Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden: Murder suspect loses council re-election bid in Australia
According to officials, an Australian politician accused of murdering his stepfather has been unsuccessful in his bid for re-election as a city councilor.
Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden, facing significant criticism for running while under such a serious criminal charge, expressed defiance before the vote, stating it was up to the public to decide his fate.
Despite his unusual circumstances, Bayldon-Lumsden garnered nearly 22% of first-choice votes, as per the official count. However, he ultimately secured third place in the ballot for the City of Gold Coast council seat, which he had won convincingly four years prior.
The 31-year-old stands accused of killing his stepfather, Robert Lumsden, at their family residence in August of the preceding year. Further details regarding the legal proceedings cannot be disclosed due to legal constraints, though his legal team has signaled his intention to plead not guilty during a pre-trial hearing.
This meant that almost 50,000 people in his area did not had a voice on the local council.
“We must have a councilor who can represent the community at council – when he was knocked out, that was already a win,” Ms. Schroeder told the BBC on Tuesday.
Mr. Bayldon-Lumsden previously told the BBC he had no regrets about taking part in the election, despite the decision being labeled as “bizarre”, “selfish” and “entitled”.
“I believe democracy is the most important thing, and voters always get it right,” he said.
