The police officer son of ex-NSW premier Kristina Keneally has broken down after being spared jail for a false statement that led to an activist’s wrongful imprisonment.
Daniel Keneally, 35, was sentenced to a 15-month intensive correction order in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday after earlier being convicted of fabricating evidence.
‘This is a crime against public justice,’ Magistrate Rodney Brender said.
The intensive correction order was imposed despite prosecutors urging the magistrate to instead order full-time imprisonment.
Keneally was also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and pay a $2000 fine.
Daniel Keneally, the son of ex-NSW premier Kristina Keneally, avoided jail on Thursday – prompting him to keel over and sob into his hands
He was ordered to pay a $2000 fine and complete 200 hours of community service. Keneally is pictured with mother Kristina (middle left) and ex-Premier Gladys Berejiklian (right)
The police officer slumped over in relief at the verdict, then, breathing heavily, cried into his hands as the court was adjourned.
He wrote a statement containing numerous falsehoods relating to a phone call from Luke Brett Moore to Newtown police station in February 2021.
The statement, including claims Mr Moore wanted to kill a police officer, resulted in the activist being arrested and held in custody for three weeks.
The founder of ISuepolice was later released on bail and the charge dropped due to a recording of the conversation made on his phone.
Taken without Keneally’s knowledge, the recording showed significant discrepancies from the officer’s statement.
Keneally (pictured on Thursday) was found guilty of falsifying an official report in 2021
Kristina Keneally was the first female premier of NSW and served from 2009 to 2011
Keneally’s lawyer Paul McGirr said the magistrate’s decision would have only been fair if his client had been guilty.
However, he said his client was innocent and had made an ‘honest mistake’.
‘Of course, he sympathises with Mr Moore but … my client maintains his innocence and keeps his head up,’ Mr McGirr said.
‘You, me, everybody, we all make mistakes.’
At a sentencing hearing in December, Mr McGirr asked for an intensive sentence order to be imposed, allowing his client to remain out of jail.
Prosecutors said Keneally should be sent to prison to reflect the serious nature of the crime.
An investigation by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission led to Keneally’s charge in October 2022.
The probe was first revealed by Daily Mail Australia.
The police watchdog said it would provide a report to the NSW parliament when the criminal proceedings ended.
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