Murder suspect stands for re-election in Australia

Incumbent councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden is seeking re-election. Most voters are too pre-occupied trying to dodge the flyer-thrusting politicians to notice a clue that this is not your ordinary campaign for a seat on the City of Gold Coast council. The 31-year-old is charged with murdering his stepfather, Robert Lumsden, at the family#39;s home in August last year. But concealed beneath his beige trousers is the outline of an electronic ankle bracelet - a device which allows police to track his movements.

He is perhaps the only Australian in recent history fighting both a political battle and a murder charge simultaneously. After being charged, Mr Bayldon-Lumsden was suspended from the council. He was still receiving his full salary of A$160,000 (£82,700; $105,000) a year. Critics say this means almost 50,000 people in his area have not had a voice.

If Bayldon-Lumsden were to be re-elected, it#39;s far from clear if or when he would be able to resume office. Deciding whether to suspend him again would fall on the Queensland Minister for Local Government, Meaghan Scanlon. No decision will be made until after the election. Jenna Schroeder is running as an independent in the Division Seven district.

She estimates up to 40% of voters do not realise the implications politically. She says: “I can appreciate that people really like him as a person, but we have to separate that person from the candidate and look at the community” Another contender in Saturday#39;s race, Edward Sarroff, believes Mr Bayldon-Lumsden should sort out his legal case before trying to get back into politics. He says: “I feel that the community, to an extent, have romanticised it. They want to feel like they#38;re helping this guy out.

That#40;s with the courts” In the nearby suburb of Labrador, the waterfront is packed with early morning joggers and locals walking with dogs and take-away coffees. Most people the BBC spoke to seemed oblivious to the peculiar situation playing out in their neighbourhood. His friends Ruby and Neil Luxford, say they found it worrying to learn their councillor was missing in action. Australians can cast a ballot in person up to a fortnight before an election day.

Sharyn Smith tells me she met Mr Bayldon-Lumsden at the polling booth earlier this week. I was surprised to see his name on the ballot paper given the circumstances. I thought it was a very strange thing,#34; Mrs Smith said. Mr Bayldon-Lumsden won with almost 80% of the vote after preferences at the last election in 2020.

Some of his rivals believe he can win again. Joel McInnes says he chose to stand because of the #34;bizarre#34;" situation. Bruce Byatt and Jenna Schroeder say Bayldon-Lumsden can still win. Baerbel Seifert says the councillor is the only one who has actually done something in the area.

The biggest anomaly is those disengaged voters who are voting for someone who they like the look of, once in the booth. For a man with such a serious charge hanging over him, Mr Bayldon-Lumsden seems relaxed. 34;We don#39;t know what happened in the legal case, so I think he deserves a chance to do it again,’ he says.

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