Broken Fathers Podcast

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Guest - Mick & April Fox
Mick grew up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and lived independently from age 16 following his parents' early separation. His youth was marked by significant hardship, including losing one close friend to suicide at age 17 and another to murder at 18. He has two brothers, each separated by a 13-year age gap. Rugby league became a cornerstone of his life, and he continues to train at his old club to mentor and guide younger players.
 
Though Mick faced two assault charges at age 23 while completing a carpentry apprenticeship, his life shifted when he met his partner at a football game and became a father to his daughter, April, at age 22. He embraced fatherhood and eventually built a family home on a farm.
 
Inspired by his grandfather's WWII service and great-grandfather's WWI service, Mick joined the Australian Army at age 28.
In 2000, he marched into 3 RAR and deployed to East Timor the following year. During this deployment, his family situation deteriorated. After a patrol, his sergeant informed him that April’s mother had called the battalion while heavily intoxicated to report a bizarre incident involving a naked Navy officer outside her home.
This exposed a severe, ongoing issue with alcohol and multiple overdoses in her life, creating a complicated family environment that profoundly impacted Mick and his children.
Alcohol had become a serious issue in April’s mother’s life, alongside a history of multiple overdoses — creating an increasingly difficult family situation for Mick and his children.
After suffering a serious back injury in East Timor, Mick underwent 14 surgeries and was eventually discharged from the Army in 2004. Just four weeks later, he flew to Iraq to begin private contracting, before later working in Somalia.
In 2006, while Mick was home on leave, April’s mother overdosed. April was only seven years old. A second overdose followed in 2008, prompting Mick to leave contracting behind and return home to support his family.
But the situation continued to deteriorate. After a third overdose in 2009, Mick says the family became caught up in AVO proceedings and serious allegations, including a rape allegation that he maintains was false.
Then, on 16 April 2010, Mick narrowly survived a shooting in which his friend was murdered in front of him.
His story would take yet another extraordinary turn when his home was deliberately burnt down under circumstances Mick says raised serious questions about changes made to insurance policies shortly beforehand.
Eventually, Witness Protection became involved.
Mick and his daughter April open about these events, what really happened behind the scenes, and the lasting impact it had on their family.
By this point, Mick had had enough. Feeling like his voice wasn’t being heard, he decided to send a message that couldn’t be ignored — he would climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge in protest.
Mick began conducting reconnaissance and, on 12 May 2011, completed a Bridge Climb tour to familiarise himself with the bridge, its anchor points and access routes.
The following morning, Friday 13 May 2011, Mick arrived beneath the bridge at around 4am, leaving a walkie-talkie and note in his car for police. Once on the bridge, he secured his banners and called Matty Johns’ radio show to deliver his message about parental alienation and the family court system
While speaking with police negotiators, Mick agreed to come down but asked not to be handcuffed in front of the cameras because he didn’t want his children seeing that on the news. The protest gained national attention, and Mick says he received close to 30,000 messages on Facebook afterwards.
For April, the story was deeply personal. She remembers a happy childhood riding horses and being homeschooled, while loving both her parents unconditionally. But she also remembers the difficult times surrounding her mother’s drinking and witnessing her father being arrested.
At around 12 years old, April was placed into witness protection under a new identity. She struggled to understand why her father had been taken away while she remained in an unstable environment, leaving her with a lasting distrust of authority.
April eventually returned home in 2017. She says seeing her dad on the Sydney Harbour Bridge had always made her proud, and the memory helped carry her through some of her darkest days.
In 2019, April climbed the Beenleigh Bridge, framed a photo from the moment and sent it to Mick for Father’s Day.
Years later, the story came full circle when Mick, April and his son climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge together — this time, not in protest, but as a family.
 
