Queensland’s chief magistrate has backed a policy of allowing prisoners to face court without handcuffs following a dramatic escape on the Gold Coast last week. Continue reading Senior Police and Magistrate Hold Security Meetings At Southport Court
Tag Archives: court
This Is What Police Have To Deal With
An Ashmont boy, 14, had this to say when police were considering giving him bail after his arrest for larceny: “Don’t give me curfew bail because I’ll breach it.” Continue reading This Is What Police Have To Deal With
Meth-fueled Man Sentenced For Intimidating Police, Forcing Court Evacuation
Dubbo, NSW. A methamphetamine-affected Grant Elton King smashed the police vehicle glass panel between him and police officers he was arrested by and made threats of violence against them as they drove to the station – but that wasn’t the end of his offences.
The next day when King, 36, was refused bail and despite being handcuffed with his arms behind him he stepped up on to the hand rail of the dock at the courthouse at Parkes and refused to get down.
Restraining him took four officers who resorted to using capsicum spray because King was aggressive and not compliant. The court was evacuated.
In Dubbo Local Court this month magistrate Philip Stewart sentenced King to a 21-month term of imprisonment with a non-parole period of 15 months for intimidating police.
Read more at Parkes Champion Post.
Editor: another example of why we need armed Police officers in courts, in every state and territory, and at all times.
Meet Those Accused of Family Violence – and the Lawyers Who Defend Them
Since last December, the Dandenong court has run a pilot to see how prioritising family violence intervention orders improves outcomes.
Under the pilot, the first appearance for those who have breached an intervention order is one week. For those on summons, mentions and contested hearings, it’s four weeks. Before the pilot, it often took three months for a case to be listed, due to the explosion in intervention orders, up 200 per cent from 16,889 in 2000-01 to 33,135 in 2013-14.
Offenders have high rates of recidivism, and dealing with matters promptly should protect victims by preventing an increase in the frequency and severity of further abuse.
But timely intervention is also good for perpetrators. Research published by the Centre for Innovative Justice in March on the pilot program suggests there is an ideal window of opportunity within the first days and weeks following police attendance or a court appearance, where the consequences of the perpetrator’s behaviour, the reality of the situation, has started to sink in and there is an openness to change.
“The early indications are good and clients are not coming back,” Scott says of the pilot.
Access to legal advice at this point is also essential. That sounds obvious – knowing whether to cop or contest charges or IVO applications requires evaluation of the evidence and advice on options.
But the reality is much more subtle than that. In effect, magistrates’ courts with family violence expertise offer a sophisticated triage system. At Dandenong, all clients with family violence-related matters are seen by either a VLA or Community Legal Centre lawyer, who refer alleged perpetrators to a suite of services to help them address problems underlying their offending, which commonly include drugs or alcohol, debt, anger management, mental illness and homelessness.
Read the (rather long) article in The Age.
Launceston Police Assaulted And Threatened In Stand-off
A Launceston man accused of having threatened to knife police and attack them with a toaster oven remains in custody. Police have charged the accused with the indictable offences of aggravated assault, having resisted police and having unlawfully destroyed property. Among other allegations, he is accused of having threatened to stab police with a knife and strike them with a toaster oven, having held police at bay for more than 12 hours and having trashed the walls, windows, furniture and fittings of a woman’s house.
Read more in The Examiner.
Source: www.examiner.com.au
Turning Point – Intervention Program Launched for First Time Offenders in WA
An early-intervention program designed to keep first time offenders out of courts and prisons has been launched by the State Government.
Police Minister Liza Harvey said the Turning Point trial would happen in the South East Metro and Broome policing districts.
Under the trial, low level, first time criminal offenders will enter a four-month agreement aimed at addressing the root cause of their offending, leading to having the charges dropped on successful completion.
Read more on News.com.au.
Source: www.news.com.au
Photo: Police Minister Liza Harvey and WAPOL Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan. Source: News Corp Australia.
Bunbury Hostage-Taker Is Escaped Mental Patient Behind Earlier Kings Park Siege
The man at the centre of the Bunbury siege is escaped Graylands Psychiatric Hospital patient David Charles Batty.
