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"Lucky to be alive": Concerning Andrew O'Keefe update

<p>Andrew O'Keefe will remain in jail after his bail was revoked, just days after being arrested on drug charges. </p> <p>The former TV host was arrested on Monday and charged with drug possession after police searched a nearby car and allegedly found methamphetamine.</p> <p>His arrest came just hours after the 52-year-old was discharged from the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/andrew-o-keefe-rushed-to-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospital</a>, after he was revived by paramedics in the early hours on Sunday morning after an alleged drug overdose. </p> <p>In Waverley Local Court on Tuesday, Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge said O’Keefe was “lucky to be alive” as she read a police statement of facts on an application to detain the former TV host rather than let him out on bail again. </p> <p>O'Keefe was out on bail at the time of the alleged overdose, after allegedly breaching a court order, trespassing and intimidating a man in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in July.</p> <p>O’Keefe’s lawyer did not argue against the application and the magistrate revoked his bail, meaning he will remain custody before his return to court in October.</p> <p>“If he wants to stay alive that’s the best thing to do,” Milledge said.</p> <p>O’Keefe’s lawyer suggested a possible application for release on the next occasion for O’Keefe to receive treatment but Milledge said “a “highly persuasive” argument would be required.</p> <p>O’Keefe’s frequent appearances in court are “absolutely tragic” and “very, very sad,” the magistrate said.</p> <p>“He’s a frequent flyer, he’s just so used to it,” she said.</p> <p>“The mental health applications, the rehab, all been tried, and tested, and failed.</p> <p>“I just don’t see the same thing over and over again is going to be working for him and, god help him, it’s a shame that he doesn’t have an epiphany.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Seven News </em></p>

Caring

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Andrew O'Keefe clashes with press after bail hearing

<p>Andrew O'Keefe has clashed with reporters outside a courtroom after he was granted bail following an interaction with police where he claims a crack pipe allegedly found in his pocket belonged to someone else.</p> <p>The disgraced former TV host sat quietly in the dock as his lawyer, Sharon Ramsden, applied for his release on bail at Waverley Local Court on Monday morning.</p> <p>Police allege the former Deal or No Deal host returned a positive drug test while driving after he was stopped shortly before midday on Sunday in Sydney’s affluent Bellevue Hill.</p> <p>Officers also allege that the 52-year-old also threatened a man in Point Piper shortly before he was stopped by police.</p> <p>The court was told Mr O’Keefe allegedly confronted the man at the property “potentially as a matter of jealousy” following a “rekindling” with his former partner.</p> <p>After O'Keefe was released on bail, chaos ensued outside Waverley police station as the TV host tried to make a quick exit. </p> <p>O'Keefe was followed by reporters as he stepped out into traffic and walked briskly away as he tried to avoid the camera crews. </p> <p>Footage captured by Channel 10 shows Mr O’Keefe handing a reporter her phone after it is dropped before telling her, “get out of my face”.</p> <p>Mr O’Keefe was ultimately granted bail despite magistrate Jacqueline Milledge telling the 52-year-old there were “a lot of aspects of the police facts that are of concern”.</p> <p>“There is a real concern you were somewhere you shouldn't have been and that drugs might still be a factor in your life, but I'm prepared to give you an opportunity to continue with your treatment,” she said.</p> <p>Mr O’Keefe will return before court next month as he faces a single charge each of intimidation and breach a court order, with police foreshadowing more charges pending forensic examination.</p> <p><em>Image credits: JOEL CARRETT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Legal

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AFL star released on bail following burglary charges