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Episode 35
Guest - Pete Dane
This is a touching story of a man, by the name of Peter Dane, who has really seen it all - literally from both sides of the fence, and I mean both sides! 
By all accounts, Peter was an upstanding law-abiding citizen, having spent 19 years working within the NSW law enforcement and criminal justice system, to then being managed by it! 
He was hard-working, a loving, and devoted father, a genuine, straight-shooter, and all round good bloke, that so many people easily got along with! 
Unfortunately, after having separated from his now ex-wife back in late 2016, after having spent 18.5 years together, things turned sour quite quickly! Having three (3) children from this union, his ex-wife began to make things very difficult for him in seeing his children (constantly withholding the children from him and playing mind games etc), whereby he was forced to commence family court proceedings in order to gain fair access. Such family court proceedings went back and forth through the family court system for about five (5) years or so, costing him hundreds and thousands of dollars along the way, and at the end, very little was gained!
Shortly after his separation from his ex-wife, his ex-wife began to bring their personal marital/relationship issues into his workplace (via her attending the house of, and speaking to one of Peter's female work colleagues at the time), coupled with her making multiple fabricated, vexatious, and malicious allegations against him, which in turn caused Peter enormous and irreparable damage to his work environment and relationships with his then work colleagues. This was all in part to his ex-wife "rebelling" and her "resentment" against the separation, as she made a comment to Peter just prior to him leaving the family home, saying words to the effect of "The moment you walk out this door, I'm going to make your life a fuckin living hell, make no mistake about that, you hear me"! By all accounts his ex-wife was a very "scorned", "spiteful", and "resentful" woman! 
In late 2017, about 12 months or so after his marriage separation, Peter (with reservations at the time) began a new relationship with a woman he met and fonded a strong relationship with through work. What appeared to start out great, soon turned out to be a living nightmare! Peter describes how his new partner (now ex-partner who he was in a romantic relationship with for about two (2) years), was fixated (on his ex-wife), and would constantly bring up matters involving his ex-wife and her toxic and hostile behaviour. His ex-partner would constantly (on a near daily basis) engage in heavy alcohol use (to the point of intoxication), whereby she would become extremely aggressive, abusive, threatening, throwing objects at him, and constantly looking for and wanting to engage in heated arguments and confrontations, namely over matters his ex-wife had and was continually causing etc! She would also make up things to start an argument, that simply weren't there or true! 
Peter describes how once his ex-wife became aware of his new relationship, things with his ex-wife deteriorated rapidly, and spiralled out of control, whereby she took things to another level! Peter describes how he was subjected to countless violent threats, abuse, hostilities etc from his ex-wife and some of her family members; he was subjected to physical assaults by his ex-wife, including attempts by his ex-wife to run him over in her motor vehicle while their three (3) children where inside, his ex-wife turning up to his house uninvited and creating a scene at the house (yelling, screaming, making verbal threats etc), including kicking the front door, amongst many other incidents. 
Peter explains he made about 11 reports to police about these various incidents, seeking an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) be taken out against his ex-wife, but it was to no avail. It was only after his 12th police report being lodged, and his car being damaged by his ex-wife, that police finally took out a ADVO. Despite such, Peter advises that his ex-wife not only breached such ADVO once, but twice, and in turn was only given a "verbal warning" from the Courts regarding such breaches. 
Given the significant toxic and hostile issues Peter was experiencing, namely involving his ex-wife, and ex-partner, coupled with the access limitations he was having in being able to see his three (3) children at the time; Peter's mental health had deteriorated rapidly, to the point whereby he sadly made numerous suicide attempts, resulting in him having to spend many weeks in and out of the ICU, hospitals, and psychiatric units. By all accounts, Peter should have been dead by his poor chosen actions at the time, but by some absolute miracle, he is thankfully still alive and here with us which is amazing!
Sadly, in late 2019, things between him, his ex-partner, and his ex-wife continued to rapidly deteriorate, coupled with the fact his three (3) children were being withheld from him by his ex-wife, which had tipped him over the edge. Very sadly, and unfortunately, as a result of Peter reacting, acting out, and engaging in some very poor choices and poor behaviour on a particular night, he found himself in some serious trouble with the law, whereby he was charged by police with several DV related offences, to which he plead guilty to, and was subsequently incarcerated for! 
It takes a real man to own up to his mistakes, and Peter fully and openly acknowledges, accepts, and takes full responsibility for all his wrongdoings, his poor choices, and his unacceptable behaviour (without minimising), regarding the events of what happened on that horrendous night! 
This is definitely a life-changing story on so many fronts, which is not to be missed!!
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Episode 34
Guest - Adrian Perez
In one of our most confronting and emotionally powerful episodes, Adrian Perez shares the unimaginable reality of being separated from his daughters through parental alienation. With remarkable honesty and vulnerability, he recounts the events that led to losing contact with his children and the profound grief that comes from missing years of their lives.
Adrian speaks openly about the emotional rollercoaster of navigating the family court system, the financial and psychological toll it has taken on him, and the heartbreaking moments of watching precious milestones pass by from a distance. He reflects on the feelings of helplessness, isolation, and despair that so many parents experience when they are denied meaningful contact with their children, while also discussing the importance of maintaining hope in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Throughout our conversation, Adrian highlights the long-term consequences that parental alienation and high-conflict family disputes can have—not only on parents but, more importantly, on children. He shares the coping strategies that have helped him continue moving forward, the lessons he has learned through his journey, and why he believes awareness, reform, and open conversations are essential to protecting families.
This episode isn't simply about one father's heartbreaking story. It's a conversation about resilience, unconditional love, mental health, and the enduring bond between a parent and child. Adrian's courage in sharing his experience sheds light on an issue that often remains hidden behind closed doors and offers hope to others who may be walking a similar path.
Whether you're a parent, grandparent, legal professional, mental health practitioner, or someone wanting to better understand the human impact of family separation, this episode is both thought-provoking and deeply moving. It serves as a powerful reminder that every family has a story, and every child deserves the opportunity to have healthy, loving relationships with the important people in their lives whenever it is safe to do so.
In this episode, we discuss:
Adrian's journey through parental alienation and family separation.
The emotional, financial, and psychological impact of prolonged court proceedings.
The devastating effects of losing contact with his daughters.
The importance of resilience, mental health, and finding purpose through adversity.
Why greater awareness and meaningful conversations around parental alienation matter.
Adrian's message of hope for parents facing similar challenges.
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Episode 33
Guest - Benson Tan & Collette Farron
For years, Benson stayed silent.

