A former child soldier, now a "well-recognised leader" in the ACT's Sudanese community, was recently jailed after he falsely branded another member of that community a witch and prostitute in an online video.
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But Deng Wac Kuol, 32, served less than two weeks behind bars before being released on bail while he appeals against the severity of his sentence.
An ACT Supreme Court judgment published on Friday revealed Kuol pleaded guilty last month to an offence under the Personal Violence Act.
Acting Justice David Robinson acknowledged that the allegations of witchcraft and prostitution, which were the subject of the offence, may not cause any great harm in Australian culture.
"The evidence before me, however, indicates that in Sudanese culture such a posting can have grave consequences," he said in his judgment.
"There is evidence that entire families in Sudan have been tracked down and murdered at the mere accusation of being a witch or a prostitute.
"There is also evidence of families being socially ostracised in the ACT Sudanese community in relation to such events."
Kuol's victim was ostracised from her church and community as a result of his false allegations, and one of her children was also bullied at school.
Acting Justice Robinson said Magistrate James Stewart had sentenced Kuol to five months in jail for the offence, with an order that the sentence be suspended once he had served three months.
The matter made its way to the Supreme Court last week when Kuol applied for bail just 13 days after sentencing.
He argued he should be released pending the outcome of his appeal, given he would otherwise serve the entire period of full-time imprisonment before the appeal could be heard.
In considering the bail application, Acting Justice Robinson said a post "apparently connected" to Kuol had appeared on social media three days after he was jailed.
The July 19 post included a photo of Kuol and audio, but it was not clear whether the voice in the audio was Kuol's.
Acting Justice Robinson said whoever it was appeared to be talking about Kuol's sentencing and describing Mr Stewart as "cursed".
Despite this and concerns about whether Kuol might continue to harass or intimidate his victim, Acting Justice Robinson last week found that bail suitable conditions could be put in place.
The judge agreed that Kuol should be granted bail because of the likely delay in his appeal being heard.
Kuol has an extensive criminal history across a number of Australian jurisdictions.
The ACT courts have heard that he has struggled with binge drinking and "impulsive behaviour" since arriving in this country in 2006 via a refugee camp in Kenya.
He had earlier served as a child soldier in the Sudan People's Liberation Army, and witnessed the killing of his grandfather when he was just 12 years old.