<p>Richmond AFL premiership player Marlion Pickett has been granted bail after allegedly stealing more than $380,000 during a series of burglaries of commercial properties.</p> <p>The athlete faced Perth Magistrates Court on June 12 for at least 12 separate charges, including aggravated burglary, criminal damage and stealing.</p> <p>The charges relate to a string of alleged incidents which police claim occurred between December 2022 and January 2023, during the AFL off-season.</p> <p>Pickett was arrested by WA Police on June 11, just hours after helping his team score a 15-point win over the Fremantle Dockers at Perth Stadium.</p> <p>He was freed from custody the following day after securing $50,000 bail and depositing a further $50,000 surety.</p> <p>Pickett has over 70 games with the Richmond Tigers under his belt following his debut in the 2019 AFL Grand Final, the first player to have done so in almost 70 years.</p> <p>The Richmond Football Club told the <em>ACB</em> in a statement that it “would continue to support Marlion and his family while these matters are dealt with”.</p> <p>Pickett’s Perth-based manager Anthony Van Der Wielen told the broadcaster that the AFL giant intended to fight the charges.</p> <p>“Due to the ongoing legal nature of the proceedings, Marlion, or myself will not be able to provide any further details, comment or clarification about the matter at this stage,” he said in a statement.</p> <p>“We understand and respect the public’s interest in this matter, but we also implore all to respect the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, and to allow the legal proceedings to follow their due course without prejudice.”</p> <p>Pickett is due to face the same court in August.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Richard Pusey fronts court accused of sharing graphic images

<p dir="ltr">Richard Pusey has been denied bail as police fear they have a series of graphic images of the horrific Eastern Freeway crash that killed four officers that cannot be accessed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 43-year-old was denied bail by a magistrate in Sunshine, Victoria, on Monday partly because they can’t access the password-protected phone and tablet it’s believed the images are stored on, as reported by <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/crime/pusey-allegedly-posted-graphic-crash-pics-c-6900547" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s alleged that Pusey attached an image of the April 2020 crash in an email sent to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) last December.</p> <p dir="ltr">They are also accused of attaching a crash photo - which also shows the dying victims - in a review on the homepage of the Porsche car dealership in Collingwood, Melbourne.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pusey faces two charges of using a carriage service to harass as a result of these two incidents.</p> <p dir="ltr">They are also accused of committing offences while on bail, and if convicted, could face an additional 12 months imprisonment for each charge.</p> <p dir="ltr">The charges come just a year after <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/a-new-low-richard-pusey-arrested-on-fresh-charge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pusey was sentenced to 10 months in prison</a> for the rare charge of outraging public decency, after they filmed the aftermath of the crash, which occurred after police pulled them over for speeding in a Porsche.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prosecutors say they have a strong case, considering that Pusey’s personal details - such as name, address, email and phone number - were included in the AFCA email and their insurance policy was referenced in the review.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police are also opposed to Pusey’s release and told the Sunshine Magistrates Court that the release of crash images caused widespread distress to individuals and families and that there was an unacceptable risk of Pusey reoffending if they had access to the images.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court heard that in order for officers to gain access to the images in question, they will need to go through Apple to access Pusey’s iCloud account because they can’t access password-protected devices.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pusey, who represented themself in the bail application, argued they had been unable to properly defend their matter while in prison and unable to photocopy documents or view electronic material, including their police interview and body-cam footage.</p> <p dir="ltr">Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz acknowledged Pusey’s concerns and said their access to phones and the prison library had been reduced due to COVID-19.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Magistrate Mykytowcyz wasn’t satisfied by Pusey’s argument that the delays would cause them to spend more time in custody than if they were found guilty.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-de3c3273-7fff-74bc-7a48-8a41b8080626"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 10 News First (Twitter)</em></p>

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“Bail, bail, bail!”: Robert Irwin’s narrow croc escape

