Friday, July 28, 2006

Somebody to lean on

WA Attorney General Jim McGinty commissioned a study into the possible intimidation of jurors in cases involving organized crime figures.

The issue was raised by police after a not guilty verdict in the Metro Nightclub stabbing trial, which saw all the accused walk free, despite the inherent dangers posed to staff and general public by the incident, the shooting of Scorpian Boys' Nabil Dabag and the near-fatal injuries sustained by Coffin Cheaters' Troy Mercanti.

Mr McGinty said it's possible jurors could feel afraid to return a guilty verdict because of the public profile of the accused and that the threat or perceived threat posed by these cases needs to be assessed so juries can be protected adequately and the integrity of the court system ensured.

It's the first study of its kind in Australia and will be conducted by Murdoch's Judith Fordham.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Greens offer free harry to Victorians

The mad monk last week branded a Green's proposal to supply long term heroin users with the drug for free as 'loopy stuff.'

The Greens proposal would mean free heroin for long-term users, the opening of shooting galleries across Victoria, and abolishing penalties for possession of non-trafickable amounts of drugs.

Alex Wodak, director of St Vincent's Hospital's alcohol and drug service, said harm-reduction programs like shooting galleries and needle exchanges have been proven to be successful.

Figures suggest Melbourne's heroin overdose deaths this year, have already been reduced by almost 90% from that seen in 1999 when heroin was purer and more freely available.

But the drop in overdose deaths is relative to the escalation of amphetamines use and mental illnesses attributed to the use of it.

The Greens are rumoured as likely to hold the balance of power in Victoria's state government after the November elections and they say current approaches are not working and the free heroin trial will reduce harm and save lives.
Sideshow captive Sydney evades Irish authorities.
Traffic stopper...

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Deja Vu?

Morris Iemma has convinced Peter Breen it's best for him to resign after comments made in his book, Life as a Sentence.

Some media are suggesting Breen was asked to resign due to homophobia in the NSW ALP, but it would appear that the issue sprang from Peter Breen saying one of the three men convicted of raping and murdering Janine Balding was innocent.

Morris Iemma made statements to the media that Mr Breen's comments were offensive, but which part of them was he referring to?

Outwardly, it would appear that the NSW ALP would prefer social exclusion via the across the board vilification of criminals, no questioning of judiciary outcomes and perhaps, no expression of love between men.

Mr Breen's book explores the justice process in the convictions of the men and makes claims about where investigations could have fallen short recommending more thorough testing and maintaining the innocence of one of the men convicted, 'Shorty' Jamieson.

Breen's book discusses his close friendship with two of the killers, and Breen describes the situation as being similar to instances in his past where he looked into court cases which had questionable outcomes. Admittedly, there are certain phrases which are not commonplace in describing Aussie male heterosexual relationships.

The furore started after a story by the Telly which looked at the instance from a more emotive angle, and an editorial describing Breen's book as a 'loony crusade.'

After watching Australian Story last night it would appear that it is becoming increasingly common for citizens to question court findings, and memories of the Mickelburg, Button and Beamish appeals would suggest Breen's stance might not be quite so 'loony.'

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Iaria inquest continues

The testimony of one of the original investigating police officers, implicated Danny Murtagh 45 of Shepperton, and James Collyer, a former worker at LaTorre's farm, in the death of 20 y/o Rocco Iaria, on a tip-off from an informant.

Murtagh and several members of the LaTorre family refused to speak at the inquest on the grounds that they might incriminate themselves.

The officer also said he thought a number of people had been involved in burying 'Rocky' Iaria's body & at the time he went missing, there were rumours of the LaTorre family being involved in Melbourne's Honoured Society which took part in illegal activities in Victoria.
btw
A 42 y/o Kealba man has been detained in the killing of Fairfield lawyer, David Robinson, and cops at the St Kilda Rd HQ are questioning the suspect and searched his home & car. The witness to the shooting has apparently seized on the endless marketing opportunities the tragedy presents and tried to sell his story to 2 tv stations.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Bugger!

A 32 y/o police officer was found in good condition, on Queensland's highest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere, after being lost in 'rugged' FNQ bushland since Saturday.

While SES volunteers sang out coo-ees to one another as they searched, they were surprised when the missing officer joined in.

The SES crew, who had been searching since Monday, said he was living off the land near Russell River, eating witchetty grubs and termites, as he'd been taught by the local Aboriginal people.

The SES said the usual tracks and paths had been destroyed by Cyclone Larry, making the country hard to navigate.

And if you think he had it tough...

The high-profile Explorers Club in New York, hosted a simply to die for bug-banquet at their Manhattan digs for all those who just can't get enough grubs since getting lost on their last trek.

The menu consisted of worms, crickets, scorpions(USD $30), ants and pigeon pate, tarantulas(USD $175), maggots and exotic parts of various livestock such as eyeballs, testicles and penises.

The chef Gene Rurka advises the best option for worm preparation is to disguise them as a pretzel, tying them in a knot like the salty dough snack, and to serve them with mustard.

He serves a mean Texan ant tart and maggot stuffed mushrooms - "They're delicious," he said. "I was going to say like a tasty rice grain, but soft. It's not chewy like that."


Maybe a new sideline for Spicey...
Oz not a happy place

The Happy Planet Index created by a British think-tank called the New Economics Foundation has deemed Australians are ranked precisely the 139th happiest people currently, out of the 178 countries assessed in the world.

