecommunication device to menace”, intimidation of a law enforcement officer and recording court proceedings. He is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court late on Wednesday.
Mr Pihlgren was in court to support his sons on Tuesday when they appeared before Magistrate Duncan Reynolds.
It came amid a flurry of posts, in which he allegedly attacked police and others who had posted negative comments about his sons Jay and Isaiah Stephens after they led police on a two-day statewide manhunt.
There police alleged the brothers had been asked to get off a Glen Waverley-bound train at Heyington station in Toorak by authorised transit officers because they had been drinking and were menacing passengers. Isaiah also vomited on the train.
Mr O’Neill, 60, was walking through the grounds of St Kevin’s College after attending a private function when he saw the brothers get off the train and walk towards the school, about 5.30pm on Saturday.
It is understood Mr O’Neill had been at the school watching a football match.
When the brothers saw Mr O’Neill behind them, Jay allegedly confronted the officer and punched him, before Isaiah allegedly struck him from behind, the court heard.
The brothers then allegedly ran off as Mr O’Neill made his way back to Heyington station, where a nurse applied first aid.
Police believe the brothers both shaved their heads to avoid detection, and officers on Monday afternoon found clumps of their hair at the Malvern East boarding house where they had been living.
They were arrested separately in Malvern East soon afterwards and charged with intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury and recklessly causing injury.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill has previously said Mr O’Neill did not disclose to the Stephens brothers that he was a member of Victoria Police, which explains why the men have been charged with serious assault offences, not assault of a police officer.
Isaiah is due to return to court on Friday where he will apply for bail, while Jay has been remanded in custody to face court again in September.
The court also heard on Tuesday that police had contacted Mr Pihlgren the day after Mr O’Neill’s alleged assault in an attempt to locate his sons but he allegedly refused to co-operate.
Mr O’Neill was treated in hospital for head and chest injuries but has since been released.
“Cops want war let’s start gangland killings again,” read another.