Dozens of police assembled on the banks of the Leschenault Inlet near the Bunbury CBD on Thursday evening after he allegedly strapped explosives to his body and sat in front of a hostage.
The siege came to an end early on Friday morning. After the hostage was released police fired two non-lethal rounds before swarming and arresting Mr Batty.
Mr Batty also triggered a similar siege situation in Kings Park in 2012 following which he was charged with several offences including aggravated assault with intent to commit a crime, attempting to cause an explosion with intent to destroy or damage property, and deprivation of liberty.
David Charles Batty, 53, has appeared in Perth District Court after he went missing for 13 months.
Appearing via video link from the Bunbury Courthouse, Batty was dressed in a blue t-shirt, blue pants and his wrists in handcuffs.
Prosecutor David Davidson told the court Batty had been due to be sentenced last year over the 2012 Kings Park siege where he held his elderly father hostage in a car, armed with a gas tank.
Mr Davidson said police expected to lay charges over the events in Bunbury within the next week “once the alleged victim is well enough to give a statement and officers at the scene make statements.”
Mr Dawson said Mr Batty’s escape put the spotlight on Graylands Hospital, which also faced several inquests into a spate of deaths at the facility in 2013. He said the government’s closure of wards at the facility could have compromised its security.
“If they’ve closed wards they probably have started to cut back on staff and this could have led to somebody who’s got a violent past escaping from the facility.”
Batty was remanded in custody at the Frankland Centre to appear on July 23.
Before leaving the court, Batty requested he appear in person at his next court date to let the public know about “a serial rapist is on the loose” and the release of a CCC report.
Read more in Illawara Mercury.
Source: www.illawarramercury.com.au
Court Protesters Support Alleged Whistleblower Officer
Supporters of a Gold Coast police officer stood down and charged with misconduct have gathered ahead of the man’s first court appearance.
A dozen people holding handmade signs and two printed banners are silently showing their support for Sergeant Rick Flori outside Southport Magistrates Court.
Sergeant Flori, 44, is facing one count of criminal misconduct in public office after allegedly leaking CCTV footage of colleagues assaulting a handcuffed man three years ago.
Members of the group are holding banners which read “Australia supports Sgt Rick Flori” while another handmade sign calls Sergeant Flori’s alleged actions “noble”.
Supporters yelled “go Rick” and “we’re here for you, keep ’em honest” as Flori walked into the courthouse.
The officers filmed carrying out the assault were subject to an internal police investigation, with two facing disciplinary action.
Read more in SMH.
Source: www.smh.com.au
Sunday Court Sittings Clear Perth Police Lockups On Weekends
Police are playing “babysitter” less often, with a first-year snapshot of Sunday court sessions revealing nearly 1500 people were cleared from jamming police lockups on weekends.
Attorney-General Michael Mischin has hailed Sunday court sittings a success by speeding up the justice process and freeing police officers to spend more time on the beat rather than minding offenders.
The analysis indicates the bulk of offenders before a Sunday magistrate are men aged over 30 on charges mostly involving stealing, burglary and disorderly offences as well as breaches of violence restraining and police orders.
Read more in The Advertiser.
Source: www.adelaidenow.com.au
With Trousers Down, Man Assaulted Officer And Threatened To Pee On Police Car
When Gladstone police saw Jayden Brae Halcro about to urinate on a wall at a block of units in Goondoon St at 2.30am, they jumped out of their car to stop him.
A drunken Halcro then foul-mouthed the officers, dropped his pants and threatened to pee on the police car.
He also later spat in the face of an officer.
Halcro, 27, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to serious assault of a police officer by spitting, assault and obstructing a police officer, and committing a public nuisance near the Reef Hotel on Sunday, March 22.
Halcro was sentenced to eight months jail, which was immediately suspended for two years, and ordered to pay $1500 compensation.
Halcro promised to stay away from alcohol in the future.
Read more in Gladstone Observer.
Source: www.gladstoneobserver.com.au