A Porsche driver accused of filming a dying policewoman after a horror Melbourne crash in April is back behind bars after allegedly putting a noose around a woman’s neck in an incident in his home.
Key points:
Richard Pusey had been on bail on charges linked to the Eastern Freeway crash that killed four police officers in April
On Sunday police were called to his Melbourne home after reports of screaming and items being smashed
Police allege Mr Pusey threatened a woman’s life and assaulted her
Richard Pusey was freed on bail in October while awaiting trial on charges of reckless conduct endangering life and drug offences linked to a crash on the Eastern Freeway that killed four police officers.
The officers had pulled over Mr Pusey on the freeway when a truck ploughed into them.
Mr Pusey was arrested on Sunday night and faced court on a series of fresh charges over alleged incidents at his Fitzroy home between Christmas Day and Sunday.
He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.
Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Joshua Prestney were killed in the crash on April 22.(Supplied: Victoria Police)
Documents reveal an allegation the 42-year-old assaulted a woman, put a noose around her neck and threatened to kill her.
He is also accused of sending abusive and derogatory text messages and making menacing phone calls, and committing offences while on bail.
Part of Mr Pusey’s bail conditions included a curfew and a requirement that he answer the door when requested by officers.
He has been charged with breaching that condition twice, including on Christmas Day.
Mr Pusey did not apply for bail and is due back in court on January 15.
A Hobart council has granted a Chinese company behind a controversial $80 million waterfront development on the city’s eastern shore an extra two years to start the project.
Key points:
Chinese developer Chambroad has proposed a tourism and hospitality training school at Kangaroo Bay on Hobart’s eastern shore
Chambroad says the project has been delayed by coronavirus, and the Clarence Council previously blocked the developer’s request for more time
On Monday night, the council voted seven-to-five to give the developer two more years to start work, with the mayor saying the previous decision was a breach of contract
At a meeting on Monday night, the Clarence Council voted seven-to-five to give developer Chambroad the additional time to start work on its proposal for a tourism and hospitality training school at Kangaroo Bay.
In a tied vote in October, the council blocked the company’s request to have more time to start construction on the project.
Mayor Doug Chipman said legal advice received late last week found that decision was in breach of contract.
“Unless we rectified the situation quickly, we were vulnerable to considerable damages claims,” Mr Chipman said.
Chambroad has blamed coronavirus for its inability to get the $80 million development off the ground.
There has been community opposition to the plans since they were first proposed about five years ago, mostly related to how the land was made available to the developers and the size and scale of the project, which some argue is out of step with the area.
Protesters gathered outside the meeting.(Facebook: Alderman Beth Warren)
Kangaroo Bay Voice member Cheryl Davison, who protested outside Monday night’s meeting, said she was sceptical coronavirus was behind the delay.
“I think many people in the community don’t believe those comments at all,” she said.
‘Secret’ meeting criticised
The council meeting was supposed to be held in secret, but a majority of alderman voted to make it public.
However, after the council agreed to open the meeting, it failed to unlock the doors to the council chambers and no-one was available to livestream the event.
Clarence alderman Luke Edmunds said it was “embarrassing” the open meeting could not be accessed by the public.
“The topic that we discussed had been done in [an] open meeting under public pressure before; there really wasn’t much extra detail,” he said.
“Anything that was commercial-in-confidence could’ve stayed in the closed part of the report.
“It’s really disappointing for me as an elected official that we have a vote to bring a closed meeting into the public, yet no-one on the council administration could see that coming and therefore were able to blame IT for holding the public meeting in secret.”
Ms Davison said she was disappointed the meeting was not livestreamed.
“Everyone from Kangaroo Bay Voice and anyone from the community would expect any meeting that was on formerly public, open space to be open,” she said.
Mr Chipman said it was usual practice for meetings based on legal matters to be held in private.
OLENA HRABOVENSKA, who owns several Polish food shops in Huntingdon and Peterborough, shudders to remember the Brexit referendum in 2016. The campaign to leave the EU had unleashed ugly prejudices. Cards about “Polish vermin” were posted through letterboxes. Her customers seemed despondent, asking: “what’s the point of being here if we’re not appreciated?” Soon afterwards, eastern Europeans’ numbers started to decline, but not because they rushed for the exit.
