Category Archives: Australian police and policing

Woman illegally strip-searched by police ‘reasonably thought’ officers would call her a liar, judge says

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NSW seeking leave to appeal against successful class action including aggravated damages of $20,000 awarded to woman strip-searched at music festival

The woman awarded $93,000 after an illegal strip-search by NSW police thought until “just before” the trial that she would be called a liar in the proceedings by the officers who conducted the search.

This was despite the officers submitting statements 12 months before her appearance that they had no recollection of the woman or the search, a court was told on Friday.

Lawyers acting for the woman, Raya Meredith, and 6,000 music festivalgoers appeared before the NSW court of appeal on Friday in the final day of a two-day hearing where NSW is seeking leave to appeal after losing a class action over unlawful strip-searches conducted at music festivals between 2018 and 2022.

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Queensland police shoot pet dog after running it over as distressed residents watch on

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Graphic videos on social media appear to show upset onlookers after police accidentally ran over animal in Mount Isa street

Confronting footage has emerged of police shooting dead a pet dog as it lay prone in the middle of a street in front of screaming onlookers, after they accidentally ran over the animal in an outback mining city.

The graphic videos, posted to social media on Sunday afternoon, appear to show one resident in distress and being led away wailing and pulling at her hair in distress as a shot rings out.

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Two men arrested in connection to Dezi Freeman’s movements after Porepunkah shootings

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A 48-year-old and 35-year-old will be interviewed by police after their arrests at two separate locations in north-east Victoria

Two men have been arrested in connection to Porepunkah shooter Dezi Freeman’s months on the run after he killed two police officers.

Police on Tuesday said detectives had arrested the men – aged 48 and 35 – at two separate locations in north-east Victoria as part of Operation Summit, the investigation into Freeman’s movements after the shootings at Porepunkah.

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Three die in ‘horrific’ south Sydney vehicle crash after police welfare check

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A 42-year-old fled from police before being involved in a two-vehicle crash in Sans Souci, police say

Three people have died in a crash in Sydney after a man fled from police who had been attempting to carry out a welfare check.

Police officers had been called to a property in Gymea Bay, southern Sydney, at 12.25am on Saturday. When they arrived, a 42-year-old man drove away in a white Audi, New South Wales police said.

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Patient allegedly attacks several nurses, police and member of the public at Sydney hospital

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Calls for more security measures after man, 51, arrested over alleged assaults at Prince of Wales hospital

A hospital attack that left a nurse seriously injured has fuelled calls for improved safety and security after several violent incidents in emergency departments.

Police restrained a 51-year-old patient after he allegedly assaulted several nurses, police and a member of the public in a Saturday night melee at Sydney’s Prince of Wales hospital.

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NSW should think twice before banning ‘globalise the intifada’ after court struck down anti-protest law, legal expert says

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Another lawyer says ruling ‘puts brakes on the Minns government’s ability to use executive power to minimise people’s rights to protest’

The Minns government should think twice before imposing an outright ban on the phrase “globalise the intifada” in the wake of a landmark finding that could limit attempts to control speech and protests, a leading constitutional expert has said.

New South Wales’ highest court ruled in favour of the Palestine Action Group and Blak Caucus on Thursday, striking down an anti-protest law introduced after the Bondi beach terror attack that gave police the power to restrict marches, including the anti-Herzog rally in February.

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Victoria police arrest two people as part of Dezi Freeman investigation

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Man and woman released pending further enquiries after arrests at separate properties in state’s north-east on Saturday morning

Two people have been arrested as part of the investigation into how Porepunkah fugitive Dezi Freeman was able to survive on the run for seven months before he was shot dead on Monday.

A man and a woman were arrested at separate properties in north-east Victoria on Saturday morning around 7am, before being later released.

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Perth man accused of attempted terror attack at Invasion Day rally to plead mental health defence

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Lawyers for Liam Alexander Hall say the 32-year-old is undergoing treatment in custody

Lawyers acting for Liam Alexander Hall, a 32-year-old man accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth, have foreshadowed a potential not guilty by insanity plea.

Hall was scheduled to appear before magistrate Matthew Walton via video link from Western Australia’s most secure psychiatric facility on Tuesday, but did not. Instead the case was adjourned until May.

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Dezi Freeman shooting live updates: Victoria police give update on Australian fugitive shot dead after months-long manhunt

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Porepunkah fugitive, 56, had been on the run after allegedly killing two police officers in Australian alpine region in August

The chief commissioner is asked about the fact that the most recent update from police regarding Dezi Freeman indicated that they believed Freeman was dead. He is asked if that was a genuine belief or a tactic.

Bush responds:

It’s a very good question because, you know, we have to follow every avenue of inquiry and there was a lot to suggest that Freeman had taken his own life. But I can tell you standing here that our investigators – that’s why they’re professionals – keep their mind open to every possible outcome and follow every possible lead.

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Lawyers criticise ‘extreme’ arrest of Isaac Herzog protester after NSW police release video

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The 42-year-old is the 26th person charged after February rally against Israeli president that led to violent clashes between police and protesters

Lawyers have raised concerns that New South Wales police used heavy-handed tactics when arresting an anti-Isaac Herzog protester this week, after eight tactical officers were sent to their home at 5am and “smashed the door open”.

The 42-year-old was the 26th person to be charged after the protest at Sydney town hall in February against the visiting Israeli president. The police response on the night of the protest is being investigated amid allegations of police brutality.

