Matej Radelic: Broome man who cable-tied children’s hands given suspended $2000 fine and a spent conviction

A tradesman who cable-tied the hands of young children after finding them swimming in his Broome swimming pool has been handed a suspended fine and a spent conviction. Matej Radelic, 46, was sentenced in Broome Magistrates Court on October 4 after he was found guilty after a trial of two counts of aggravated common assault related to the restraining of two children in March. He was found not guilty of one count of the same charge, after it was found a third child was restrained only for a short time before they were able to break free. The incident made international headlines when a video live-streamed on social media showed the children — aged six, seven and eight — with their hands bound by cable ties. The incident fuelled a heated debate amongst the community and the nation about racism, vigilantes and community safety in the troubled tourist town. Radelic had discovered the children swimming in the pool of his Cable Beach property and restrained them before contacting police. In the triple-zero phone call, Radelic can be heard saying he caught three kids and got them “tied up”, requesting police attendance. The operator questioned Radelic on what they were tied up with and whether they were injured. “They’re just scared and crying,” Radelic told the operator. Once police arrived, body-cam footage shows the attending officers interviewing Radelic, who said he was “beyond frustration” due to no consequences of previous offenders breaking into his property. The court was told the Cable Beach property had been broken into four times between December 2023 and January 2024, with repair costs estimated to be around $10,000. There is no suggestion the children involved in the incident caused previous damage. Radelic’s defence lawyer, Seamus Rafferty, argued during the one-day trial last month his client was acting lawfully by conducting a citizen’s arrest, describing him as a “victim of crime”. During the sentencing submissions on Friday, Mr Rafferty disclosed there had been a significant impact on his client in Broome, including being subjected to violence and loss of business. Police Prosecutor Mícheál Gregg argued it was unreasonable for the children to be cable-tied if they were compliant, calling it “dehumanising”. Handing down his sentencing remarks, Magistrate Deen Potter found Radelic’s use of force was not reasonably necessary given the length of time — 37 minutes — the children were restrained. Noting his “towering” figure, Magistrate Potter highlighted how the incident would be distressing to the children, as well as the wider community after the images circulated online. However, Mr Potter noted Radelic “did not act out of great frustration” when restraining the young children and was mindful to point out he didn’t touch the children in any other way. “There are no physical markers of the cable ties on the children,” Magistrate Potter said. “However, it is an inexcusable fact that the children were very young and distressed by their captivity.” Magistrate Potter fined Radelic $1,000 per charge, suspended for 12 months. He was also granted a spent conviction. Speaking to media outside the Broome Court House, Radelic said he still believed the police took too long to attend the incident. It was revealed during the trial hearing in September that local police classified the job as a priority three call, meaning officers took 37 minutes to respond. Police confirmed in a statement earlier this year that they were called to the home on Conkerberry Road about 2.15pm on March 5 for a reported trespass incident. “Officers arrived a short time later and found two children — a six-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy — had been physically restrained,” it said. “The officers called St John Ambulance to assess the children, who were reunited with family members soon afterwards. “Police later identified and located a third child who had been detained — an eight-year-old boy who had fled the scene prior to police arrival. “The man, from Broome, was taken into custody, interviewed over the matter and charged. It is alleged the force used to restrain the children was not proportionate in the circumstances. “The man was granted bail and is due to appear in court at a later date. Police continue to work closely with the affected families and acknowledge the challenging circumstances surrounding this incident. “Community members are encouraged to allow the court process to run its course.” Police later described the incident as “confronting”.