Eight Baltic and eastern European countries joined the EU in 2004: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Many of their citizens moved to Britain, which, unlike most European countries, imposed no transitional controls. But according to the Labour Force Survey, the number of adults in England and Wales born in those countries has fallen from 1,139,000 in 2016-17 to 926,000 (see chart). Other data tell a similar story. Last year fewer than 17,000 babies were born to Polish women—down from almost 23,000 in 2015.
The Brexit vote caused sterling to fall, reducing the purchasing power of remittances sent from Britain. Two years later the government told people who wanted to settle to prove they had been mostly resident for five years in a row—a test that some found offputting. “You are treated as a number,” says Aga Dychton, a Polish immigrant who is now chairman of Watford borough council. Yet all Europeans face these problems. The number of French, German and Italian immigrants has not fallen much; nor has the number of Bulgarians and Romanians, who have been able to work in Britain since 2014.
The countries that joined the EU 16 years ago have changed in a way that makes Britain seem less attractive. Marius Vainauskar, who moved to Britain in 2005 to take a job sticking labels on vegetables, remembers that he used to feel rich when he went back to Lithuania. Today he has a better job, as a driving instructor, but no longer feels so flush. Over the past 16 years the average wage in Lithuania has risen from 41% of the British level to 61%, at purchasing-power parity. And many eastern Europeans are underemployed in Britain. The Oxford Migration Observatory, a think-tank, finds they have the lowest pay of any migrant group and are the most likely to be overqualified for the jobs they do.
Ruta Dalton, an accountant originally from Lithuania, suspects that Brexit itself persuaded few eastern Europeans to depart. Some have left—but most of them would have gone anyway, pulled back by family obligations or simply because they had saved as much money as they wanted to. The big change is that many fewer eastern Europeans are coming. Last year only 77,000 people from the 2004 accession countries received a British National Insurance number. In 2015, the year before the Brexit vote, 185,000 did so.
This is not exactly a ringing endorsement of the “global Britain” that Boris Johnson boasts about. But attracting eastern Europeans would be getting harder even if sterling and the economy were strong and Britain went easy on the immigration paperwork. A baby bust after the fall of the Iron Curtain and years of emigration means there are fewer potential migrants left in eastern Europe. The United Nations estimates that the number of 18-year-olds in Poland has fallen from 598,000 to 340,000 since 2005.
New customers
Some immigrants are still arriving in Lincoln Road, the traditional starting-off point for newcomers in Peterborough. Shops that once specialised in Polish food now sell Romanian products. And Petr Torak, a former police officer who now runs a community centre, says that Roma from the Czech Republic and Slovakia are settling in the area. Unlike the Poles and Lithuanians who came before, they are fleeing persecution as well as looking for jobs. He struggles to imagine them returning to their homelands.
Ms Hrabovenska’s shops are doing fine for now. But, like a good businesswoman, she worries about the future. What will happen if Britain enters a prolonged economic slump and unemployment soars? If everyone ends up counting their pennies, she thinks, the eastern Europeans really will leave in a hurry. “They can count pennies in their own country,” she says.■
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Farewell to all that”
The truck driver involved in Melbourne’s tragic Eastern Freeway crash has pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing the deaths of four police officers.
Cranbourne father Mohinder Singh, 48, today admitted he was responsible for the deadliest incident in the history of Victoria Police on April 22.
Singh’s semi-trailer refrigeration truck ploughed into the police officers from behind in the emergency lane of the freeway after they had pulled over 42-year-old Richard Pusey in Kew.
Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Joshua Prestney were killed in the crash.
Singh’s defence lawyer Peter Morrissey SC told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today his client was “very sorry” for the fallen officers’ deaths.
Mohinder Singh has pleaded guilty to culpable driving. (Nine)
“He is very sorry for the deaths of the four police officers,” Mr Morrissey said.