<p>Robert Irwin was left running for his life from a 350-kilogram crocodile in a heart-stopping clip.</p><p>After one of Australia Zoo’s crocs ignored the bait offered to him - instead making a beeline for Robert - the 18-year-old was forced to “bail” the exercise.</p><p>In the clip from Crickey! It’s the Irwins, Robert detailed one of the zoo’s “biggest and challenging moves,” switching one of their “wildest crocodiles Casper” to the “Crocoseum” enclosure.</p><p>“Before Casper makes his debut in the Crocoseum we need to do a bit of a test, just to make sure that he’s settling in nicely to this new enclosure,” Robert said.</p><p>“If he’s coming out of the water giving big strikes, that means he’s going to be ready for the Crocoseum show.”</p><p>Robert explained that one brave zookeeper would have to jump into Casper’s brand-new environment.</p><p>He shared that the croc has displayed “wild behaviour since [his late father Steve Irwin] first got Casper,” admitting that the task ahead of him was “quite terrifying”.</p><p>Robert bravely stepped into the enclosure, approaching the water with bait ready.</p><p>Suddenly, the croc leaped out of the water, snapping its jaw towards the food Robert was using as bait.</p><p>“Yeah, he’s keen, jeez he’s keen,” Robert said reacting to the croc’s speed and intensity.</p><p>Things went downhill very quickly as the croc was clearly uninterested in the bait Robert was offering.</p><p>“Bail, bail, bail, bail, bail, bail,” Robert repeated as he ran across the exhibit in a heart-stopping moment.</p><p>The clip shows Robert running from a birds-eye view, clearly showing his narrow escape.</p><p>The full video was shared on social media by Robert, and is taken from the season finale of the TV show Crickey! It’s the Irwins.</p><p><em>Images: Animal Planet </em></p>

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Government funds bail out festival cancellations with Event Saver Fund

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As another year of music festivals and summer events have been cancelled in the eleventh hour by the pandemic, the NSW government has put their hand up to help the arts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The state government recently announced the Event Saver Fund, which is aimed at financially supporting the state’s music industry that has been devastated by the latest wave of Omicron. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At a recent press conference, NSW Treasurer Matt Kean revealed that a $43 million fund has been established for organisers of the cancelled events to be financially supported if they've been cancelled or may be affected by changes to public health orders.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This fund is a $43 million fund that will ensure that we will underwrite sunk costs for the festivals that could be impacted by changes to public health orders,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fund will help organisers to pay their staff and suppliers, as well as recoup other costs lost in the event planning that got cancelled or cut short due to lockdowns or border closures. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said the vital funding will give event organisers to continue to plan festivals without the stress of a last-minute cancellation costing them thousands. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Major events provide tremendous social benefits to the community, bringing us together to enjoy live performances,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As we look to rebound from the effects of the past two years, this funding will help support local jobs and ensure major event organisers can plan with confidence to safely deliver their events in 2022/23.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australian Festivals Association chair Julia Robertson welcomed the Event Saver package, and emphasised how much the industry has suffered since the start of the pandemic. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This package is really great for building confidence,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For helping those festivals that have got events coming up — to maintain those festival lineups — but also to those events that have had to be cancelled over the last couple of weeks due to the Omicron variant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We will be able to help those events recover some of those costs that they’ve lost. We’ve got a really long way to building that confidence for the festival industry, so thank you.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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Serial conman Peter Foster arrested after six months on the run

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Serial conman Peter Foster has been uncovered hiding out in regional Victoria, bringing his six months on the run to an end. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An arrest warrant in Queensland was issued for the 59-year-old on May 20th, after Peter failed to appear that day in a Sydney court over an alleged multi-million-dollar Bitcoin scam.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His electronic monitoring device, which was a strict condition of his bail, also stopped sending out a signal. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Federal police finally caught up with Foster on Tuesday </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">near the Macedon Ranges town of Gisborne, northwest of Melbourne.</span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“The AFP Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team and Queensland Police have worked together for six months to find this man and some dogged detective work has allowed us to make this arrest today,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Richard Chin said.</p> <p>Foster was initially arrested in Port Douglas in August 2020 on 15 different fraud-related charges in New South Wales. </p> <p>The series of charges were in relation to allegations that he <span>extricated 120 Bitcoin, worth more than $1.7 million at the time, from a Hong Kong man in 2019 and 2020.</span></p> <p><span>After being granted strict bail in March, he failed to show up for court appearances and started his life on the run. </span></p> <p><span>When a new arrest warrant was issued by Queensland police, Foster's lawyer told a Brisbane court that Peter would hand himself in and please not guilty. </span></p> <p><span>According to Peter's lawyer, Chris Hannay, Foster was a “charismatic crook” and a “charismatic good bloke” but “not the villain in this”.</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Youtube - 7News</em></p>

