By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Casey councillor Milla Gilic has described herself as left “in shock” and unable to stop weeping after the under-investigation incident with Cr Steve Beardon on 7 March.
Cr Gilic told Star News she wasn’t ready to speak in detail about the incident or what was said during the exchange outside Casey Civic Centre.
However, she accused Cr Beardon of “hateful”, “aggressive”, “dangerous”, “dishonest” and “threatening” comments towards her co-ward councillor Rosalie Crestani that made her feel unsafe.
“It escalated when he chose to become angry at me personally because I was defending her.
“Cr Beardon made it clear they were not only threats, (but) that he was going to do as he pleases, whether or not it adheres to the code of conduct.
“(He) was absolutely fine with people being hurt or having their families hurt in the process.”
After the incident, Cr Gilic said she was in shock.
“I couldn’t stop myself from crying, so I went back inside and went to hide in the councillors’ room.”
Her colleagues were in the room and comforted her.
She said the only third-party witness, Cr Rex Flannery, was within earshot during the entire argument, and she urged him to be “honest” about what he heard.
Cr Flannery has told Star News he didn’t hear a substantial amount of the alleged abuse.
Cr Beardon, in resigning, had “really let his community down”, Cr Gilic said.
“In my opinion it’s a betrayal on his part to those who supported him.
“He has wasted the council’s time and treated his role as a joke.”
