Greta Bus Driver Facing Additional Charges

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Dozens more charges have been laid against the driver behind the wheel during the Greta wedding bus tragedy.

Prosecutors have revealed 58-year-old Brett Andrew Button will face 63 charges when he appears in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday.

He's already charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, as well as a back-up charge of negligent driving.

He'll now also face an added 9 counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Police and prosecutors have also charged him with 25 counts of misconduct while in charge of a motor vehicle, in relation to the 25 injured survivors of the crash. 

 

Image: Newcastle Herald

 

Man Charged After Gun Found In A Car At Raymond Terrace

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A man is before court today, charged with traffic and firearm offences following a vehicle search at Raymond Terrace.

About 9:50am yesterday, Traffic and Highway officers were patrolling the Raymond Terrace area, when they saw the driver of a car stop in a driveway on Irrawang Street and run from the vehicle.

A subsequent search of the car allegedly revealed a firearm located inside.

Following inquiries, a 37-year-old man was arrested at a home on Glenelg Street a short time later.

He was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station, where he was charged with multiple offences. 

He was refused bail to appear before Raymond Terrace Local Court today. 

Hunter Valley Bus Crash Driver's Records Sought By Prosecutors

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Prosecutors have been granted access to the employment and medical records of the driver of the bus which crashed in Greta last month, killing 10 people. 

58-year-old Brett Andrew Button is charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and was granted strict conditional bail on the 13th of June. 

He has not yet entered pleas. 

The Newcastle Herald reports Mr. Button's next appearance in Newcastle Local Court on the 9th of August will likely determine whether the brief of evidence has been filed. 

Image: Newcastle Herald

Two Men To Face Court Over Alleged Shooting At Karuah

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Two men have been arrested and charged, following an investigation into an alleged shooting at Karuah. 

Emergency services were called to an address on Bundabah Street at Karuah just before 7:00pm on Wednesday, following reports a man had been shot.

Police were told two men had arrived and allegedly shot the 55-year-old male resident, before stealing a Rolex watch and fleeing the scene.

He was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Following inquiries, at about 12:55pm yesterday, Raptor Squad detectives stopped a car on Ada Street in Belmont and arrested the 40-year-old male driver. 

During a search of the man, police located and seized a knife, and he was taken to hospital under police guard in a stable condition.

Another 59-year-old man was arrested shortly after at an address on Terence Avenue in Lake Munmorah. 

They will both face Belmont Local Court today. 

Armed carjacker faces court

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

A man appeared at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday morning relating to an armed carjacking on Monday.

At 4pm it is alleged Scott Burns threatened three people with a firearm at a Charlestown shopping centre before stealing their vehicle.

Lake Macquarie police officers were unable to locate the vehicle on Monday, arresting the man on Wednesday at a home on Emerald Street at North Lambton.

At the home, the police seized clothing and items believed to be illicit substances, which are awaiting forensic examination.

It is alleged he aimed a firearm at police during the arrest.

The thirty-two year old was charged with fourteen offences including robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon and possessing a loaded firearm in a public place. 

The man was refused bail and will re-appear in court in August

Newcastle Courthouse

Students Rally Behind Maitland Teacher Charged with Assault

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Students rallied in support of a Maitland Grossman High School teacher as he arrived at court today. 

62-year-old Michael Kable is charged with common assault, after police were called to the school on the 21st of March, on reports a student had allegedly been struck by a male teacher.

Supporters say Mr Kable was pushed to his limit and was regularly subject to taunting and abuse from students. 

His matter has been adjourned to the 27th of April while he seeks further legal advice. 

Image: Newcastle Herald

Three Charged After a Man was Allegedly Detained and Threatened in Wallsend

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Three people have been charged, after a man was allegedly detained and threatened in Newcastle last month.

It's alleged a man entered another man's car and threatened him with a knife at about 1:00am on Thursday the 16th of February, in the carpark of a fast food restaurant on Cowper Street at Wallsend.

He demanded cash before the 31-year-old victim was able to escape the vehicle.

Following inquiries, Raptor North police arrested a 32-year-old man on the Esplanade at Speers Point at about 1.40pm yesterday.

Believing the attack was part of a group operation, police then executed three search warrants at homes in Speers Point, Adamstown, and Macquarie Hills, where they seized cash, steroids, weapons and suspected fraudulent documents.

A 29-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman were then arrested at Adamstown.

All three were refused bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court later today. 

Man Accused of Orchestrating Stockton Murder Dies in Jail

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A man accused of orchestrating the murder of Stockton grandmother Stacey Klimovitch has died in jail. 

Stuart Daniel Campbell was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, but his lawyer was informed the morning of, he had passed away. 

Police allege the former partner of Ms Klimovitch’s daughter, employed Canberra man Jason Paul Hawkins to execute the 61-year-old.

Mr Hawkins and Stephen John Garland have also been committed to trial for the murder. 

Image: Newcastle Herald

Man Charged With Manslaughter Over Fatal Hunter Valley Crash

 BY IAN CROUCH

A man has been charged with manslaughter following a deadly crash in the Hunter Valley last year.

