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Teen found not guilty of murdering Brisbane mum

<p>A teenager has been found not guilty of murdering Brisbane mother Emma Lovell, with her heart-broken widow shedding tears at the verdict. </p> <p>The now 18-year-old faced trial on the allegation that he had seen a knife in his co-offender's hand and knew he was armed when the pair broke into the Lovell home on Boxing Day in 2022.</p> <p>The main offender fatally stabbed Emma and hurt her husband Lee in the struggle that followed.</p> <p>With the case largely dependant on crucial split-second CCTV, Justice Michael Copley ruled he could not "be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused knew the other teen was in possession of the knife".</p> <p>The teenager was found not guilty of Ms Lovell's murder or manslaughter and also acquitted of unlawful wounding, but was found guilty of burglary and assault in company.</p> <p>Outside the court, Lee Lovell became emotional as he told reporters, "I'm not feeling too great at the moment - the verdict was a joke. I don't feel justified for Emma one bit."</p> <p>"You try and do the best you can for her and I don't feel I've been able to do that."</p> <p>Mr Lovell said legislation needed to be changed in order for victims and their families to have justice. </p> <p>"You are a part of killing someone and you get a burglary charge. What does that say for anyone going forward," he said.</p> <p>"We are the ones with a life sentence now."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Legal

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Brisbane radio host becomes grandfather at just 37

<p>Brisbane's B105 radio host Matty Acton revealed on Wednesday that he became a grandpa for the first time at just 37 years old. </p> <p>The radio host took to Instagram to share a few adorable snaps with his granddaughter, leaving many of his followers confused. </p> <p>"Welcome to the family Illyria Fay Acton 👶🏻 We love and adore you," he wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>It didn't take long for his followers to voice their confusion with one writing, "Congratulations to all! But how the hell are you a Grandpa? I thought you were 30-something!"</p> <p>"Hang on… Grandpa? The math ain’t mathing," another said.</p> <p>"Everyone madly googling Marty’s age lol 😂," another quipped before congratulating the radio host. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAmyFNOvHD4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAmyFNOvHD4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Matty Acton (@mattyacton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>It turns out the reason why Matty is a grandpa at a relatively young age is pretty simple. </p> <p>Matty met his wife Esther when he was 18 through his flatmate while he was living in Toowoomba. </p> <p>Esther, who is three years older than Matty, already had three-year-old Ethan when the couple met, and since then Matty has raised Ethan as his own, with the couple also sharing another son  Xander, 10, and daughter Eden, seven.</p> <p>Ethan and his wife Madison welcomed their first child on Monday, and Matty announced the happy news to his listeners on Tuesday.</p> <p>The radio host recalled how meeting his granddaughter for the first time reminded him of when his youngest was born, saying  "It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life."</p> <p>"The last time we were here we were leaving with Eden. If everyone can now call me granddaddy it would be greatly appreciated."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"Fresh start" for scalded baby after horror attack

<p>The family of a 10-month-old baby, who suffered severe burns after an unknown man <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/new-details-and-pics-emerge-after-baby-scalded-by-stranger-in-brisbane-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threw a thermos of hot coffee on him</a> in a Brisbane park, is urging police to release more information about the suspect, who is believed to have fled overseas.</p> <p>Queensland Police have been investigating the case since the attack, which took place in Stones Corner, Brisbane. While authorities have confirmed that international law enforcement is assisting with the search, the baby’s parents are asking for more transparency on the case.</p> <p>The family, who has chosen to remain anonymous, visited the park for the first time since the incident on Thursday. Burns from the attack are still visible on their young son's body.</p> <p>“He’s really strong and resilient and brave,” the baby’s mother <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/fresh-calls-from-family-of-baby-attacked-with-hot-coffee-in-brisbane-park-c-16190532" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told 7NEWS</a>. The visit came just weeks after their son was rushed to Queensland Children’s Hospital with burns to his face and chest. In celebration of the baby reaching 10 months old, he wore a miniature police uniform given to him by the squad working on his case.</p> <p>Despite the police’s efforts, the parents are concerned about the lack of information being shared with them and the public. “We would just like a bit of assurance that we are on the right track, and (that the offender) is going to get caught,” the father told 7NEWS. He also questioned the process of bringing the suspect back, asking, “How (do) they plan on bringing him back? And if they know where he is in that particular country, is that country working with us?”</p> <p>Queensland Police acting commissioner Shane Chelepy stated that while the police are actively working on the case, they are being strategic with the release of information. “We need to balance our investigative strategies with the need for the community to know what’s going on,” Chelepy explained.</p> <p>As the investigation continues, the family is moving into a new home, hoping for a fresh start after the traumatic event. “I think it’ll just be a nice, new, fresh start after such a difficult month,” the mother said. The father added, “We can’t believe how well he’s doing. He’s so happy and he’s hitting all his milestones.”</p> <p>Police remain committed to locating the suspect and are collaborating with international authorities to bring him to justice.</p> <p><em>Images: 7News / Nine Network</em></p>

Caring

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Jackie O breaks down over baby scalded in Brisbane park

<p>Jackie O has broken down live on air while talking to the heartbroken mother whose baby boy was scalded in a Brisbane Park. </p> <p>Baby Luka and his mother were enjoying the sun in Hanlon Park on August 27th when a stranger approached and poured boiling hot coffee over the baby boy. </p> <p>Luka has since undergone three surgeries, while the man accused of the horrific attack has allegedly fled the country, according to police. </p> <p>The grief-stricken mother, who has not been publicly identified, spoke with Kyle and Jackie O on Friday morning and said her infant son will continue to have surgery every four days for the next four weeks at the least, as doctors attempt to repair the nine-month-old’s burns.</p> <p>“After that it's once a week for two weeks. And then it should okay, all going well and everything healing,” she said. “But then after there's scar management stuff as well on top of that.”</p> <p>The mother provided a heartwarming update on Luka’s progress after he was released from hospital on Monday, saying he is “smiling” and “walking”.  </p> <p>"He's not letting this - he (the alleged attacker) hasn't taken away my son's soul,” she said.</p> <p>“Like, he is beautiful, and he is strong, and he is brave and resilient. And I'm so lucky to be his mum. I'm just really sad this has happened."</p> <p>Jackie O was visibly moved while talking to the woman, breaking down in tears live on air. </p> <p>The KIISFM host told Luka's mother, "You can't imagine that kind of evil, and your poor bubba, it's so evil."</p> <p>"It makes you so angry because he's just a little innocent boy who never did anything to anyone," she added as she became overwhelmed with emotion.</p> <p>Her co-host Kyle Sandilands also shared his devastation as he admitted he was left in floods of tears when he first heard of Luka's brutal injuries on the news.</p> <p>"In all honesty, I was in tears in the lounge when I saw the story. Everyone understands it's s**t, but when you've got your own child running around you while you're in tears watching the news," he shared.</p> <p>Kyle and Jackie vowed to give $10,000 to the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/baby-lukas-medical-treatments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> set up to help raise funds for Luka's hospital treatment, adding to the $160,000 that has already been donated.</p> <p>With an original target of just $5,000, the mother gushed, "I cannot believe the generosity of the community and you know, it warms my heart and, you know, all the messages and the kindness and yeah, it makes the process a little bit easier."</p> <p><em>Image credits: KIISFM / 9News</em></p>

Caring

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New details and pics emerge after baby scalded by stranger in Brisbane park

<p>New photos and details have emerged of the nine-month-old baby who was scalded by a stranger in a park in Brisbane.</p> <p>Police have alleged that a man, between 30 and 40 years old, tipped hot coffee over a baby in Hanlon Park on Wednesday before <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/manhunt-after-stranger-pours-scalding-hot-coffee-on-baby-in-public-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fleeing the scene</a>. </p> <p>On Thursday morning, police released new images of a man they wish to speak to in relation to the alleged assault.</p> <p>Police said the man was of an average build and with tanned skin and was wearing a black hat, glasses, a checkered button-up shirt and shorts at the time of the attack. </p> <p>The plea from police comes after an image of the baby in hospital was released, with the nine-month-old completely wrapped in bandages. </p> <p>After the incident, the baby was rushed to Queensland Children's Hospital and has since undergone surgery for burns to his face and chest, reportedly suffering serious burns to 60 per cent of his body including his face, neck, chest and arms.</p> <p>A friend of the baby's mother, Zara Mazza, shared an update with <em>The Project</em> on Wednesday night, recalling how she was sitting down with her own son and looked up to see a man standing above her friend’s nine-month-old baby. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Nruwavg67/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Nruwavg67/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Project (@theprojecttv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“This man was standing above him, behind him, and poured a Thermos of hot coffee over him. He just started screaming,” she told the program.</p> <p>Ms Mazza said she tried to chase the man but he was “very fast”, and she tripped while attempting to keep up.</p> <p>“Essentially all I could hear was his mum screaming that it’s hot. ‘It’s hot, it’s hot coffee’, so I ran back and as I ran back picked up my water bottle and dumped it over him,” she said.</p> <p>“I removed him from his mum and we laid him down on the picnic rug and we peeled his clothes away, which revealed the peeling of his skin, his skin had started to blister.”</p> <p>Bystanders reportedly came over with filled water bottles to pour over the baby, before a nurse in training offered up a shower at her nearby apartment so water could constantly be running on him.</p> <p>“Very grateful. The ambulance came really quickly, I think it was within five minutes. Police, too,” Ms Mazza said.</p> <p>“It was chaotic. It happened really quickly.”</p> <p>The baby’s mother is reportedly “really traumatised” after the incident, as Ms Mazza said, “She’s got a lot of anxiety right now. She’s not been able to sleep very well, if at all. So definitely struggling.”</p> <p>“Bub is in a stable condition … they say that he’ll need regular dressing changes under anaesthetic over the next weeks. They don’t know how long, but, yeah. It’s gonna take a while.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News / Queensland Police</em></p>

Caring

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Best friends on the way to a wedding identified in fatal crash

<p>The best friends who were on their way to a wedding when they were struck in a fatal crash in Brisbane have been identified. </p> <p>Lily Galbraith, 24, and Emma McLean, 23, were travelling in a silver sedan through the Legacy Way tunnel on Wednesday at 3pm when they were hit by a black Audi. </p> <p>Ms Galbraith, a South Australian nurse who was originally from the Northern Territory, died in the crash, while Ms McLean is still fighting for her life in hospital after suffering critical injuries. </p> <p>The driver of the Audi, who also died in the crash, has been identified as former police officer Bruce Daley. </p> <p>After the Audi collided with the sedan, police believe the impact of the crash then pushed the sedan into a small truck, causing serious injuries to the driver of the truck.</p> <p>Mr Daley, who was medically retired from the Queensland Police Service in December 2014, had posted online about relationship struggles and loneliness over several years.</p> <p>Inspector Hansel said speed would be a “focus” of the investigation, with claims the Audi hit speeds of up to 200km/h before the crash.</p> <p>The Nurses and Midwives Memorial Page Australia paid tribute to Ms Galbraith on Thursday. </p> <p>“Rest in peace, Lily. Thank you for your service. Condolences to your family, friends and colleagues,” the post read.</p> <p>“All the very best for Emma and sending love to her family as they wait to see how her progress is. We are also thinking of the bride, groom and any wedding guests also mourning.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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“Let’s share it”: Karl’s wild idea to save the Brisbane Olympics

<p>Karl Stefanovic has become the unlikely face of a good idea, pitching a revolutionary way to save the Brisbane Olympics from disaster. </p> <p>The 2032 games will be the first time Australia has hosted the event since Sydney in 2000, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to make the pilgrimage to the sunshine state to watch their favourite sports. </p> <p>Despite the building excitement for the games, the Queensland government has copped backlash in recent weeks over the preparations for the event, after Premier Steven Miles announced he would bin a $3.4 billion plan to build a new inner-city stadium in Victoria Park in time for the Olympics.</p> <p>Instead, the premier plans to use the exisiting Suncorp Stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies, while the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre will host the athletics events.</p> <p><em>Today</em> host and Brisbane native Karl Stefanovic has labelled the plan as a “seismic international embarrassment” and in a strange turn of events, even offered up a good suggestion for how to fix it.</p> <p>“So how about we share the Olympics across the country, opening ceremonies in all the major already existing stadiums, events split among world-class facilities and the rest of the events showcasing this great country to the world,” he said.</p> <p>“We’ll have the triathlon on the Gold Coast, the cycling in Far North Queensland, the surfing at Bells Beach, the marathon past Uluru, the shooting in Longreach, it could be a magnificent two-week tourism ad for this country, leaving a legacy that’s cheaper."</p> <p>“Our athletes deserve the very best, so if Queensland can’t do it, let’s share it. ”</p> <p>It seems Karl isn't the only one up in arms over the decision to not build a new stadium, as a group of high-profile Aussie Olympians penned an open letter to the premier, imploring him to "revisit the decision". </p> <p>The letter states, "We all remember the magnificent event that Sydney put on in 2000. Queensland deserves something equally spectacular, without a centrepiece that would reek of compromise." </p> <p>The letter was signed by 14 current and former Australian Olympians including Grant Hackett, Sally Pearson, Leisel Jones and more. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

Money & Banking

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Teen arrested over alleged stabbing of grandmother

<p>A 15-year-old boy has handed himself in amid the investigation into the alleged murder of Vyleen White, who was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/grandmother-fatally-stabbed-in-front-of-granddaughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fatally stabbed</a> in front of her six-year-old granddaughter while on a grocery run in Ipswich. </p> <p>The boy, who was allegedly one of four males shown in CCTV footage released by police, has not been charged in relation to the 70-year-old’s death.</p> <p>Instead, he was charged with one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle for allegedly stealing the car used by the attackers to flee Redbank Plains Shopping Village on Saturday evening. </p> <p>The boy handed himself into Ipswich Police Station at around 9.30pm on Sunday, and is due to appear at Ipswich Children’s Court on Monday. </p> <p>The 2009 Hyundai Getz the boys used to escape was found in Springfield Lakes on Sunday morning and is being forensically examined.</p> <p>The other four males have not yet been found. </p> <p>White had just finished grocery shopping with her six-year-old granddaughter at Redbank Plains  when she was stabbed in the chest in the centre’s underground carpark at about 6pm on Saturday.</p> <p>The young girl was unharmed but left traumatised after witnessing the violent incident, and was reportedly screaming and crying for help. </p> <p>White died at the scene a short time later, after attempts to revive her failed. </p> <p>While police are still looking for the other attackers, Detective Acting Superintendent Heath McQueen said one man was responsible for the alleged murder. </p> <p>“There is still one person involved in the attack,” he told a media conference on Sunday, and said that robbery was the motive. </p> <p>They are appealing for anyone who might have seen the car between 6pm and 7pm on Saturday to contact them. </p> <p>“It’s a cowardly crime like I’ve not seen in my time as a detective,” McQueen said.</p> <p>“This is a (alleged) murder of a 70-year-old grandmother in front of her six-year-old granddaughter.</p> <p>“Now is not the time to remain tight-lipped. Now is the time ... to provide us with the information we need to identify the offenders who are responsible for this (alleged) murder.”</p> <p><em>Image: Facebook/ Queensland Police</em></p>

Legal

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“I couldn’t believe it": Man's incredible find in client's trash

<p>A rubbish removalist’s tendency to upcycle and recycle his clients' trash has led him to a rare discovery. </p> <p>Jesse Stewart, from Brisbane's Get It Gone Rubbish Removal, recalled the moment he was getting rid of an entertainment unit at the tip, when he found a mistakenly discarded medicine bottle with a wad of cash inside. </p> <p>“I didn’t think too much of it but when I picked it up it was heavy, and I was like, ‘I wonder what’s in there’,“ he told <em>7News</em>. </p> <p>Stewart “couldn’t believe” his luck when he found out the wad of notes amounted to $7000. </p> <p>“I’ve never found anything like that before," he said. </p> <p>But being the good samaritan that he was, Stewart returned the money to its rightful owner, a woman in her 60s and his long-time client. </p> <p>“She was so grateful. She couldn’t believe it,” he said, adding that she did not even realise she had the cash stashed away. </p> <p>“She didn’t think anyone would be that nice to give it back, so she gave me a few hundred bucks, which was nice," he said, revealing that she gave him a $300 unsolicited reward. </p> <p>While he did return the money back to its rightful owner, Stewart shared that he did think about keeping it. </p> <p>“To be honest, my first thought was to keep it,” he laughed.</p> <p>“The person who owned it has treated me really well over the last year of working for her ... I just felt too guilty, I could not keep it.”</p> <p>This is not the Brisbane local's first interesting find, as his tendency to upcycle trash has led to a trove of treasures including <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">a haul of rare Australian stamps, an electric scooter and an antique piano.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">But, the cash definitely </span>“took the cake”. </p> <p>“I don’t think I’ll find something like that again,” he said.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Family of man who was buried alive breaks silence

<p>The family of Josh Taylor, 25, who was buried alive at a beach on Bribie Island on Saturday, have broken their silence as the young man continues to fight for his life. </p> <p>It took 15 people to pull Josh out of the sand pit, after he accidentally fell in head first and knocked over some sand, causing him to briefly be buried alive. </p> <p>A witness who helped rescue Josh said that the group told him they had dug the sand pit to cook a pig, similar to the traditional Maori cooking style of hangi. </p> <p>“He stood up off the chair, the sand had given away a little bit underneath him,” the witness said. </p> <p>“He stumbled back. He’d put his arms out to obviously break the fall. He’s continued going down and knocked sand as he’s put his arms out," he added. </p> <p>When the witness was called over to help, he “realised someone was head first in a hole and I was just digging, digging, digging." </p> <p>“All of his family were screaming at us, telling us to help, telling us to get rope so we could pull him out. It was pretty gruesome,” Nathan said.</p> <p>“There were like 15 men on the rope pulling and he did not budge.”</p> <p>“When I first went up to the hole, I couldn’t even see his foot. That’s how deep it was.”</p> <p>When they managed to pull him out, Josh had sustained further injuries from the force of the pull, and he was without a pulse for 45 minutes after the horrific incident.</p> <p>His friends and family took turns giving him CPR until he was flown to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, where he currently remains in a critical but stable condition. </p> <p>On Wednesday Josh's uncle, Barry Taylor, spoke to 7NEWS about his nephew who was “fighting hard” to stay alive.</p> <p>“He’s still critical, he’s in ICU, and we’re awaiting the results of more tests,” he said. </p> <p>“He’s fighting hard mate, he’s really fighting hard, his heart’s still beating.</p> <p>“We’re devastated — it’s really been hard for us to comprehend what’s happened to Josh.”</p> <p>Barry described his nephew as a “vibrant” and “energetic” person who “loves the outdoors, fishing and camping”.</p> <p>“We’re still able to see him now and we’re very grateful for their help,” he added.</p> <p>A family-friend has started a GoFundMe to help relieve Josh's family of some of the costs of his medical care, with almost $58,000 raised of its $70,000 goal. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine News/ Yahoo News</em></p>

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Radio host mourns passing of wife after 30-year marriage

<p>Queensland radio host Bill McDonald is mourning the loss of his wife following her "courageous battle" with cancer. </p> <p>He and Julianne had been married for 30-years before her tragic passing on Wednesday and share four sons together. </p> <p>Their eldest son, Jordan, shared the sad news on Facebook, with a heartbreaking photo of him holding his mother's hand on the hospital bed. </p> <p>“On behalf of the McDonald family, we are deeply saddened to share that Mum passed away early this morning after a courageous battle with cancer,” he wrote. </p> <p>“We love you and will miss you dearly.”</p> <p>McDonald took some time off his new role as Ray Hadley's Brisbane <em>4BC radio </em>replacement following the devastating news.</p> <p>His colleague Gary Hardgrave covered for him and broke the news to 4BC listeners. </p> <p>“Gary Hardgrave here in the chair this morning for Bill McDonald. Look, I have some sad news to share with 4BC listeners this morning,” he said. </p> <p>He then explained the situation and shared Jordan's Facebook post, before adding: “We are thinking of Bill and his four sons at this dreadful and difficult time.”</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">McDonald </span>and Julianne share four sons together, Jordan, Hamish, William, and James.</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">McDonald</span> was  Channel Seven newsreader for Brisbane before he took over Hadley‘s radio slot on 4BC, after Hadley's long-running morning program was discontinued.</p> <p>McDonald was named the new host of the 9am-noon slot on weekdays in September. </p> <p><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Images: Facebook</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

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"Dave was the best of us": Friends raise over $79,000 for young dad's family

<p>David (Dave) Orange, 38, has been remembered as an "amazing family man" after he died suddenly, leaving behind his wife Kerry and their seven-month-old daughter, Eleya. </p> <p>The father, affectionately nicknamed “Mango” by his friends and family, passed away at around 8am on Wednesday, August 9, due to natural causes. </p> <p>Dave grew up in Toowoomba and played A-grade cricket for four years.</p> <p>In 2007-2008 he played for University Cricket Club in Toowoomba and led his team to a premiership win with a record-breaking 199 innings, the highest score ever by a university player. </p> <p>Later on in his career, the young dad became a successful entrepreneur, after selling his business Glow Worm Lighting and running a second business, Orange Electrical.</p> <p>His best mate, Mitch Connell, who he met at school, paid tribute to him and started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/dave-oranges-legacy-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help the grieving family, successfully raising $79,000. </p> <p>"We believe Dave was the best of us,” Mitch said about his late friend. </p> <p>“He was an aspiring entrepreneur, avid sportsman, great loyal friend, and an amazing family man,” he added and said that Dave was a “cheeky larrikin” who was “positive and infectious”.</p> <p>“He was incredibly honourable, trustworthy and loyal,” he said in the touching tribute. </p> <p>“He was also a great boxer and well known around many Toowoomba and Brisbane boxing clubs.He ran a bar in New Farm called Calgety for a bit … he did a bit of everything and was just so much fun to be around.</p> <p>“Mango was also known for his modern day sense of fashion … he liked to dress well and was somewhat of a fashion icon among his mates.</p> <p>“He had such an infectious smile. I used to call him ‘shiny teeth’. He was also known for his great sense of humour and positivity.”</p> <p>Dave and Kerry had been together for seven years and tied the knot just three years ago. The couple were also reportedly getting ready to try for another baby. </p> <p>“Kerry is just so heartbroken and devastated,” Mitch said. </p> <p>“They were the perfect couple and were incredibly happy.</p> <p>“They had their entire life ahead of them and were loving being new parents and a little family. He was a very doting and loving dad and (Eleya) was such a daddy’s girl … He was very fun and patient with her.</p> <p>“It’s just not fair and so sad for those two to be left on their own … It feels so cruel.”</p> <p>Although Dave's seven-month-old daughter won't be able to remember him, his friends are doing everything they can to make sure his legacy lives on. </p> <p>“All of his best mates and I are planning on creating 52 videos of us talking about and sharing stories about her dad,” Mitch said. </p> <p>“We want to present these to her on her eighteenth birthday, one to watch every week, so she knows the kind of man her father was.”</p> <p>Dave's sister, Madeline Bertram, revealed that the family is heartbroken and that he was loved by all. </p> <p>“We ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers throughout this time. We are completely shattered," she said.</p> <p>“May you fly high Dave.”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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“Absolute nonsense”: Annastacia Palaszczuk slams Brisbane renaming

<p dir="ltr">Annastacia Palaszczuk has slammed the idea that Brisbane would be renamed ahead of the city hosting the Olympics in 2032. </p> <p dir="ltr">On Wednesday, <em>4BC</em> radio host and journalist Peter Gleeson shared that he has heard whispers that the Queensland premier and her government are “working behind the scenes” to change the name of Brisbane to its traditional Indigenous name of “Meanjin”. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, Palaszczuk said rumours of the renaming are untrue. </p> <p dir="ltr">“No, that is absolute nonsense,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite quashing the rumours, many are still up in arms over the potential renaming. </p> <p dir="ltr">Furious One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was asked about the rumours shared on 4BC of the possible name change and described the idea as “ridiculous”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“How insane is this, to actually want to change the name of Brisbane, that's been called Brisbane for what 150 years plus,” Senator Hanson told <em>Sky News Australia</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And we're going to change it to a name that – I can’t even remember what you said, within a matter of a few seconds – I can't remember.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I have no intention of actually wanting to remember. So the fact is, to me it will be Brisbane. Wanting to change it to some Aboriginal name is absolutely ridiculous.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The name Meanjin is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land on which parts of Brisbane was built.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Brisbane officer captured punching and tasering motorist

<p>Footage of a brutal altercation between a police officer and a motorist has surfaced online following a catastrophic three-car crash.</p> <p>The Queensland Police officer is captured on video punching the motorist through the window of his car in Strathpine in Brisbane’s north.</p> <p>Police allege the “highly agitated” man was drinking from a wine bottle and was under the influence when the officer arrived on the scene.</p> <p>“After the officer attempted to take the bottle away several times, it was allegedly thrown towards him,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said.</p> <p>“After giving numerous directions for the man to remain in the car, it will be alleged he continued to attempt to leave the vehicle by kicking the door into the officer, who used physical force to contain the man in the vehicle.”</p> <p>The heated exchange occurred around 1:45pm on June 22 after a collision at the intersection of Gympie and Samsonvale roads.</p> <p>The officer is seen in the video approaching the passenger side of a white car where the motorist tries to leave the vehicle through the open window.</p> <p>The officer is then seen grabbing at an object the motorist is holding, which police allege was a wine bottle, before allegedly hitting him multiple times.</p> <p>The video shows the man retreat inside the car before making another attempt to exit through the window, where he is then struck again.</p> <p>The motorist falls back again before trying to exit for a third time, blocked once again by the officer.</p> <p>Police allege the man continued to try and leave the car and “after several verbal warnings, a taser was deployed”.</p> <p>“Additional officers arrived on scene and another officer was allegedly spat on by the man,” the spokesperson said.</p> <p>The man has since been taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital while in custody to treat minor wounds.</p> <p>The scene was not short of witnesses, with several firefighters seen approaching the officer.</p> <p>“He needs to stop,” the woman filming the clip is heard saying.</p> <p>“Stop hitting him!”</p> <p>Senior police have reviewed body cam footage of the altercation as investigations continue.</p> <p><em>Image credit: 9News</em></p>

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Queensland MP pleads with Taylor Swift to bring her tour to town

<p dir="ltr">When international music sensation <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/taylor-swift-s-massive-news-sends-aussie-fans-into-a-frenzy">Taylor Swift announced her international tour dates</a>, most Australian fans fell into one of two categories: delighted or devastated.</p> <p dir="ltr">For while the star was answering the prayers of thousands and bringing her Eras Tour down under, she was only set to play in Sydney and Melbourne, leaving a number of other major cities out of the loop. </p> <p dir="ltr">And while most took to social media to share their heartbreak, some even <a href="https://www.change.org/p/get-taylor-swift-to-brisbane">launching a change.org petition</a> to bring her their way, one Queensland MP and Swift superfan opted instead to share his heartbreak with reporters down in Canberra. </p> <p dir="ltr">Andrew Wallace, who joined the Swiftie ranks thanks to car rides with his daughters and a soundtrack courtesy of the singer-songwriter’s impressive catalogue, also seized it as an opportunity to beg Taylor to reconsider her tour dates, and bless Brisbane with her presence.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Interestingly, there is about a week in between her three concerts in Sydney and two concerts in Melbourne. That is the perfect opportunity,” he pointed out. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Taylor, I’m asking you, begging you, I’m pleading with you. I’ll get down on my knees if I have to. Please come to Queensland. There are so many Swiftie fans in Queensland. I am one of them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As he went on to note, addressing “the guys at Frontier Touring”, it wasn’t clear why Queensland had been left out, as “it’s the first time Taylor will be visiting Australia and not Queensland.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Wallace wasn’t the only one with strong feelings on the matter either, with Sports Minister - and fellow Queenslander - Anika Wells dropping by the press conference to announce that it was an “outrage” to be excluded, and Taylor should know that all too well. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, Wallace wasn’t going to hold it against Taylor, promising that their love story would continue as “no one would ever be able to develop ‘Bad Blood’ between myself and Taylor Swift. It just would not be possible.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He even went on to dedicate <a href="http://andrewwallacemp.com.au/taylorswift/">an entire section of his own website</a> to the cause, where he reiterated that he was “the dad of four daughters, and I’m an unashamed Swiftie. And I’m a proud Queenslander who knows that thousands of fans are disappointed to see Queensland left off the Eras Tour map.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m calling on Frontier Touring to extend Taylor’s tour to Queensland – and particularly to the Sunshine Coast, the heart of Queensland’s Swiftie population … we know that a visit to the Sunshine Coast would mean the world to tens of thousands of Queenslanders who think the absolute world of Taylor Swift.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Music

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25 craziest things Aussies have left behind in an Uber

<p dir="ltr">There’s nothing worse than leaving behind the love of your life’s number in the back of an Uber, but that’s not the only thing Aussies have left behind this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">"From a Harry Styles concert ticket to a taxidermied cat, Aussies have really outdone themselves when it comes to forgetfulness this year," Hoa Nguyen, Head of Rider Operations at Uber ANZ said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Uber’s annual lost and found index has revealed that Perth is the most forgetful city in Australia for a second year in a row, and Brisbane is the most organised.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although some Aussies lost their chance to meet the love of their life, others are blinded by love, to the point that they’ve left behind wedding bands, wedding dresses and marriage certificates.</p> <p dir="ltr">But not all is lost, Nguyen has said that there are steps you can take if this has happened to you.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The important thing to remember is that we do have a process if you suddenly realise you've left your phone, wallet or Harry Potter wand in your driver's car, head to the app for help and follow the prompts to retrieve your items,” Nguyen said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Here are the 25 most 'unique' lost items:</p> <ol> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">A girl's number on a piece of paper who "might be the love of my life"</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Wedding dress</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Adult toys</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Rabbit's medication</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Harry Styles concert ticket</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Olympic gold medal</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Taxidermy cat</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Segway scooter</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">A painting of Marilyn Monroe</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Harry Potter wand</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Nduja (sausage paste)</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">False teeth</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Cockpit trainer poster</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Wedding band</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Cattle whip</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Chainsaw</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">A lectern</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Number plates</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Birth certificate</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Tray of lasagne</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">DJ decks</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Hair extensions</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">A jockstrap</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Robotic pool cleaner</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Leather bunny ears</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Woman “sickened” over tradie’s gross act caught on CCTV

<p dir="ltr">CCTV inside a Brisbane woman’s home has captured the shocking moment a plumber was snooping through her bedroom, and the “sickening” act he committed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The plumber, who was recommended by the woman’s friend, was called in to fix the bathroom’s toilet and shower.</p> <p dir="ltr">But when the woman checked her security cameras, she found out that instead of doing his job, he was up to no good.</p> <p dir="ltr">Footage shows the man in the woman’s bedroom, allegedly going through her drawers, before heading to the kitchen and taking utensils from there.</p> <p dir="ltr">The plumber then allegedly used a wooden rolling pin to fix the toilet before putting the dirty utensil back, unwashed.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm really upset by this… how many other people has he done this to?" she told <em>9News</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm sickened by him using my utensils on my toilet," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman also said that the lack of hygiene could make someone “desperately ill” and that she’s mostly “sickened about the cleanliness issues”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The distressed homeowner also alleged that a pair of earrings located near her bedside table also went missing after the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s so personal, your bedroom drawers are so personal and there’s a camera like half a metre from his face,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The incident has since been reported and the tradie, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has appeared at Brisbane Magistrates Court.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Channel 9/ 9News</em></p>

Real Estate

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Aussie town offers $20,000 for people to move in

<p dir="ltr">An outback Queensland town is so keen to get new residents that it’s offering people $20,000 to move in.</p> <p dir="ltr">The catch? You’ll have to live in the middle of a partial desert.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new scheme aims to grow the population of the Quilpie Shire, located 1000 km west of Brisbane and close to the Northern Territory border, by 20 per cent from around 800 residents to 1000.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We were the first council in Outback Queensland to introduce such a policy, and it was a huge success – we had interest from all around Australia as well as globally from the US, India and Ireland,” Quilpie Shire Council CEO Justin Hancock told the <em>Western Times</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our new $20,000 grant will cover most of the price of their land if they build and live on it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Shire council first introduced the Home Owner Grant in 2021, with the initial limit of $12,500. But the rise in land value led to an increase in the grant as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You would be hard pressed to find a better deal anywhere in Australia,” Hancock said in 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Depending on the cost of the land chosen, it can equate to us essentially giving land away,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The original grant has already resulted in seven blocks of land sold on a new estate that’s developing the town’s south.</p> <p dir="ltr">People who receive the grant will have to build a home valued at less than $750,000 and live in it for at least six months, with the grant limited to new homeowners.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Quilpie Shire’s economy is mostly based on farming and mining, with some of the world’s largest deposits of boulder opals.</p> <p dir="ltr">There are two small supermarkets in town, a regional hospital, a couple of schools, and a few culinary options offered at the Imperial Hotel and Old Empire Café.</p> <p dir="ltr">For those who require travel, there are two weekly flights which connect Quilpie with Brisbane.</p> <p dir="ltr">Quilpie Shire mayor Stuart Mackenzie has said that despite a recent baby boom with some of their existing residents, they hope to see new people move in to help them support their goal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As a friendly community we look forward to welcoming any new residents into the shire,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: news.com.au, Leon O'Neil</em></p>

Real Estate

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"Gross criminal neglect": Brisbane mum receives sentence for death of daughters in hot car

<p>Queenslander Kerri-Anne Conley has been sentenced to nine years in prison for the deaths of her two young daughters. </p> <p>The 30-year-old woman from Logan pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter - of two-and-a-half-year-old Darcey-Helen and 18-month-old Chloe-Ann - in Brisbane Supreme Court this week, and today received her sentence from Supreme Court Justice Peter Applegarth. </p> <p>Initially, she had been charged with the murder of her daughter under a law that expanded the definition of the offence, including reckless indifference to human life. However, this Tuesday Kerri-Ann gave a guilty plea to the downgraded manslaughter charges, as well as to the possession of dangerous drugs and utensils. </p> <p>In November 2019, Kerri-Ann had taken her daughters Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann to her friend’s house, and then made the “deliberate decision” to leave the toddlers in their car seats upon returning home, before going inside to sleep. Both girls died of hyperthermia at their Waterford West home.</p> <p>"Your first, grossly negligent conduct was in deciding to leave your children in that vulnerable place, uncared for, unheard, and unobserved in the dark," Justice Peter Applegarth declared when handing down Kerri-Ann’s sentence. </p> <p>"Not checking on the children and securing their safety at 6am was another aspect of your ongoing, gross criminal neglect of your duty of care as their mother,” he went on to say. </p> <p>"One can only hope that these little girls slowly succumbed to the growing heat of the day much earlier that morning and faded into a deep sleep from which they never returned.</p> <p>"The alternative of them being awake, distressed, and trapped in their seats is too much to bear thinking about for too long."</p> <p>Kerri-Ann allegedly went to sleep at 6am, after spending time on her phone, and came to find the girls nine hours later. It is estimated that temperatures within the car reached up to 61 degrees Celsius through the day, and the children were lifeless as she pulled them from the vehicle. </p> <p>When paramedics arrived, the girls were hot to the touch, covered in blisters, and had skin peeling from them. They were tragically declared dead at the scene. </p> <p>The court also heard that before Kerri-Ann even contacted emergency services, she attempted to dispose of drug paraphernalia. </p> <p>Justice Applegarth was firm in the belief that "no child should have a parent who uses methamphetamine". Kerri-Ann later admitted to the police that she had taken ice the day before. </p> <p>Of Kerri-Ann’s “egregious breach of trust” against her defenceless children, Crown Prosecutor Sarah Dennis stated that “they were left asleep and presumably restrained in their car seats without the ability or means to free themselves or to seek assistance or to protect themselves from the searing temperatures.”</p> <p>“They were entirely dependent on the defendant, their mother, for their basic needs, one being to keep them protected from harm,” she added. “Rather than doing that, the actions of the defendant exposed them to harm.”</p> <p>Sarah Dennis went on to tell the court that the girls’ deaths could easily have been avoided, and that it wasn’t forgetfulness that had been the cause, but instead Kerri-Ann’s carelessness. </p> <p>“Her behaviour,” she said, “represented an apathy to her own children that was callous.”</p> <p>Justice Applegarth noted that Kerri-Ann had been the victim of an abusive childhood, and acknowledged her diagnosis in custody of a depressive disorder and guilt induced psychosocial stress. </p> <p>"I accept you are remorseful and not a day goes by that you don't think about the death of your daughters and the effect this had on others," he said.</p> <p>Ultimately, Justice Applegarth said that Kerri-Ann’s meth use had led to her daughters’ deaths, and that her previous drug convictions had done nothing to inform her parenting. It was reportedly not the first time she had left her children alone in the car. </p> <p>Kerri-Ann has already served over three years on remand - the majority of which was in custody - with Justice Applegarth having declared this as time served, and will be eligible for parole late November 2024. </p> <p><em>Images: 9News</em></p>

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Brisbane meter reader killed by dogs

<p>Police have identified the meter reader who was killed after a dog attack on a Brisbane property over the weekend as 42-year-old Energex contract worker Kane Minion.</p> <p>Emergency services were called to a home on Ison Road at Greenback, Queensland, just after 10:45 am on Saturday December 3. Mr Minion was found unconscious in the front yard of the property with critical injuries.</p> <p>Police found three dogs at the address, two of which have been seized by local council. Mr Minion had spent the last seven years working for Downer’s Skilltech and at the time was working as a contractor for Energex.</p> <p>He died at the scene as a result of his injuries, despite the best efforts of paramedics.</p> <p>The owners of the dogs were not at home at the time, however a sign at the address read “Warning - Guard dogs on duty”.</p> <p>Meter readers had visited the property multiple times in the past, with the dogs usually kept behind a second fence.</p> <p>The Courier-Mail reported on Sunday morning a Bandog Bullmastiff and a Rhodesian Ridgeback cross were seized by animal control officers from Logan City Council.</p> <p>The dogs will stay in a council pound as officers conduct an investigation into the incident.</p> <p>“It’s also a difficult time for the owners of the residence, who are attached to their dogs,” Acting Inspector Worrell said.</p> <p>Worksafe has been notified, while police will prepare a report for the coroner.</p> <p><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

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