“They are innocent people and he pleads guilty now and we will conduct the proceedings very respectfully in the Supreme Court.
“We would like to note the professionalism of which police conducted the investigation in this case, in very emotional and trying circumstances.”
The four police officers were impounding a Porsche on the Eastern Freeway at Kew when the truck ploughed into them. (Supplied)
Singh’s case will be upgraded to the Supreme Court due to the seriousness of the crime and high level of public interest.
The truck driver is pleading guilty to 10 charges, including four counts of culpable driving causing death, as well as drug trafficking and ammunition charges.
A number of charges were earlier withdrawn by prosecutors.
Police have called off the search for a missing yachtsman, whose vessel was discovered 145 kilometres off the coast of Lakes Entrance in eastern Victoria on Friday night.
Key points:
The solo yachtsman made radio contact early Friday morning when his sails became damaged in strong winds
The 62-year old planned to wait until morning to fix his sails, but went missing in four-metre waves
Police say the man is unlikely to have survived
The 62-year-old New South Wales man left Hobart on Friday, November 13, heading for Eden on the NSW coast.
After a week of sailing solo, the man came into strife in significant winds, in the darkness of night early Friday morning.
He made contact with the volunteer Marine Rescue Group, which monitors radio channels, about 2.00am to say his sails had been damaged in 75 km/h winds, rendering the vessel inoperable.
He told the volunteers he planned to wait until morning to pull the damaged sails down and put a new one up before making his way into Eden.
The officer in charge of Water Police in Victoria, Inspector Greg Barras, said a high-tech jet plane was dispatched by the Australian Maritime Search Authority in Canberra to search over rough seas.
“Sea conditions at the time were ‘sea state five’ and that’s waves of between 2.5 – four metres and that creates a really big challenge when you are looking for a small object in the water,” Inspector Barras said.
The man’s nine-metre yacht was spotted 81 nautical miles offshore at 8.00pm that night.
Container ship called to help
A police boat based at Paynesville was dispatched but it was a 22-hour return voyage from port to collect the yacht from so far offshore.
“Clearly from a fixed-wing it is very difficult to work out whether the person’s on board,” Inspector Barras said.
“We actually diverted a container ship to the location and the container ship tried to call him on radio and also sounded the horn and there was no presence on the boat.”
Inspector Barras said the water temperature was between 15-17 degrees Celsius at the time, and that in those conditions, the man would have only been able to survive for between 12-14 hours.
“By the time the searchers were able to get to him it was probably too late.”
Police are preparing a report for the Victorian Coroner.
There are fresh storm warnings for NSW and Queensland with severe storms expected batter both states this afternoon.
Parts of of NSW have already copped significant rain today, with Ulladulla on the state’s south coast doubling it’s annual rainfall total from last year after receiving more than 110mm of rain in under three hours.
Severe storms are set to turn the southeast of the Sunshine State decidedly un-sunny today, with the strongest likelihood of storm activity in the afternoon.
The ACT is also in for some wild weather today with Canberra expected to receive up to 60mm – in a month where it has already recorded more than triple its long-term monthly average of 62mm, with just over 130mm in the gauge so far.
Here’s your state-by-state forecast for Saturday, 31 October, 2020:
Large parts of Queensland are on alert for severe thunderstorms today, with new warnings in place for communities from Burnett in the north to Coolangatta on the Queensland/NSW border.
Severe thunderstorms will rapidly develop over the coming hours with very dangerous thunderstorms with giant hail and destructive winds likely to initiate along the dryline and extend eastward during the afternoon period.
Locations which may be affected include Gold Coast, Brisbane, Gympie, Kingaroy, Caboolture, Coolangatta and Ipswich.
Light to moderate northwest to northeasterly winds, turning southeast to southwesterly in western districts and southwest to northwesterly in the southwest.
Temperatures above average in the north and east, tending below average in the southwest. Highs of 31C in Brisbane and 34C in Cairns.
Fire Danger – Very High in the Peninsula, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, Central Highlands and Coalfields, and Darling Downs and Granite Belt Districts.
