Controversial radio journalist Derryn Hinch has issued a public apology to former Wollongong magistrate Darryl Pearce and his family, including solicitor Brendan Pearce, for falsely stating he was the magistrate who released Man Haron Monis on bail.
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Mr Pearce has received threats and abuse since incorrectly being named as the magistrate who released the self-proclaimed sheik.
On Monday morning, Monis stormed the popular Lindt cafe in Sydney and took 17 people hostage. Sixteen hours later he was shot dead. Two of his hostages were also killed.
Darryl Pearce was not the presiding magistrate when Monis was released on conditional bail, prompting his son, Wollongong solicitor Brendan Pearce, to send the broadcaster a scathing email on Wednesday morning.
‘‘The magistrate you have just defamed was not the magistrate who granted him bail,’’ Mr Pearce wrote.
Mr Hinch apologised to Darryl Pearce and his family, posting both the letter of complaint and his reply on his official website.
He said he had verified his information, which had also been published by other media outlets, several times with independent police sources but ‘‘regrettably those sources were wrong’’.
The broadcaster went on to say legal sources had since informed him Darryl Pearce ‘‘has in fact been tough on bail applications and has had several of his rebuttals overturned’’.
In response to the letter of complaint, Mr Hinch posted: ‘‘Mr Pearce I understand your anger and accept your censure’’.
The mix-up has attracted widespread support for Darryl Pearce on social media, with many suggesting the presiding magistrate’s identity was irrelevant anyway, and the gunman alone was to blame for the tragedy.
Australians have expressed outrage and called for drastic law changes after revelations Monis was on bail for serious criminal charges and had a gun licence when he stormed the cafe.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said a review, to be conducted by federal and NSW officials, would focus on how Monis got a gun licence, why he was allowed out into the community on bail and why he had fallen off the terror watch list in 2009.
On Thursday, the Australian Federal Police admitted it had given inaccurate advice to Mr Abbott about Monis holding a gun licence. ‘‘The AFP has since confirmed that Mr Monis was not a registered firearms licence holder,’’ an AFP statement said.
