Derryn Hinch charged with contempt of court

Seven network broadcaster Derryn Hinch has been charged with contempt of court after allegedly breaching suppression orders covering the Jill Meagher murder case.

Today Tonight presenter Helen Kapalos told viewers “they are the result of Derryn mentioning the parole board in editorials about Jill Meagher’s killer, Adrian Bayley.

“The editorials indicated that Bayley was out on parole at the time he killed Jill Meagher. This information was later suppressed, but the editorials remained online.

“The prosecution will allege contempt of court in Derryn’s blog, tweets and an editorial he did on this programme.”

Hinch has previously been found guilty of breaching a suppression order in another case but avoided jail because he was recovering from a liver transplant operation, and was sentenced to 5 months home detention.

Hinch has claimed to be a whipping boy after social media was warned about the risk of contempt in the Meagher murder case.

“I do not believe anything I have done is in breach of any suppression order and I do not believe I am in contempt of court,” he said today.

He will plead not guilty.