Thursday 31 March 2005

Four loved ones lost, two families grieve, The Australian, 31 March, 2005.

Four loved ones lost, two families grieve: [2 All-round First Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 31 Mar 2005: 6.
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For sister Kasey Rose Winter, 3, there was a pale-pink coffin decorated with love-hearts, butterfly stickers and My Little Pony toys.
The bodies of [Jake Aden Winter], Kasey, their father Stephen and mother Sally were found by a relative at the family's semi-rural home at Oakhampton Heights, near Maitland, 11 days ago. Police believe Sally Winter, 32, used a rifle to kill the children and her husband before turning the gun on herself.
A joint statement read out at the funeral detailed the lives of the family members. Stephen Winter's love of his grandparents' farm as a boy -- feeding cows, collecting eggs and trying to ride pigs -- was recorded, as was his occupation as a "decent mechanic".

FOR four-year-old Jake Aden Winter there was a little pale-blue coffin with a painted wooden image of Bob the Builder attached to one end.
And for sister Kasey Rose Winter, 3, there was a pale-pink coffin decorated with love-hearts, butterfly stickers and My Little Pony toys.
More than 700 mourners packed into St Joseph's Catholic Church in East Maitland in the NSW Hunter Valley yesterday for the funeral of all four members of the Winter family, who died in a murder- suicide.
The bodies of Jake, Kasey, their father Stephen and mother Sally were found by a relative at the family's semi-rural home at Oakhampton Heights, near Maitland, 11 days ago. Police believe Sally Winter, 32, used a rifle to kill the children and her husband before turning the gun on herself.
The families of Mr and Mrs Winter were close, and despite the tragedy, were united in their grief during the dignified service.
A joint statement read out atthefuneral detailedthelives ofthefamily members. Stephen Winter's love of his grandparents' farm as a boy -- feeding cows, collecting eggs and trying to ride pigs -- was recorded, as was his occupation as a "decent mechanic".      
Sally was remembered as a "fun-loving child" who in adulthood had determinedly pursued a career in nursing.
Father Brian Mascord recalled how the two had met while still at school and "shared a love of the outdoors".
He told of the birth of the children and how they were quickly taught "the art of fishing and enjoyed
many camping trips with their mum and dad".
The statement recalled the family's love of the rural life, with the kangaroos that dotted their property coming to the back door to be fed by the kids.
"It didn't take much to see the light that shone through their eyes. They brought so much joy into our lives. They left us with so many happy memories, too many to reflect on today. They will live on in our hearts forever."
Problems within the marriage have emerged in the aftermath of the killing. It has been revealed that registered guns were seized from the family home after a domestic incident was reported to police last July.
The guns were returned later because a report of the incident, which had been recorded as a "verbal argument", failed to lead to a prosecution or any action being taken, police said.
Police have confirmed the family had a history of domestic violence with both Mr and Mrs Winter applying for apprehended violence orders against each other in September last year. The applications were later withdrawn.
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Monday 28 March 2005

Easter road accidents claim 21 lives, The Australian, 28 March, 2005.

Easter road accidents claim 21 lives: [3 All-round Metro Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 28 Mar 2005: 3.
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There have also been five deaths in South Australia. Two people died on Good Friday at Kulpara, north of Adelaide, while another two died and four were critically injured early Saturday morning when their car struck a power pole at Torrensville, in Adelaide's west. A 23-year-old Plympton man was also killed when his motorcycle and a car collided on Thursday night in Marion in Adelaide's south.
THREE times as many people have died on Australian roads so far this Easter compared with the same period last year.
The toll stood at 21 at 9am yesterday. At the same point last year, seven people had died.
This year 12 people died on Good Friday alone. Only two people died on Good Friday in 2004.
Fourteen people died on the nation's roads during the holiday period last year but, with the count due to end at midnight, this year's fatalities look set to double that figure.
Victoria has the nation's worst toll, seven, after the death of a 19-year-old man early yesterday. Police said the man from Macleod, in northeast Melbourne, had been riding on the boot of a car and fell to his death about 1am.
In NSW, the toll climbed to five after an accident in the Blue Mountains. Police said it appeared a car had hit a power pole overnight. A female passenger suffered head injuries and died at the scene.
There have also been five deaths in South Australia. Two people died on Good Friday at Kulpara, north of Adelaide, while another two died and four were critically injured early Saturday morning when their car struck a power pole at Torrensville, in Adelaide's west. A 23-year-old Plympton man was also killed when his motorcycle and a car collided on Thursday night in Marion in Adelaide's south.
In Queensland there have been three deaths so far, and in Tasmania a driver was killed when his car hit a pole in Hobart.
Western Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory remained fatality free last night.
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Saturday 26 March 2005

