Saturday, August 28, 2010

Asylum seekers riot

From Perthnow website care of the Sunday Times on 29/8/10 titled "Illegal immigrants riot, light fire at Darwin immigration dentention centre"

A group of Indonesian men accused of people smuggling are allegedly at the center of a riot at Darwin's detention center.
A dozen men were visible on the roof of the Darwin Immigration Detention Centre this morning, where up to 500 people - mostly asylum seekers and Indonesian crew from boats stopped off Australian's northern coastline - are housed.
Earlier, a fire was visible at the facility, but authorities said the blaze was extinguished.
The Australian Immigration Department said the protest involved Indonesian crewmen who were upset about the processing of their cases for alleged people smuggling.
Department spokesman Sandi Logan said two of 151 Indonesian crewmen being held at the center climbed a tree about 4am and refused to get down. Others had since joined in, he said.
Under Australian law, all the crewmen on asylum seeker boats face people-smuggling charges, which carry a minimum of five years' jail.
Australia has a policy of mandatory detention for boatpeople and generally process asylum-seekers at Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, but increased numbers have forced the reopening of centers on the mainland.

Racist attack by gang

From the Ninemsn website 28/8/10 titled "Gang of eight females assaults group"
Four people have been robbed and assaulted by a female gang east of Ipswich after refusing a request for cigarettes.
Police said two men, aged 18 and 25, and two women, aged 21 and 23, were walking in the town of Bundamba just before 11.30pm (AEST) on Friday when six females asked them for directions and cigarettes.
When they refused, the women began assaulting them, a police spokeswoman said.
"A short time later a white Tarago vehicle pulled up and another two females joined in the assault," she said.
"The eight attackers have then all entered the vehicle and driven off in an unknown direction."
One of the victims had their wallet stolen, the spokeswoman said.
All four suffered minor injuries with one taken to hospital with facial injuries.
The original group of six females was described as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in appearance.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Attempted abduction of 11 year boy

UPDATE 12.55pm: POLICE are hunting for a man who attempted to abduct an 11-year-old boy in Dallas on Saturday.
The young boy was playing in the front yard of a home in Tooradin Avenue when he was approached by the man who tried to lure him with lollies about 3.30pm.
It comes after another 11-year-old Melbourne boy was lucky to escape an attempted abduction after he sprinted away from a man who offered him lollies to get into his van in Belgrave Heights, earlier this month.
In yesterday's incident, the man, described as having an olive complexion and dark hair with a rat's tail, motioned to the boy to try and get him to move closer to him.

He also spoke to the boy in a foreign language which the boy did not understand.
The 11-year-old ran inside to alert his parents to the man who fled the scene in a yellow sedan.
Detective Senior Constable Costakis Costa said the incident was particularly worrying.
"Understandably the boy was quite scared and afraid,'' Det-Sgt Berry said.
''(The man) didn't touch the child at all but it was quite evident that he wanted the child to come with him.
"This is a good reminder to the community to educate children about stranger danger and be vigilant," he said.
Police have released the image of a man they wish to speak to in relation to the matter along with an image of a car they believe is similar to that the offender drove.

Indian Taxi driver

From the Ninemsn website on 24/8/10 titled "Taxi driver ran down boy over $20 Fare"

An Adelaide taxi driver has admitted running over a boy after he refused to pay a $20 fare.
Dung Tran, 16, was left with severe injuries and required a leg amputation.
He had been travelling with a group of friends in a taxi driven by 22-year-old Baljeet Singh.
The group ran from the cab without paying the $20 fare, Adelaide Now reports.
Singh then allegedly drove his taxi on the kerb and hit Mr Tran.
Singh appeared in the District Court in Adelaide today and pleaded guilty to one count of causing serious harm by dangerous driving, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident after causing physical harm by careless driving.
He was remanded on continuing bail until next month.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Murder of elderly lady

Man jailed for 13 years for manslaughter
From the ABC news website on 20/8/10
written by Jason Rawlins