Legal

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Magistrate slams Victorian anti-masker Mandy Crerar

<p>A Victorian magistrate has made his feelings about anti-masker Mandy Crerar who claimed that law's don't apply to her, explaining that the coronavirus doesn't care if she is a "sovereign citizen".</p> <p>Mandy Crerar allegedly coughed and yelled at staff in a cafe after they refused to serve her for not wearing a mask on August 11th.</p> <p>The 58-year-old is also accused of resisting police officers who were called to the cafe. She has been charged with affray and failure to comply with the chief health officer's directions. </p> <p>“We’re in the grips of a pandemic which is killing people every day. It’s real,” Frankston magistrate Tim Gattuso told the woman.</p> <p>“It doesn’t distinguish between those who claim to be sovereign citizens and those who don’t.”</p> <p>Prosecutors were worried about Crerar who wore a face shield and a blue gown as they believed she was only doing so to do bail.</p> <p>“She has refused to wear a mask up until today,” prosecutor Glenn Horman said.</p> <p>He said she was only wearing her shield to “endeavour” to get out of custody and also told the court the anti-masker refused to undergo a coronavirus test.</p> <p>The hearing was postponed after Crerar asked to speak to her lawyer Christopher Terry.</p> <p>“Yes I wish to object,” she told the court. It related to her concerns about proposed bail conditions.</p> <p>The court was told during the hearing that the owner of the cafe offered Crerar a mask, but she refused to wear it.</p> <p>The anti-masker started to “scream at the top of her voice that she was a sovereign citizen” and started to cough on the victim who was afraid for her safety, a police summary reads.</p> <p>But when police arrived, Ms Crerar refused to give them her name and address and when asked why she wasn’t wearing a mask started to scream “rape, rape” at the officers.</p> <p>Police allege she was “hysterical and irrational”.</p> <p>Prison officers confirmed that she has refused to wear a mask, but her lawyer denied this claim at an earlier hearing, saying Crerar would comply with directions if released on bail.</p> <p>She has since been released on bail under strict conditions, including wearing a mask or shield when leaving her home, sticking to a curfew, paying a $5,000 security deposit and undergoing an inpatient assessment.</p> <p>She will not be released until early on Friday.</p> <p><em>Photo credits: </em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/magistrate-smacks-down-victorian-antimasker-mandy-crerar/news-story/68b9590042cbd302fffad44772ab8761" target="_blank" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtflink"><em>news.com.au</em></a></p>

News

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Man charged with murdering his sister declines court and bail

<p>The father of a Western Sydney artist allegedly killed by her older brother said he never imagined his own son would end up being charged with his daughter’s murder.</p> <p>Lucas Delaney, 30, was arrested on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after the body of his sister, Gabriella Delaney, 20, was found inside their shared Cambridge Park townhouse in Western Sydney.</p> <p>On Wednesday, Lucas chose not to appear on screen in Parramatta Court and did not apply for bail. He will remain behind bars until August 7 when his case is mentioned again.</p> <p>The siblings’ parents, who live in Western Australia, called NSW Police after failing to hear from Gabriella since June 3.</p> <p>Officers discovered Gabriella in a “very confronting” crime scene on Monday night, Detective Inspector Jason Pietruszka said.</p> <p>“The cause of death at the moment is being investigated,” he said.</p> <p>“We do believe unfortunately that it is foul play and it is being investigated as a homicide.”</p> <p>Court documents state that Lucas is being charged with the “murder (domestic violence)” of Gabriella on June 3.</p> <p>Lucas had checked into a mental-health facility at Cumberland Hospital in the days after he allegedly murdered his sister.</p> <p>In a Facebook comment, the siblings’ father Ross Delaney said he and his wife Brenda “know as much as the media is telling us ATM … feeling numb and confused really”.</p> <p>Gabriella, an aspiring Indigenous painter, was studying a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at Western Sydney University before she died.</p> <p>A fried, Kyle Plant, paid tribute to the late student in a Facebook post.</p> <p>“I am still trying to piece together how something like this could happen to someone I knew. Someone so kind. Someone so gentle,” Plant wrote.</p> <p>“Gabriella Delaney was an amazing human-being. Hardworking, creative, funny, sporty, so kind hearted and a genuinely great person. We honestly need more people like her in this world not less. Rest In Peace.”</p> <p><em>If you or someone you know is experiencing violence or abuse, you can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.</em></p>