Arresting accents foil 'robbers', Weekend Australian, 26 March, 2005

Arresting accents foil `robbers': [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, John. Weekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 26 Mar 2005: 9.
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Luke Carroll, 19, and Anthony Prince, also 19, a Kiwi with permanent Australian residency, are accused of robbing a bank in Vail, Colorado, of $US130,000 ($168,000).
Working off the tip the robbers could be Australian, police remembered an incident in January in Vail when Carroll and Prince were arrested for shooting out windows with air guns.
"The black ski masks and snowboard boots worn by two alleged bank robbers in Vail this week didn't necessarily make the pair stand out in the ski town," wrote the Denver Post newspaper. "But their Down Under accents may have given them away." Vail police chief Dwight Henninger told the Rocky Mountain News it was their size, their accents and the fact they were together that led to their prompt arrest.
AN Australian man and his New Zealand friend are spending Easter in a US jail accused of robbing a bank at a famous ski resort after their accents gave them away.
Luke Carroll, 19, and Anthony Prince, also 19, a Kiwi with permanent Australian residency, are accused of robbing a bank in Vail, Colorado, of $US130,000 ($168,000).
They were arrested last Tuesday at Denver International Airport with tickets to fly to Mexico.
Prince allegedly had $US7600 in cash in his pants and more cash hidden in his luggage. More money, about $US26,000, was found dumped in a trash can at the airport after the pair apparently became nervous about getting the cash past security.
The two men, who had been living and working in Vail, were visited in jail by an Australian consular official yesterday.
According to an FBI affidavit, staff at the Vail Village WestStar Bank who were held up by two men armed with air guns noticed thepair spoke "with a European or Australian accent".
As well, name tags worn by the masked robbers were similar to name tags used by employees at a sports store in Vail where Carroll and Prince worked.
Working off the tip the robbers could be Australian, police remembered an incident in January in Vail when Carroll and Prince were arrested for shooting out windows with air guns.
Their mug shots from that earlier arrest were then circulated to law enforcement officials throughout Colorado.
When the pair walked through a security checkpoint at the Denver airport, a security official, who recognised their faces from themug shots, asked another official to engage the two in a conversation.
"The accents played a critical role," US Attorney's Office spokesman Jeff Dorschner said.
The US media made great play of the amateur nature of the bank robbery.
"The black ski masks and snowboard boots worn by two alleged bank robbers in Vail this week didn't necessarily make the pair stand out in the ski town," wrote the Denver Post newspaper. "But their Down Under accents may have given them away." Vail police chief Dwight Henninger told the Rocky Mountain News it was their size, their accents and the fact they were together that led to their prompt arrest.
The FBI claimed both men had given "detailed confessions". Each faces up to 25 years in prison.
Their next court appearance will be a bail hearing on Monday in the US district court in Denver.
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Wednesday 23 March 2005

Coalition leader risked lives: Carr, The Australian, 23 March, 2005.

Coalition leader risked lives: Carr: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Jonathan Porter, John Stapleton, Additional reporting: Annabelle McDonald. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 03 Mar 2005: 7.
NSW Opposition Leader John Brogden had endangered police lives by revealing in parliament details of a bugging operation at the house of death-crash driver Jesse Kelly, Premier Bob Carr warned yesterday.
Mr Carr told parliament Mr Brogden had acted recklessly. "If police have a listening device at the home of a criminal, how dare you get up in this house and give the game away," the Premier told the Opposition Leader. "Never, ever, have Opposition leaders behaved like that. It's disgraceful. How dare you undercut a police operation? That potentially puts at risk police officers."
"I want this funeral to be a celebration," he said. "I don't want the funeral wrecked. Your mates like you, but they don't love you like they loved [Dylan Rayward]. I don't condone him getting in a stolen car, but Dylan was a good kid. They say I was a bad father, but I took him to football every week. He loved his football."

