Former MAFS star Stacey Hampton talks about Federal Court case in South Australia

A former Married At First Sight star has opened up about why she is battling with the Australian Federal Police in court, claiming she is still in the dark about why the cops raided her house and confirming she will seek damages if she wins her case.

Stacey Lee Hampton, speaking with NCA NewsWire outside Federal Court in Adelaide on Wednesday, argued that an AFP search of her house in September 2023 was unlawful and an “abuse of power” because the warrant launching it was “too ambiguous”.

“On the search warrant, on its face, it’s quite vague, so given that, it’s unlawful in terms because search warrants can’t be vague, they have to be quite clear on the allegation and the reason they are at your house, especially a Commonwealth one,” she said.

“The allegation itself is not clear, the scope is not clear, so it is very broad, it allowed for an abuse of power.”

She also said the police had not released any material to her outlining the reasoning behind the raid.

“I haven’t received anything,” she said.

“That’s why I tried to change the order today and we did, we got it.

“Because they wanted me to file another affidavit, but it didn’t make sense because I need them to respond to my claims first before I can then write back and respond to that because at the moment it is just my claim.”

The court was told Ms Hampton was originally scheduled to submit further affidavits in the case, but Ms Hampton objected before Justice Patrick O’Sullivan and asked that the AFP and Services Australia submit affidavits to her before she provides further evidence.

Paul d’Assumpcao, counsel for the AFP and Services Australia, did not object to Ms Hampton’s request and Justice Sullivan ordered the AFP and Services Australia to submit affidavits by May 17, with May 24 listed for Ms Hampton’s reply.

Substantive arguments in the case will be heard on July 31.

An earlier mid-July date was changed after Ms Hampton told the court that one of her sons would undergo surgery in early July.

Ms Hampton has two sons, Kosta and Kruz, that she shared with former Rebels bikie boss Shane Smith.

Mr Smith died in a motorcycle crash in Adelaide in September 2022.

Ms Hampton has not been charged with any crimes and there is no accusation of any wrongdoing on her part.

She said she had gone to the courts as a “matter of principle”.

“I haven’t been arrested and nothing has come from this,” she said.

“But to me, it’s the principle, the fact they came to my house for no reason, as an admitted lawyer, at 6am, with my two children who had lost their father, and traumatised us.”

She said she would pursue damages against the government if she won her case.

“What’s that done to my mental health, my children’s health, also my work, being able to work,” she said.