Caring

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Teen driver in horrific Townsville accident revealed to be on bail

<p><span>A 14-year-old boy who drove the vehicle of a stolen car that caused the deaths of four other teens was on bail at the time of the incident.</span><br /><br /><span>The vehicle was being driven on the wrong side of a Queensland road when it clipped a roundabout and rolled, killing four teenagers on board, police have said.</span><br /><br /><span>Lucius Baira-Hill, 13, Aaliyah Tappa Brown, 17, Rayveena Coolwell, 15, and Cayenne Nona, 14, died at the scene in Townsville on Monday morning.</span><br /><br /><span>Witnesses said the car was “doing at least 120km/h” before it hit the roundabout and flipped.</span><br /><br /><span>The car that was involved in the crash had been reported stolen earlier on the same morning.</span><br /><br /><span>Emergency crews were called to the corner of Duckworth Street and Bayswater Road at Garbutt just before 4.30 am after the car crashed into a light pole.</span><br /><br /><span>The 14-year-old driver was taken to Townsville Hospital in a stable condition after suffering minor injuries.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Teenager charged over multiple fatality fatal Townsville crash <a href="https://t.co/b51Mwxm0qn">https://t.co/b51Mwxm0qn</a> <a href="https://t.co/l8DpTx3Soe">pic.twitter.com/l8DpTx3Soe</a></p> — JohnBlackman (@johnblackmanhey) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnblackmanhey/status/1269767146608881665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>7News reports he was released on bail about two weeks prior on unrelated property offences and the teen has since been charged with dangerously operating a motor vehicle causing death.</span><br /><br /><span>The young teen has also been charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and burglary, as well as a count of possessing dangerous drugs.</span><br /><br /><span>He did not apply for bail when he faced Townsville Children’s Court onTuesday morning.</span><br /><br /><span>People were spotted laying flowers and tributes where the incident occurred.</span><br /><br /><span>One sign wrote, “Fly high Luie”.</span><br /><br /><span>An anonymous witness, who claimed he saw the vehicle speeding moments before the crash, told the Townsville Bulletin that he was absolutely sure an accident was about to occur.</span><br /><br /><span>“They were doing at least 120km down Hodges Crescent and I said to my missus they’re going to kill someone, there were no police around, just these two cars and they just kept doing blocks,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Superintendent Glen Pointing said police had seen the car earlier that night.</span><br /><br /><span>“And there was another stolen vehicle getting around to Townsville last night, and there were some reports that those vehicles were getting around the streets driving dangerously,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Superintendent Pointing made it clear that at no time did they pursue the car or attempt to intercept it.</span><br /><br /><span>Debris was found across the road, and even a type had been found hundreds of metres away from the crash.</span><br /><br /><span>“Any event like this is a tragedy. We don’t like going to these incidents,” Superintendent Pointing said.</span><br /><br /><span>“As I said, it is a tragedy for the children involved, it is a tragedy for their families, and it is all so confronting to first responders, whether they be police, fire, ambulance. Everyone involved.”</span></p>

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How is coronavirus relevant to a bail application?