Full Text

NSW Opposition Leader John Brogden had endangered police lives by revealing in parliament details of a bugging operation at the house of death-crash driver Jesse Kelly, Premier Bob Carr warned yesterday.
The accusation came as the wanted man's father warned police to stay away from his son's funeral tomorrow and his grandparents made an emotional plea for the 20-year-old to turn himself in to police.
Mr Brogden had asked in parliament if a bug had intercepted 20- year-old Mr Kelly "identifying himself as the driver of the stolen vehicle several hours before presenting to Macquarie Fields police station and being allowed to walk free".
Mr Kelly remained at large last night, five days after the crash that killed his two mates Dylan Rayward, 17, and Matthew Robertson, 19.
Mr Carr told parliament Mr Brogden had acted recklessly. "If police have a listening device at the home of a criminal, how dare you get up in this house and give the game away," the Premier told the Opposition Leader. "Never, ever, have Opposition leaders behaved like that. It's disgraceful. How dare you undercut a police operation? That potentially puts at risk police officers."
Outside parliament, Mr Brogden said he was entitled to raise the matter because the listening device issue was raised on a Sydney radio station earlier yesterday.
Twenty-seven people have been arrested since the riots started, and 81 charges laid.
Jamie Rayward, father of Dylan Rayward, begged police to stay away from his son's funeral. The 44-year-old claimed police had laughed at him before he identified his son's blood-soaked body. He warned that if police showed up at the funeral the riots "are going to blow up again".
Mr Rayward said he had comforted Mr Kelly on Sunday night after the fatal crash. "All we did was cry together," he said.
"I want this funeral to be a celebration," he said. "I don't want the funeral wrecked. Your mates like you, but they don't love you like they loved Dylan. I don't condone him getting in a stolen car, but Dylan was a good kid. They say I was a bad father, but I took him to football every week. He loved his football."
Mr Kelly's grandparents, Peter and Barbara Perkins, urged the unemployed 20-year-old to give himself up.
"We have no idea where he is," Mr Perkins said. "But he knows he is going to do time -- he's prepared to do that.
"He's grieving very badly because he has the guilt of the accident on his hands," Mr Perkins said.
Ms Perkins said she feared Mr Kelly might be shot in the coming days, and encouraged her grandson to stay strong.
"We all love you and you'll do the right thing when the time's right when the police back off and leave Mac Fields alone," she said.
Dylan's brother Jarryd, 16, is to be released from jail for Friday's funeral.
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Two seized over bid to kidnap girl, The Australian, 23 March, 2005.

Two seized over bid to kidnap girl: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 23 Mar 2005: 5.
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What Zhi Ming Jiao was allegedly looking to hire was an assistant for an elaborate plan to kidnap the six-year-old daughter of a wealthy Chinese couple and hold her for $800,000 ransom.
Police proceeded to tape telephone conversations between Mr Zhi and a 45-year-old man, from Ashfield in Sydney's inner-west, who responded to the ad. Police also recorded several meetings the pair conducted at a hotel in Sydenham during which they allegedly put together details of the plot.
Mr Zhi was refused bail after prosecutor Kath Crumblin argued he was a significant flight risk and "may have access to falsified immigration documents". Ms Crumblin said Mr Zhi also had access to "substantial funds".
THE sinister classified advertisement placed in a Chinese community newspaper asked only for "debt collectors".
But what Zhi Ming Jiao was allegedly looking to hire was an assistant for an elaborate plan to kidnap the six-year-old daughter of a wealthy Chinese couple and hold her for $800,000 ransom.
NSW Police were alerted to the plot two weeks ago by the advertisement in the Australian Chinese Daily, a court heard yesterday.
Two men were later caught in secretly taped conversations planning to abduct the girl, drug her, put her in a box and demand the ransom.
Police proceeded to tape telephone conversations between Mr Zhi and a 45-year-old man, from Ashfield in Sydney's inner-west, who responded to the ad. Police also recorded several meetings the pair conducted at a hotel in Sydenham during which they allegedly put together details of the plot.
The men were arrested during early morning raids in Ashfield, and both were charged with the offence of "conspiracy to kidnap in company", which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment.
Mr Zhi was refused bail after prosecutor Kath Crumblin argued he was a significant flight risk and "may have access to falsified immigration documents". Ms Crumblin said Mr Zhi also had access to "substantial funds".
"As a result of the inquiries police have made they have found out that the defendant does hold a platinum membership at Star City casino, which you can only have if there is abundant financial resources," she told the court.
Robbery and Serious Crime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Peter Cotter said it was alleged the kidnappers planned to abduct the girl, drug her, place her in a box and demand an $800,000 ransom.
The family went into hiding when the police informed them of the alleged plot. One of the men involved had been seen near the family home.
By law, names of the family and the child cannot be published. They are believed to be involved in the IT industry.
"The plot to kidnap a person and hold them for ransom is a serious and cruel crime," Superintendent Cotter said.
"When the plan involves a child it is perhaps even more wicked." The family issued a statement yesterday saying they were grateful to the police for their expert handling of the matter.
"The family is pleased that this unpleasant experience is now over," they said. "We urge anyone within the Chinese community who has any information about this particular crime or any other crimes to speak out, come forward and contact police." The police also urged the subjects of similar kidnap attempts to come forward. Superintendent Cotter said: "I would urge any member of the community, particularly the Chinese community, not to suffer this type of crime in silence."
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Girl-in-a-box for $800K ransom, The Australian, 23 March, 2005.