Emergency services were called to Flaggs Road at Merriwa on October 1, 2022 following reports a Toyota Prado had left the road and rolled a number of times.

A 10-year-old boy died at the scene, while the male driver and a 15-year-old girl were airlifted to the John Hunter Hospital for treatment.

Following inquiries, crash investigators arrested the driver, now aged 47, at a home at Gungal on Tuesday.

He was refused bail to face Muswellbrook Local Court today (Wednesday 8 February) charged with several offences including manslaughter and dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm. 

 

Emergency Services were called to Flaggs Road on Saturday October 1, 2022 Picture: News.com

Man found not guilty of murder in New Lambton baby death

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The man accused in the death of a six-month-old baby in New Lambton in 2019 has been found not guilty of murder, but has been convicted of manslaughter by a jury in Newcastle Supreme Court.

Jie William Smith already pleaded guilty to manslaughter ahead of the two-week trial, arguing the boy's mother inflicted the injuries, and because of those earlier injuries, the boy had a seizure and fell out of his arms.  

The 31-year-old admitted he was negligent in not seeking medical attention before it was too late. 

It's not clear if the jury believed him to be negligent, or because they believed he had inflicted the injuries, without intending to kill or do grievous bodily harm.  

Mr Smith will return to court for sentencing in November.

Hunter police charge man over alleged sexual assault at house party

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Detectives with the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District have charged a man with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage woman.

Police allege the woman was assaulted at a Port Stephens house party on Saturday night. 

It's understood the woman informed partygoers before the man had left.

The 29-year-old man was arrested at Hornsby Police Station on Sunday.

He's been granted strict conditional bail to appear in court in April, where he faces five counts of sexual touching and one count of sexual assault.

Teenage boy sparks police pursuit across the Hunter

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A 14-year-old boy has seen court on Tuesday after being charged following an alleged break and enter and pursuit in a stolen vehicle across the Hunter.

About 2.50pm on Monday, a 78-year-old woman was inside a home on Kookaburra Parade at Woodberry, when a teenage boy entered the home through an unlocked rear door.

Police will allege in court the teenager threatened the woman with a rock and took her car keys.

The woman attempted to grab the keys from the young person before a brief struggle where she was pushed to the ground.

The teenager fled the scene a short time later in a silver Nissan Tiida.

Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced inquiries in the area.

A short time later, Traffic and Highway Patrol police were patrolling the nearby area when they observed the Nissan driving on Anderson Drive, Beresfield, before the vehicle mounted a pedestrian footpath towards Beresford Avenue.

Police activated warning sirens however the vehicle failed to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit continued through several suburbs, with road spikes successfully deployed southbound on the M1 near the Wallsend exit.

The Nissan continued onto Link Road where the pursuit was terminated due to safety concerns.

Police continued to patrol the nearby area before the vehicle was sighted at Harper Avenue, Edgeworth, where three people fled into nearby bushland.

Two teenage girls, both aged 14, were located hiding under a house on Neilson Street.

A perimeter was established, and with assistance from the Police Dog Unit, a 14-year-old boy was located a short time later in bushland near Harper Avenue.

All three teenagers were arrested and taken to Toronto Police Station.

The teenage boy was charged with armed aggravated break and enter commit serious indictable offence, police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly and take & drive conveyance without consent of owner.

He was refused bail to appear at a children’s court today on Tuesday.

The two teenage girls were dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.

Hunter courthouses to go solar-powered with new State program

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Hunter courthouses are set to be a little more energy efficient, with a new solar panel program rolling out across New South Wales.

The $1.8 million rollout is part of the State's push to halve emissions by 2030, and hit net zero by 2050.

Broadmeadow, Muswellbrook, Toronto, Belmont, and Woy Woy courthouses will all get the upgrade.

The buildings will also be outfitted with energy saving LED lighting and motion sensor activation in rooms such as meeting rooms and bathrooms.

The program's expected to generate 2,311 MWh of electricity a year, or reduce annual carbon emissions by 360 households. 

Work on the upgrades will begin early next year and is expected to be completed by June.

Man Charged Over Vandalism Of Several Train Stations Across Hunter and Sydney

BY ISABEL EVERETT

A man is due to face court on Wednesday, charged over several acts of vandalism at train stations across the Hunter, Sydney, and Central Coast transport networks.

Following inquiries, officers from the Police Transport Command executed a search warrant at a home in Blue Haven, Central Coast about 10am on Tuesday.

During the search, investigators located sketch pads, spray paint, a mobile phone, three cannabis plants in a hydroponic setup and 16g of dried cannabis. These items were seized to undergo forensic examination.

A short time later, a 19-year-old man was arrested at the property and taken to Wyong Police Station.

He was charged with 21 offences, including:

• seven counts of malicious damage,
• cultivate prohibited plant,
• possess prohibited drug,
• five counts of face blackened/disguised with intent to commit indictable offence, and
• seven counts of enter/remain on running lines.

Police will allege in court that the man vandalised trains and infrastructure at railway stations in Kingsgrove, Maitland, Campbelltown, Hamilton, Lidcombe, Telarah and Gosford.

It will also be alleged the man then uploaded these acts of vandalism to social media.