<p><a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/services/bail-applications/">Bail is a promise to attend court</a> while you are waiting for a charge to be dealt with by the courts, instead of being held behind bars on remand.</p> <p>For less serious charges the promise may be enough and bail may even be dispensed with altogether, but for more serious charges where gaol is a real possibility this promise may need to be backed up by conditions, such reporting regularly to a police station, surrendering your passport, or the court holding an amount of money until the end of your matter.</p> <p>If the police consider you a risk while out on bail and refuse it to you when arrested, you can apply for bail to be reviewed by the court.</p> <p>You should always have an experienced criminal defence lawyer for this as there are a number legal complications to work around and creative avenues that may not be apparent.</p> <p><strong>The Bail Act</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ba201341/s18.html">Section 18 of the <em>Bail Act 2013</em></a> lists the factors that may be taken into account when determining whether bail will be granted, and while disease is not a factor in its own right, the risk of coronavirus (Covid-19) to yourself and/or others can be relevant to these general factors.</p> <p><strong>Personal circumstances</strong></p> <p>Subsection 18(1)(a) draws the court’s attention to your personal circumstances, to which your potential exposure to coronavirus would be a relevant factor. The potential for infection is specifically relevant to your health and treatment, as well as the health of other inmates and corrective services staff.</p> <p>In that regard, NSW Health’s FAQ website on coronavirus states, ‘People living in group residential settings are at greater risk of being exposed to outbreaks of COVID-19 if a case is diagnosed in a resident or staff member’.</p> <p>Although correctional centres have some medical treatment facilities, they certainly do not have ICU-level care. The risk posed to a bail applicant and others by someone exposed to the virus is a factors that can be taken into account by a court.</p> <p><strong>Delay</strong></p> <p>Section 18(1)(h) of the Act requires the court to take into consideration the length of time you will likely be in custody before your matter is resolved.</p> <p>In these uncertain times, any coronavirus-related delay could be . Just today (30 March 2020) Justice Price AM, Chief Judge of the District Court of NSW announced that new Judge alone trials, sentence hearings, Local Court Appeals, arraignments and readiness hearings – that is, effectively any court date other than a mention – where the defendant is not in custody have been suspended. While those in custody are still having all but new jury Trials, this is still but one step away from the courts shutting down completely and still leading to significant delays for those in custody. This indeterminate delay leading to a greater length of time on remand is a significant factor that courts must consider when assessing your bail application.</p> <p><strong>Special vulnerability</strong></p> <p>Section 18(1)(k) of the Act requires a court to consider any special vulnerability or needs you may have.</p> <p>Special vulnerability is particularly relevant to those for whom the coronavirus poses a greater danger, which includes those grouped together in confined spaces and especially:</p> <ul> <li>people with compromised immune systems</li> <li>people with diagnosed chronic medical conditions</li> <li>elderly people</li> <li>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as they have higher rates of chronic illness</li> </ul> <p>A special vulnerability to coronavirus would apply if you have a pre-existing illness or poor immune system, e.g. if you have cancer, HIV or a respiratory illness, though could also extend to include health issues from drug or alcohol addiction.</p> <p>A strong argument can be made that you would be at a much greater health risk in gaol. The same applies if you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.</p> <p>ATSI people have long been recognised as being more at risk from these sorts of illnesses than the wider Australian population, so this is of clear relevance to you when making a bail application.</p> <p>Finally, older people are recognised as being especially vulnerable to coronavirus, so  a court will need to take into account the added health risk to you when determining whether it is appropriate whether you should be set at liberty or stay in custody.</p> <p><strong>Unacceptable risk</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ba201341/s19.html">Section 19 of the Act</a> sets out the circumstances in which you may be considered an ‘unacceptable risk’, including a risk of failing to appear in court on the next occasion.</p> <p>The current domestic and international travel bans that are in place may be relevant when determining your bail if you are considered a flight risk. The self-isolation may also be of relevance in a number of matters, but this could cut both ways, as the section also states that you may be an unacceptable risk if the court thinks you would commit a serious offence or endanger the safety of victims, individuals or the community.</p> <p>For matters involving domestic or personal violence, spending significant amounts of time in proximity of the complainant would be of real concern to a court considering bail.</p> <p>In these cases, concerns for the complainant would need to be addressed through conditions. In contrast however, other bail concerns might be lessened by self-isolation and other restrictions, for instance if attending a pub or bar was of particular concern these are not open through the restrictions.</p> <p>So with all this in mind, your personal background circumstances, as well as any risks of granting you bail must be carefully considered in light of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-coronavirus-a-civil-liberties-nightmare-of-orwellian-proportions/">coronavirus</a> infection and the quarantine restrictions that are in place.</p> <p>These are the main ways that the coronavirus pandemic could affect your bail application, but there may be others that apply to your particular situation.</p> <p><em>Written by Patrick O’Sullivan. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/how-is-coronavirus-relevant-to-a-bail-application/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a> </em></p>