A man who broke into an elderly woman's unit on Queensland's Gold Coast before killing her and sexually interfering with her corpse has been jailed for 13 years.
Maurizio Perini, 38, killed Carmel Wuth, 76, at the Trinity Gardens Retirement Hostel at Southport in March 2008.
Perini was living at the hostel at the time but was to be evicted, later telling police he killed Ms Wuth so that he would go to jail and have somewhere to live.
He also said that if he had not been arrested he would have killed another resident.
The court heard Perini was intellectually disabled and his moral compass pointed in the wrong direction.
Justice James Douglas said that was evidenced in the cold and emotionless way Perini described his crimes to police.
Justice Douglas jailed Perini for 13 years and declared him a serious violent offender.
'Seeking advice'
Queensland Attorney General Cameron Dick is seeking advice about the adequacy of the sentence imposed on Perini.
He says the case involves very serious and complex matters, including a rulling by the Mental Health Court that the offender had an abnormality of mind.
An appeal can be lodged within 28 days from the day of sentencing.

Sudanese refugee murderer

Man jailed for screwdriver stab death
August 20, 2010 - 3:59PM taken from the SMH
A Sudanese refugee who fled his homeland to escape becoming a child soldier has been jailed for killing a countryman in Melbourne.
Stephen Tito and Afran Kodi both fled war-torn Sudan with their families for a better life in Melbourne, the Victorian Supreme Court heard on Friday.
But Mr Kodi's life ended after he was stabbed with a screwdriver by a drunken Tito following a barbecue on Boxing Day 2008 in suburban Reservoir.
Tito, who had consumed a bottle of bourbon and several beers, picked a fight with the unarmed Mr Kodi.
He stabbed his former friend three times, and the third blow pierced Mr Kodi's head.
Tito, 22, then kicked Mr Kodi's unconscious body in the chest, pulled the screwdriver out of his head and left.
Mr Kodi, 19, died in hospital the next day.
Tito, who was found guilty by a jury of manslaughter and acquitted of murder, was jailed for 10 years on Friday.
Justice Terry Forrest said one of the reasons Tito's family fled Sudan when Tito was aged 12 was because they feared he would be kidnapped and forced to become a child soldier.
The family came to Australia when he was aged 16.
Justice Forrest said Mr Kodi's family also left Sudan for a better life in Australia.
"Your actions cut short the life of a decent young man," he said.
"His family, like your family, came to this country in search of a better life.
"By your actions, you have inflicted a blow from which the Kodi family may never recover. Your family may never fully recover either."
Less than two months before the fatal stabbing, Tito had been convicted by a court of affray and intentionally causing serious injury and given a suspended sentence.
Justice Forrest noted Tito was alcohol-affected during that fight.
"It is clear enough that the abuse of alcohol is a problem for you, as it is for so many young Australians," he said.
"Young people in this state are being killed or seriously injured in alcohol-fuelled fighting on an alarmingly regular basis.
"People inclined to participate in these sorts of drunken fights must understand they do so at their peril and that the courts will not tolerate that type of conduct."
He said Tito, who had been doing a spray painting course at TAFE before the stabbing, had used his time in custody productively, completing many courses including anger management and a drug and alcohol program.
Tito told the court at his pre-sentence hearing he was sorry for what he had done and was determined to make something of his life.
Justice Forrest ordered Tito serve a minimum of six years and three months before being eligible for parole.
He has already served 602 days in custody.

Italian murders two by stabbing

From the ABC news for 20/8/10 titled "Man arrested in Italy over Sydney double murder"

A man has been arrested in Italy over the stabbing deaths of two brothers in Sydney's inner west last year.
Albert Frisoli, 56, and his 52-year-old brother Mario Frisoli were stabbed to death in their Rozelle home in May last year.
They were property developers, well known in the business community of the inner west.
Mario Frisoli had two daughters who made a public appeal for help, but after that the publicity surrounding the case died down.
That is because the suspect, Giuseppe Di Canni had left the country.
Yesterday he was arrested in the Italian town of Cosenza.
He is in jail now awaiting extradition to Australia.