The man was refused bail and is due to appear in Wyong Local Court on Wednesday. 

A 35-year-old Newtown man was also charged earlier in July following reports railway infrastructure and trains had been vandalised with graffiti across  Sydney and the Central Coast transport network.

He remains before the courts.

Investigations are continuing.

BREAKING! 21-year-old Lily Maree Ridgeway Refused Bail Over Alleged Stabbing Murder in Raymond Terrace

BY ISABEL EVERETT

21-year-old Lily Maree Ridgeway has been refused bail in Port Macquarie Local Court on Tuesday over the alleged stabbing murder of Jason Adams, who was found in Raymond Terrace with a fatal stab wound to his torso on Saturday morning.

The 27-year-old man was found at the corner of Payton and Watt Streets, it's believed he'd been living in a nearby house after recently being released from gaol on parole.

Police arrested the Taree woman at a North Haven motel south of Port Macquarie early on Monday morning.

Police say the alleged victim, Mr Adams and Ms Ridgeway were not in a relationship but were known to each other.

The matter has been referred to Newcastle Local Court for the 29th of April, where Ms Ridgeway will appear via video link for an update on the brief of evidence in the case.

                                   Alleged Offender, Lily Maree Ridgeway      Photo: Facebook 

Whitebridge Relieved as Controversial Development Loses

BY TIM MOORE

A proposal for the four-storey Fettlers Whitbridge building project was rejected on Friday when the Land and Environment Court handed down its verdict on the highly controversial development plans.

The project has been a source of tension for residents for over six years now.

The Whitebridge Community Alliance have been a loud voice throughout the process as a group of locals passionate about preserving their community.

A spokesperson from the Alliance, Len McCarthy, said they have welcomed the decision and is optimistic about future efforts against development.

"I hope it stiffens the backbone of Lake Macquarie Council a little bit to take developers on more often... It was a very comprehensive judgment from the court and it showed that the developer had absolutely no grounds to force [the council] to grant them permission to build a fourth storey on the development at Whitebridge."

Despite the judgment, the developers are reportedly intending to continue taking Land and Environment Court action against the Lake Macquarie Council in order to modify previous agreements to further develop community resources in exchange for building permission.

Mr McCarthy said that the community's efforts are necessary to help preserve the area and hopes their action serves as an example to others facing similar circumstances.

"Developers like this only have one speed, and that is to squeeze every possible dollar out of any development, with no respect for the community at all... The attitude the community has to have is to come out fighting right from the start, otherwise they will just run all over you and you lose your community."

Image: realestate.com.au

Further support for vulnerable court victims

By SANZIANA TIMIS


NSW Parliament has made further protective changes to court procedures for vulnerable witnesses of sexual assault trials by allowing evidence to be recorded.

Current victim support laws have now been expanded to include vulnerable witnesses, such as children and people with cognitive impairments, won't be prompted to give evidence multiple times.

This development comes as a package deal of further government reforms to court procedures, also providing a closed court for AVO hearings, which previously did not apply for individuals under 18 years of age.

Victim Impact Statements will also now be able to include details of emotional distress, damage to other relationships and any harm to members of the victim's family.

Kerry Thompson from Victims of Crime Assistance League says the changes are necessary to help victims get through sexual assault trials.

"Giving evidence in court is extremely traumatic, for most victims of crime, many people feel re-traumatized from the process of having to re-tell their story."

"So these changes really put a focus on victims of crime receiving specialized and emotional support, during that very difficult time for them."   

source: https://www.google.com.au/urlsa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiN3dawwaDeAhXLO48KHSGWC_UQjxx6BAgBEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmend.org.uk%2Fnews%2Fman-to-face-trial-for-alleged-racist-abuse-of-muslim-victim%2F&psig=AOvVaw0lRJlqUGf6i7WhynCnqkhS&ust=1540519736703799

Newcastle Court Workers stage walk-out

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

The judgement's in: working conditions at the Newcastle Courthouse are unfair, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.

This morning, Newcastle Court employees walked off the job for half an hour in a bid to draw attention to low pay and tough conditions in the under-resourced Court.

Members of the Union met outside Newcastle's Commonwealth Law Courts with Federal MP, Sharon Claydon, who is championing their cause for improved conditions.

The planned stoppage comes in the wake of an offer from the federal government to increase the Court workers' pay by just one percent; an offer rejected by 69% of Union members.

"Court staff have gone well over four years without a pay rise, and are still facing unfair cuts to their workplace rights and conditions," Union member Bronwyn Parris said.

"That's on top of the recent mergers, job losses and even more disruptive changes they know are coming," she continued.

Ms Parris said today's strike was part of ongoing industrial action that the courts are taking nationally, however it represents the first time local family court staff have been forced to resort to a walk-out.

"After four years of stuffing around, it's well and truly time for the bosses to wake up to reality and work with us on a just outcome."

Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members met with Federal Member for Newcastle @SharonClaydon outside the Commonwealth Law Courts to outline the conditions that have led to them taking strike action for the first time in decades. pic.twitter.com/eFxvO62b5D

— Newcastle Herald (@newcastleherald) November 29, 2017