After Taylor Swift's Australian tour, Australian photographer Ben McDonald expressed disappointment as law enforcement chose not to pursue additional measures following his allegations that the singer's father, Scott Swift, physically assaulted him by punching him in the face.
On February 27, the photographer found himself involved in surprising events after the conclusion of the pop star's Sydney performance.
After concluding her last show in Sydney, the "Cardigan" singer and her dad boarded a yacht and sailed toward the ferry terminal in Neutral Bay.
McDonald alleged that Taylor's father struck him in the face while he tried to snap photos of the 14-time Grammy winner.
Following the incident, McDonald complained of persistent discomfort in his facial area, claiming he had "very sore chops" for several days.
McDonald did not seek medical assistance, and after his claim, NSW Police initiated a thorough four-week investigation.
The investigation concluded on March 26, sparing Scott Swift from facing charges or further consequences.
Taylor Swift's Dad, Scott Swift, Dodges Legal Charges
McDonald, who is the owner of Matrix Media Group, expressed his displeasure following the recent police verdict.
As detailed by the Daily Mail, McDonald reported receiving numerous threatening phone calls and emails from Taylor's supporters. He said he was briefed by investigators who gathered statements from four security team members worldwide who were present at the scene and details from Scott Swift provided by his attorney.
In a recent statement to Daily Mail Australia, the "Lavender Haze" singer's spokesperson shared a situation where individuals approached her aggressively, engaging in a physical altercation with her security team and making threats towards a female staff member.
The photographers involved were described as aggressive.
In disagreement, McDonald argued against the claims, stating that Taylor was the sole woman in attendance. Additionally, he made the email from law enforcement accessible to the public.
"The evidence offered by Scott Swift and other witnesses raised self-defense as defense (lawful excuse) to the offense of common assault, thus putting an onus on the prosecution to disprove this," the police email said.
"On review of the evidence and legal advice, this cannot be disproved by the prosecution."
McDonald has requested his legal counsel review the findings, specifically regarding the use of "self-defense as defense to the offense of common assault."
He stated, "It is hard to imagine that Mr. Swift had such little confidence in the skills and expertise of Taylor's highly trained Close Personal Protection team, many of whom are former military (special forces), that he felt he had to personally come to his daughter's 'defense' and directly punch me in the face."
According to his statement, he was made aware that no security officers from Australia were present with valid licenses during that period.
"I believe Mr. Swift was tired and annoyed that we had found the spot they were taking his daughter off the boat, as evidenced by the video showing him raise his middle finger at us."
"(I believe he) just ran in seeing the opportunity to vent his frustrations with a sucker punch while I was otherwise distracted by the bodyguards."
In response to the situation, McDonald launched a counterattack against Swifties, accusing them of harassing him online.
"I find these mostly amusing as I believe them to be mainly from young fans just lashing out in defense of their idol and I do not take them seriously," McDonald said.
"That said, by and large I believe Police are hardworking and I thank them for their time irrespective of the result."
In a previous statement, McDonald claimed that a camera captured the events leading up to the conflict, revealing no indications of the photographers behaving in a hostile manner.
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