Not because he had nothing to say, but because he was silenced.

Now, after years of court battles, separation from his daughters, false allegations, legal proceedings, and a relentless fight to remain part of their lives, he is sharing his story publicly for the very first time.

From being best friends since the mid-90s, to creating two beautiful daughters together through IVF, life took a path no one could have imagined.

What started as an amicable co-parenting relationship after his wife had multiple affairs eventually turned into a nightmare. Following an incident where his ex-wife assaulted his partner, a DVO was put in place on him, communication was cut off, and a father was suddenly unable to see or speak to his children.

After years of fighting, consent orders were finally reached, offering hope that a meaningful relationship with his daughters could be rebuilt. But the battle didn’t end there. Constant allegations, ongoing court appearances, and repeated attempts to stop contact took their toll.

After years of emotional, financial, and legal exhaustion, he reached a point where he simply couldn’t keep fighting.

This is the story of a father who never wanted to walk away but was worn down by a system and a process that seemed determined to keep him away.

When the legal battles ended, the emotional impact remained.

This episode isn’t just about one father. It’s about the cost of family breakdown, the challenges of navigating complex legal systems, and the resilience it takes to keep showing up when every door seems closed.

After years of staying silent, he’s ready to share his experience.

This is his story.
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Episode 31
Guest - Len Jessop & his partner Angela 
On this episode I am joined by author of A Lethal Phobia, Len Jessop, and his partner Angela — who wrote the foreword to the book.
Len is a father who has not seen his children in nearly three years. His love for them has never waned, his door remains open to them forever, and he is so proud of them both.
Shaped by a stoic father and a mother with a heart of gold, Len's personal story is one of sacrifice, resilience, and defiant endurance. We also find time to talk about rugby league.
In this conversation we cover the domestic violence industry and the uncomfortable truth that deaths are rising despite record funding. We discuss a peculiar and largely unknown Queensland law that Len believes represents a genuine risk to anyone accused under it.
We talk about how compliance, self preservation, and institutional preservation consistently appear to take precedence over uncomfortable facts — and why those who challenge the accepted narrative so rarely find institutional support for doing so.
We talk about the designed machine — Len's argument that the system is not broken but functioning exactly as intended. His criticism is directed at systems and institutions rather than individuals — and that distinction matters.
We discuss perception versus reality — and the framework Len developed for getting closer to truth. Base Reality plus Context plus Cui Bono.
He talks about choosing life when the darkness was at its deepest and why he believes nobody should throw away their ticket.
This is an honest, evidence based, and at times confronting conversation about a system that affects far more families than most Australians realise.
His book — A Lethal Phobia — is available now at alethophobia.com.
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