Stuff Disneyland, the tropical island paradise of Vanuatu is, rather unsurprisingly, the happiest place on earth.

Swaziland, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine, & pass-the-prozac-please-worst-country-Zimbabwe, apparently need to get a bit of work done.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Police look for family court suspect

The solicitor shot in Fairfield last night worked mostly in the family court and as such, police suspect his killer may have been related in some way to family court matters involving 56 y/o David Robinson.

In an eerie coincidence, David Robinson showed up at his office, at precisely the same moment some gun-wielding unknown person tried to set fire to his office.

His alleged assailant had shoved a lit piece of paper through the letter slot in the front door and similar at the office's back door.

Media reports say Robinson got into an argument in the back alley behind the office with someone before being shot.

Mr Robinson was accompanied at the time by his 21 y/o son, for whom, apparently, he had gone to the office to print out a uni assignment.

Lawyer shot in Fairfield

Early reports say a solicitor was shot dead on the street in Fairfield.


Melbourne police are looking for a man who fled after the shooting & are asking any witnesses to the murder to come forward.

Cold case hots up with lawyer's advice found on tape

A Victorian barrister, Phillip Dunn, told a client he would stand a better chance of acquittal if his coaccused 'fell out' of their trial, for the half-million dollar heist of jewellery and cash belonging to Bendigo market gardeners, Annette and Stephen Monti.

While Rocco Iaria was ten years younger than his coaccused, Vince Paul Latorre, he still knew enough to tape the conversation
with his co-ee's lawyer, because he said it 'didn't sound good.'

He hid the tape in case something 'happened to him' & after discovering it, his brother, Anthony, played the recording at the Coronial Inquest in Shepperton yesterday.

Twenty year old Rocco Iaria was last seen on September 6, 1991, his body was found covered in lime and wrapped with plastic in a grave in a cemetery in Pine Lodge, near Shepparton, on February 19, 1998.

His chest and back had multiple shotgun pellet wounds and his hands were bound behind his back.

In a search of Vince Paul Latorre's Shepperton property after Mr Iaria's disappearance, police discovered lime & packaging tape similar to those used in the death of Mr Iaria.

Coroner, Paresa Spanos, is conducting an inquest into the 15 y/o case.
Grave robbers on highway to hell
Bon Scott's National Trust listed grave in Fremantle Cemetery has had the brass plaque stolen from it, on what would have been the legendery rocker's 60th birthday.

Doug Thorncroft, head of the Bon Scott Fanclub, said the grave draws thousands of rock 'n' roll pilgrims every year and said he thought the theft had probably been perpetrated by someone who got too wasted on Saturday night & subsequently took a stroll through the cemetery(as you do??!).
NTA say they'll replace the plaque for WA's only contemporary listing and that security issues may be looked into.
* If only Bon Scott had visited the 17,000 y/o rock carvings in Burrup, they could be protected too...

Saturday, July 08, 2006

1700 Drug addicts who lived to shoot up or straighten up another day...

The King's Cross Shooting Gallery has had its 5th birthday.

Some of the stats quoted are:
*Registered 8912 injecting drug users
*Nearly 310,000 hits in total
*About 220 hits a day that would have been done in unsafe places

*it has treated 1752 overdoses on site without a fatality, 91% were heroin/opioids
*the centre had referred users to rehab programs on 5380 occasions


NSW opposition leader, Lib's Peter Debnam, said he would close the centre if elected premier next year, despite the centre having the support of residents, police and the NSW Minister for health, who share the opinion that there have been significant improvements in the area since the centre opened in May 2001. Notably coming up for an election next year, Mr Debnam claimed the centre was funded by taxpayers when it is actually paid for with the 'proceeds of crime' funds seized by police.

The good the bad & the downright ugly of the debate can be found here the final evaluation of the success of the centre is due mid 2007.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Sorry folks, a lurgy's got me - my temperature gauge is broken and I have a frog in my throat - back on Fridee.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Just say no... to drug addicts in Maribyrnong

Today in Melbourne Project Reduction started, which will see court orders sought to prohibit loitering by drug addicts who are not residents within the allocated 31 square kilometre area.

The sweeping move is an attempt to curb the predominant underworld drug and crime culture that to many, characterizes Melbourne and to prevent particular suburbs from
being constant targets of heroin-related crime.

The Project Reduction area covers the Maribyrnong region which includes Footscray, Braybrook, Yarraville, Maidstone, Tottenham, Seddon, Kingsville, West Footscray and Maribyrnong.

Drug rehab workers, human rights activists and various prominent others have spoken out about the initiative, saying it infringes on the human rights of the addicts and criminals and that the project will merely move the problem to other areas.

The project has its critics, but the revolutionary strategy isn't really that new, with similar exclusion zones around schools in the USA delivering heftier penalties for offenders busted in those zones.

There are wider implications to the restrictions, such as the prohibitive costs of rental accomodation in this region determining the ways in which the area can be used, and by whom, subsequently preventing an equitable social balance. However, the primary concerns of residents' safety and their right to the quiet enjoyment of their homes, plus the dangers of drug use, dealing and anti-social behaviour
cannot be ignored.

Perhaps the breaking-up of these established criminal networks in Melbourne's Maribyrnong region may assist addicts to be exposed to a greater diversity of social and rehabilitative influences.