Newcastle Police Dog Tracks Driver After Reckless Car Pursuit

BY LILLY HAINES

A 36-year-old Wallsend Man has been arrested overnight following a police pursuit from Lambton to Maryland.

At around 12:20am this morning police attempted to stop a white Holden Barina on Newcastle Road in New Lambton, suspecting passengers traveling in the vehicle were not wearing seatbelts.

When the vehicle failed to stop, police engaged in a pursuit which led through Jesmond and Wallsend reaching speeds of 90km/h in streets with a limit of 60km/h.

The vehicle continued to drive in a reckless manner with passengers in the vehicle proceeding to throw objects at the pursuing police vehicle.

Police ceased pursuit of the vehicle due to safety concerns when the vehicle increased its speed to 110km/h on Minmi Road in Wallsend.

A short time later police received information the vehicle had stopped and the occupants had fled at Shortland Close in Maryland.

Police attended the area with the Dog Squad to establish a perimeter, where police dog 'Ulrich' and his handler commenced tracking the male driver.

Ulrich found the man attempting to hide in the front yard of a property in Prospero Street.

He was in possession of a knife and cloth manipulated for use as a face mask as well as a small amount of the prohibited drug 'ice'.

The man was arrested and taken to Waratah Police Station where he gave officers a fake name before police confirmed his identity using fingerprints and established he was currently on parole until 2021 having only been released from custody two weeks ago.

The parolee was charged with four offences including point pursuit - drive recklessly, learner driver not accompanied by licensed driver, custody of knife in a public place, and possession of a prohibited drug.

The man was refused bail and is set to appear at Newcastle Local Court today.

Image: Newcastle City Police

Inmate assaulted at Muswellbrook

BY JESSICA ROUSE

An inmate from St Helliers Correctional Centre near Muswellbrook is in hospital after allegedly being assaulted in his room by other inmates last night.

The 44-year-old was serving 10 years gaol for causing severe brain damage to a child, but is now eligible for parole after serving just six years.

The story went to air on A Current Affair last night, and police say after other inmates at the correctional centre saw the story they bashed the 44-year-old.

He's now recovering in Muswellbrook hospital with non life threatening facial injuries.

Image foreignprisons.com

Overdue crackdown on the state's justice system

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE and JESSICA ROUSE

Tougher justice reforms are aiming to quicken justice and strengthen sentencing and parole throughout NSW, and particularly in the Hunter.

Under the new reforms, violent sex offenders will be more easily targeted for ongoing detention, while a new 'no body, no parole' rule will motivate killers to disclose the location of unfound victim's remains.

The state government is investing more than $200 million in the reforms which will also include suspended sentences will be abolished and replaced by increased supervision from police, while sentencing discounts will be altered to encourage offenders to make earlier guilty pleas.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald is welcoming the reforms with open arms because it will both encourage people to reach a decision on their plea faster, and get police out on the beat and out from behind the desk.

"This is very important for somewhere like the Hunter - the police are telling us they're spending extended periods of time dealing with an offence and a case and then they're caught behind the desk, dealing with that and they're trying to deal with the prosecution, they're trying to deal with the defence."

Key stakeholders, including victims groups, law enforcement agencies and the legal profession will be consulted on the reforms.

"This is probably long overdue, we have people basically abusing the parole system, people who've been stringing out the justice process in terms of leaving their guilty pleas really late. We need better management of high risk sex offenders and violent offenders," said Scot MacDonald.

For more information: www.justice.nsw.gov.au/reform