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Cop's son accused of killing four children in drunken crash refused bail

<p>A man who allegedly killed four children in a western Sydney car crash will remain behind bars for <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/man-accused-of-killing-four-children-in-horror-nsw-crash-to-remain-behind-bars">at least another two months</a>.</p> <p>29-year-old Samuel William Davidson was reportedly three times over the legal blood alcohol limit on Saturday night when his ute mounted a kerb in Oatlands and struck seven children on the footpath.</p> <p>Siblings Antony Abdallah, 13, Angelina Abdallah, 12, Sienna Abdallah, eight, and their 11-year-old cousin Veronique Sakr <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/driver-alleged-to-have-killed-four-kids-ran-a-red-light-and-was-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-road-say-cops-and-witnesses/news-story/e72086bbab183a6cf07941fbd1e3bb73">died at the scene</a>. An 11-year-old boy was taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and remains in a serious but stable condition while two other girls, aged 10 and 13, suffered minor injuries.</p> <p>Police say Davidson was uninjured and recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.150, three times above the limit.</p> <p>The driver has been charged with 20 offences, including four counts of manslaughter as well as dangerous driving occasioning death, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving and drink-driving among others.</p> <p>Davidson – <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7957585/Drunk-driver-ploughed-four-children-son-cop.html">reportedly</a> a son of a retired NSW police detective – did not appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday and did not apply for bail, which was formally refused by magistrate John McIntosh.</p> <p>Danny Abdallah, father of three of the four children killed in the incident, urged motorists to be careful on the road.</p> <p>“I don’t know what to say. I’m numb, probably that’s what I feel at the moment. All I want to say is please, drivers, be careful,” he told reporters on Sunday.</p> <p>“These kids were just walking innocently, enjoying each other’s company ... and this morning I woke up and I have lost three kids.”</p> <p>NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/29-year-old-refused-bail-over-the-deaths-of-four-children-in-sydney-c-677011">told reporters on Sunday</a> the driver was charged after refusing to be interviewed by police.</p> <p>“Tragedies do occur but in my time in policing, this is one of the most tragic involving young children dying,” Corboy said.</p> <p>“I’d like to send the message out today that drink-driving, speeding, poor behaviour on the roads, will not be tolerated.”</p>

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Disgust as firefighter is charged for starting 17 blazes while on bail for “serious sex offence”

<p>A volunteer firefighter has faced court after being accused of lighting multiple large blazes in Darwin with 17 counts of causing a bushfire.</p> <p>Mike Richard Holden, 27, applied for bail in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday after police raided his home and arrested him the day before.</p> <p>The court, according to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/crime-court/volunteer-firefighter-faces-court-charged-with-lighting-17-bushfires-in-the-darwin-rural-area/news-story/0fa1d244d369efb046376d5a4c28f0cc" target="_blank">NT News</a></em>, heard that Holden was on bail for alleged “serious sex offences” and was wearing an ankle monitor that placed him near the scenes of the fires within minutes of them starting between January and September last year.</p> <p>Holden’s lawyer, Shane McMaster, said that Holden doesn’t fit the typical profile of an arsonist, who is a “loner”.</p> <p>“He’s somebody who doesn’t fit that profile in my submission,” he said.</p> <p>McMaster said that in the bail application, his client had called some of the fires in and attended others to fight the blaze.</p> <p>McMaster explained that Holden had no prior criminal record, and the case against him was “obviously circumstantial”. McMaster also explained that Holden’s compliance with his bail conditions “barring these allegations, has been very good”.</p> <p>Judge Alan Woodcock refused bail and said that while Holden was a young man with a supportive family, he was also charged with “very serious indictable offences” which were allegedly committed while wearing a tracking device.</p> <p>Holden was remanded in custody and will return to court on February 26th.</p>

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