Girl-in-a-box for $800K ransom: [2 All-round First Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 23 Mar 2005: 5.
Show highlighting
Police proceeded to tape telephone conversations between Mr Zhi, a 46-year-old Chinese-born owner of a Sydney-based textile exporting business and a 45-year-old man, from Ashfield in Sydney's inner- west, who responded to the ad.
Mr Zhi was refused bail after prosecutor Kath Crumblin argued he was a significant flight risk and "may have access to falsified immigration documents". Ms Crumblin said Mr Zhi also had access to "substantial funds".
Robbery and Serious Crime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Peter Cotter said it was alleged the kidnappers planned to abduct the girl, drug her, place her in a box and demand an $800,000 ransom.
THE sinister classified advertisement placed in a Chinese community newspaper by a Sydney businessman asked only for "debt collectors".
But what Zhi Ming Jiao was allegedly looking to hire was an assistant for an elaborate plan to kidnap a six-year-old girl, drug her and keep in her in a box while they negotiated an $800,000 ransom.
NSW Police were alerted to the plot two weeks ago by the advertisement in the Australian Chinese Daily, a court heard yesterday.
Two men were later caught in secretly taped conversations planning to abduct the girl, the daughter of a wealthy Chinese couple from Sydney's north.
Police proceeded to tape telephone conversations between Mr Zhi, a 46-year-old Chinese-born owner of a Sydney-based textile exporting business and a 45-year-old man, from Ashfield in Sydney's inner- west, who responded to the ad.
Police also recorded several meetings the pair conducted at a hotel in Sydenham during which they allegedly put together details of the plot.
The men were arrested during early morning raids in Ashfield. Both were charged with the offence of "conspiracy to kidnap in company", which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment.
Mr Zhi was refused bail after prosecutor Kath Crumblin argued he was a significant flight risk and "may have access to falsified immigration documents". Ms Crumblin said Mr Zhi also had access to "substantial funds".
"As a result of the inquiries police have made they have found out that the defendant does hold a platinum membership at Star City casino, which you can only have if there is abundant financial resources," she told the court.
Robbery and Serious Crime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Peter Cotter said it was alleged the kidnappers planned to abduct the girl, drug her, place her in a box and demand an $800,000 ransom.
The family went into hiding when the police informed them of the alleged plot. One of the men involved had been seen near the family home.
By law, names of the family and the child cannot be published. They are believed to be involved in the IT industry.
"The plot to kidnap a person and hold them for ransom is a serious and cruel crime," Superintendent Cotter said.
"When the plan involves a child it is perhaps even more wicked." The family issued a statement yesterday saying they were grateful to the police for their expert handling of the matter.
"The family is pleased that this unpleasant experience is now over," they said. "We urge anyone within the Chinese community who has any information about this particular crime or any other crimes to speak out, come forward and contact police." The police also urged the subjects of similar kidnap attempts to come forward. Superintendent Cotter said: "I would urge any member of the community, particularly the Chinese community, not to suffer this type of crime in silence."
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