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Queensland government criticised over ‘absurd’ decision to appoint former police officer to Legal Aid board

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Barrister who represented Indigenous Palm Island community says appointing Darren Robinson to the Legal Aid board is a ‘slap in the face to the family of Mulrunji Doomadgee’

A barrister who acted for Mulrunji Doomadgee’s family says it is “unacceptable” for a former police officer criticised for his conduct in investigating the 2004 death in custody to serve on the Queensland’s Legal Aid board.

Andrew Boe represented Doomadgee’s family and the Palm Island community council at an aborted coronial inquest in 2005 and then in subsequent inquests in 2006 and 2010.

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Petrol theft expected to rise in Australia as police call for more CCTV and prepaid pumps

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Amid a surge in fuel prices and fear of shortages, SA police chief signals officers might stop investigating ‘drive-offs’ unless service stations install prepaid pumps

The rusty green fuel trailer hardly looks like it is worth stealing. But some time before 1 March it was hooked up to the back of a vehicle and taken from a property at Huntley, south of Orange, in the New South Wales central tablelands.

It was just another in a series of thefts that police across Australia are keeping a watchful eye on.

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NSW police overusing ‘highly intrusive’ legal powers to monitor phones and computers, national watchdog finds

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Commonwealth ombudsman also finds Victoria and Queensland police not keeping adequate records

The New South Wales police force is overusing intrusive technology to monitor the phones and computers of people suspected of committing less serious crime, the commonwealth ombudsman has found.

The watchdog said Victoria and Queensland police were not keeping sufficient records to justify their use of the electronic surveillance powers, while NSW police “were unable to demonstrate” they were meeting the requirements of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979.

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Queensland police sued after officer caught describing Indians as ‘perverts’ while investigating rideshare driver

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Exclusive: Racial discrimination alleged after police withdrew indecent act charge a year after officer was recorded talking about ‘fucking Indians’

  • WARNING: this article contains offensive language

Queensland police investigated a Punjabi man for a year – over charges that were eventually withdrawn – despite knowing one of the arresting officers had been caught on camera describing Indians as a “bunch of fucking perverts”.

The rideshare driver named Singh, who asked that his first name not be used because of the distress caused by the case, has now launched legal action against the force due to the alleged racial discrimination he suffered during the investigation that led to him being charged with committing an indecent act, according to his statement of claim.

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Queensland’s ‘from the river to the sea’ laws likened to Bjelke-Petersen era anti-protest regime

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Health minister Tim Nicholls corrects claim alleged Bondi terror attack gunman Naveed Akram used controversial phrase, as laws roundly criticised

Police arresting pro-Palestinian protesters for using the phrase “from the river to the sea” had “all the hallmarks of an authoritarian police state”, according to a Greens MP, amid widespread backlash against Queensland’s new hate speech laws.

The controversial laws went into effect yesterday after passing a vote in parliament last week.

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Queensland’s ‘from the river to the sea’ laws likened to Bjelke-Petersen era anti-protest regime

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Health minister Tim Nicholls corrects claim alleged Bondi terror attack gunman Naveed Akram used controversial phrase, as laws roundly criticised

Police arresting pro-Palestinian protesters for using the phrase “from the river to the sea” had “all the hallmarks of an authoritarian police state”, according to a Greens MP, amid widespread backlash against Queensland’s new hate speech laws.

The controversial laws went into effect yesterday after passing a vote in parliament last week.

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NSW police admit to making ‘very unfortunate’ wrong claim after officer shot man dead

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Inquest into fatal shooting of Steve Pampalian told statement by assistant commissioner he was ‘known to police’ was incorrect

A man shot dead by a NSW police officer after he ran at him with two knives was not known to police, a coroner says, despite a “very unfortunate” claim to the contrary made by the assistant commissioner of the force immediately after the incident.

Steve Pampalian, 41, was shot three times by a police officer in the driveway of his home on a quiet suburban street in Sydney’s North Willoughby on 25 May 2023 after he had a psychotic episode.

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Police told Kelly Wilkinson to ‘cool off’ and give estranged husband ‘a break’ days before he burned her to death, inquest hears

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Wilkinson was turned away by police while seeking help four days before she was murdered, Queensland coroner’s court told

Kelly Wilkinson was turned away from Southport police station and told to “cool off, give Brian a break” while seeking help just four days before her estranged husband, Brian Earl Johnston, burned her to death in 2021, an inquest has heard.

The allegation was made in an extraordinary 11th hour submission by the lawyer acting for her family as they successfully applied to adjourn the coronial inquiry to hear additional evidence about the allegation.

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‘People have lost all sense of shame’: three threats against federal politicians reported to police every day

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At least 21 charges have been laid against individuals since October, Australian federal police say, following 951 reports to June

Nearly three violent or menacing threats against federal politicians are being reported to police daily, according to Australian federal police data, with rates almost doubling in two years.

The soaring danger for elected officials and their staff reached new heights this week when Anthony Albanese was evacuated from The Lodge in Canberra over a bomb threat.

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Minns government undermined own goal with NSW protest restrictions, constitutional challenge hears

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Lawyer for protest groups argues state needs to prove it was ‘rational to prevent all protests’ to achieve social cohesion

Lawyers for three protest groups have argued a Minns government law which effectively banned marches in Sydney’s CBD made its own objective of enhancing social cohesion “worse”.

On Thursday the NSW court of appeal heard the constitutional challenge against the anti-protest law, which was passed in the wake of the Bondi terror.

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