Man Arrested Over Multiple Threats

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

A man has been charged with multiple offences following a series of threats he allegedly made in the Maitland area on Sunday night.

Police heard the 44-year-old entered the front yard of a home on Cecily Close, East Maitland, at around 7:30pm.

It's alleged the man threatened an occupant of the home and left before returning with a rifle.

A struggle ensued between the pair before the alleged offender once again left.

Police were called to the scene but failed to locate the man.

About 3 hours later he was finally tracked down at Woodberry, where police say he had forced entry to a home on Redbill Drive before threatening and assaulting a 72-year-old woman inside.

With help from the Police Dog Unit, officers arrested the man at nearby Swallow Close following a short foot pursuit.

Officers later seized a rifle from a home on Cecily Close.

The man has been charged break and enter offences as well as common assault, stealing and destroying property and possessing an unregistered firearm.

He was refused bail to face court Monday, July 8th.

Nobody was injured in either incident and police believe the man knew both of the alleged victims.

Police on the Hunt for man who Robbed East Maitland Bank armed with a Firearm

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Investigations are continuing into an armed robbery at the East Maitland branch of the Maitland Mutual bank.

Police say just after 9:30 yesterday morning a man with his face concealed allegedly entered the building on George Street with a firearm threatening staff and demanding money.

He fled with a sum of cash.

The man was seen leaving the area in a white Holden Commodore with distinctive mag wheels driven by another man. The car had no registration plate.

No one was injured during the hold-up.

Police attended establishing a crime scene and also conducted a canvass of the area.

The armed man is described as being approximately 173cm tall and with a thin to medium build. Police haven't given a description of the driver.

Anyone with any information or saw anything is being urged to come forward.

Calls to think twice when you leave your car

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Maitland Police are urging residents to make sure they lock their cars after a spate of vehicle thefts in the area.

There were 15 reports of thefts between the end of June and the 4th July where valuable such as laptops, iPads, cash, handbags and wallets containing credit cards were stolen.

The credit cards which were stolen have allegedly already been used for fraudulent purposes. 

The thefts were from cars in Maitland, East Maitland and Ashtonfield, and police say most of the vehicles which were targeted, were unlocked at the time.

Five hour siege lands man in court

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The man accused of a five hour standoff in East Maitland over the weekend heads to Newcastle Local Court today with seven charges against him.

On about 12:45 Saturday morning police noticed a man run from an allegedly stolen car in Maize Street Tenambit and pursued him to Card Crescent at Maitland where it's alleged he broke into a unit and refused to come out.

After five hours and a number of specialist police including general duties, criminal investigation, rescue unit and specialist police, negotiators persuaded the man to leave the unit and he was arrested.

He was refused bail in Maitland Bail Court yesterday.

The charges against the 22-year-old include drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, two  counts of enter enclosed land without lawful excuse, destroy or damage property, break & enter house, and two outstanding warrants.

Police will also allege the car, a white Nissan Patrol utility, was stolen from a Shortland home last month.

Image MJF Productions Australia

Temporary carpark could become permanent

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Maitland Councillor Phillip Penfold is pushing for a temporary carpark at Greenhills East Maitland to be turned into a permanent fixture.

The 130 lot carpark is currently being used by workers for the revamp of the Stockland shopping centre, and has all the necessary drainage, guttering and asphalt to be permanent.

"The council a year or so ago organised a temporary carpark to be established for the construction of Stockland Greenhills - that will come to an end in a years time and they've done a great job with a field carpark and care of the drainage so that should be removed according to the agreement but I'd like to see that retained," said Phillip Penfold.

The license for the carpark expires in August 2018.

Phillip Penfold believes that with pedestrian crossings already available on Chisholm Road and Molly Morgan Drive, the space would be perfect for staff parking for those working in the new shopping centre.

"I would like to see us enter into a commercial agreement with someone as we move forward so that carparking can be retained and so the people of Maitland have as much available carpark on site at Stockland and at the Private Hospital," said Phillip Penfold.

Image hunterindependent.com.au

Centenary of the death of Maitland's Les Darcy

BY JARROD MELMETH and JESSICA ROUSE

Maitland will come together today to celebrate the centenary of the death of legendary boxer Les Darcy.

There will be a number of events today throughout the city where "Maitland's favourite son" lived and worked, and fell in love with sport of boxing which started his incredible career.

Les Darcy was one of the best middleweight fighters in the world and his career record finished at 50 fights with 46 wins before his tragic death at the age of 22 from blood poisoning.

Maitland Mayor Peter Blackmore says 100 years ago the people of Maitland all saw the boxer as someone to look up to and aspired to be him.

"People as I say were looking for somebody that they could support, they could follow, they could cheer on and I come back to the fact that just look at the 22 year olds nowadays. Could they have done what Les Darcy did in that time? 100 plus years ago? It was a sad loss, Maitland's favourite son, Les Darcy."

A service will be held at East Maitland Park at 12.30 today, while a plaque paying tribute to Les Darcy will be unveiled at the site where he used to work as a blacksmith.

"We have two schools that are sending about 60 children each to come along, and think of the impact that will have on those children that in sixty years time they can say I was there for the centenary of the death of Les Darcy, Maitland's favourite son. And it promises to be a spectacle," said Mayor Peter Blackmore.

Image maitland.nsw.gov.au

Another man arrested over violent East Maitland home invasion

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A second man has been arrested over a violent home invasion in East Maitland on Monday night.

Central Hunter Police arrested a 17-year-old boy at Seaham yesterday - he's since been granted bail and will face the Children's Court next month.

The boy is allegedly one of three people who forced their way into a home in Curtain Street earlier this week, punching and kicking a 20-year-old man to the ground.

19-year-old Jordan Hillier who was arrested by police on Molly Morgan Drive shortly after the home invasion, fronted Maitland Local Court yesterday.

He was granted strict conditional bail and the matter was adjourned to Newcastle Local Court on May 31.

Violent home invasion at East Maitland

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A 19-year-old man is facing court today after a terrifying home invasion in East Maitland overnight.

Just after 9pm, three males forced their way into a Curtin Street home and assaulted a 20-year-old male resident punching him to the ground while a fourth man waited outside.

A 20-year-old woman was at home at the time as well, when the man was kicked on the ground and left with minor injuries.

The four males then fled the scene in a silver vehicle.

It wasn't long before police found the vehicle in the carpark of a licensed premises in East Maitland, and a short time later, they arrested a 19-year-old man on Molly Morgan Drive.

He was charged with aggravated break and enter and commit a serious indictable offence as well as resist an officer in the execution of duty.

Police are still on the hunt for the other three men.

Gas leak in East Maitland

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Emergency services are still on the scene of a gas leak in East Maitland.

Crews were called to Quarry Street just before 9am this morning where its reported excavation workers ruptured a 110mm medium pressure gas main.

An exclusion zone was put in place 100m around the worksite, and 17 people were evacuated - they've now been able to return.

Around 30 firefighters were on site in breathing apparatuses and there were high gas readings within the exclusion zone.

Repairs to the gas main did require further excavations which are still underway.

Energy Australia were called to the site as well with around 290 homes also having their power cut as a precaution.