Arizona man tries to exclude Australian police testimony

An American man is trying to prevent Australian police from testifying at his upcoming trial. Donald Day Jr., 60, from Arizona, was arrested in December 2023. He faces charges for making threats and illegally possessing firearms. Day has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Day is linked to a tragic incident involving the Train family in Queensland. Between May 2021 and December 2022, he allegedly communicated with them about their extreme beliefs, which played a role in a deadly shooting in December 2022. The Train brothers, Nathaniel and Gareth, killed two police officers, Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and a neighbor, Alan Dare. Day's lawyer, Jon Sands, recently filed a motion in court. He argues that evidence related to the Train family and the shooting should not be allowed. Sands believes this would ensure a fair trial for Day. He claims that Day should not be blamed for the actions of the Trains, who are now deceased. Sands wants the court to limit evidence to a basic statement of facts instead of emotional testimonies from Australian police. A coroner's inquest in 2024 revealed that the Trains held paranoid beliefs, thinking they were in a last battle against evil. Sands argues that prosecutors are trying to connect Day's lifestyle to that of the Trains. The Queensland police have provided witness statements indicating they found messages exchanged between Day and the Trains during an investigation. Day's trial in the US is set to begin in late April 2025.