This stork struck Brisbane last weekend. Expect more scenes like this on Saturday. Image @chicodegales (@chicodegales)
A few showers and the chance of thunderstorms across much of the state, except the far northwest.
Some thunderstorms likely to be severe in the northeast and possible in central parts. Showers more persistent and tending to rain areas about the southeast, where heavy falls are possible.
Early fog patches. Daytime temperatures a little above average in the northeast, tending below average elsewhere. Highs of 15C in Canberra, 22C in Sydney and up to 30C in Grafton.
Northeast to northwesterly winds turning southeast to southwesterly across most of the State by the evening. Winds becoming fresh about the ranges, northern inland and along the coast.
Isolated showers about southern, central and eastern areas, more scattered about the east, contracting to Gippsland in the afternoon and evening.
Isolated thunderstorms about northeastern and central northern districts until early evening.
A cool to mild and mostly cloudy day with moderate southeasterly winds. Highs of 18C in Melbourne.
Fire Danger – Low to moderate
Light showers about the north and northeast in the morning then about the east in the afternoon and evening.
Mainly fine elsewhere. Morning fog patches. Light winds and afternoon sea breezes.
Highs of 19C in Hobart and 20C in Launceston.
The chance of morning fog patches about the ranges. A slight chance of a showers about the coasts of the Peninsulas, Kangaroo Island and the Mount Lofty Ranges, clearing during the afternoon.
Cool to mild in the south grading to warm in the north and far west. Moderate to fresh southeast to southwesterly winds, turning easterly in the west. Top of 21C forecast for Adelaide.
Showers and thunderstorms possible over the Kimberley, eastern Pilbara, North Interior, northeast Gascoyne, Goldfields and over southern and eastern parts of the South West Land Division.
Showers also developing over remaining western parts southwest of Dongara to Walpole late afternoon and evening.
A slight chance of showers and gusty thunderstorms over the Tiwi Islands and western Daly Districts. Partly cloudy in the western districts and sunny elsewhere. Very hot north of Tennant Creek.
Light to moderate northwest to northeast winds, tending moderate easterly south of Daly Waters. Winds fresh and gusty through central districts during the morning.
Fire Danger – High north of Yuendumu.
– Reported with Weatherzone and Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
The VFL is officially dead and Carlton will field it’s first stand-alone reserves side for in 19 years in a new-look 22 team second tier competition to launch in 2021.
The AFL confirmed on Thursday that teams will play in the yet-to-be-named competition for the eastern seaboard, with clubs to be based in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Of the 14 eastern seaboard AFL clubs, 11 will field standlone reserves teams with all the existing VFL clubs to be integrated in to the new competition.
St Kilda, Melbourne and Hawthorn will maintain their alignment with current VFL clubs.
The salary cap will be set at $200,000 for stand-alone clubs and $100,000 for AFL and aligned clubs and the AFL will subsidise all approved travel for interstate matches.
The Blues will have their own reserves side for the first time since 2002, after spending recent years aligned with the Northern Bullants, who will also be part of the competition.
Carlton Head of Football Brad Lloyd said a stand-alone reserves side was a massive boost for the club’s player development.
“We’ve spoken about the exciting talent we believe we have on our playing list and it is crucial we have a development pathway that gives us every opportunity to maximise that talent,” Lloyd said.
“A stand-alone VFL side is a big step forward in that regard. We will have complete oversight in regard to our reserve players on a game day, which will only further allow us to enhance their development during the week.
“Another benefit in combining our AFL and VFL program is that we will be able to streamline our resources in the football department. A financial reality to come out this year was a reduction in the football department soft cap across the AFL.
“While this has presented its challenges, we believe bringing our VFL program in-house will ensure we continue to enhance our player development pathway, which will ultimately lead to improved on-field performance at the elite level.”
Queensland clubs Southport and Aspley will come in to the competition along with reigning VFL premiers Port Melbourne, after the competition was abandoned din 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the re-born Northern Bullants.
Confirmed licences for the VFL and East Coast Second-Tier Competition:
