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Drunk couple forces emergency landing after mid-air meltdown

<p>A Ryanair flight to Ibiza had to be diverted after a drunk couple allegedly assaulted cabin crew and other passengers. </p> <p>The plane, carrying holiday-makers from Manchester to Ibiza had to make an emergency landing in Toulouse, where police hauled the intoxicated passengers off the plane. </p> <p>A British traveller on the flight, who asked to remain anonymous, recalled the man "swigging duty free vodka" on the first hour of the flight, before he started arguing with a male cabin crew member and punched him in the face. </p> <p>As they tried to restrain him, the intoxicated man assaulted another passenger and spat at a woman, hurling verbal abuse at her. </p> <p>“He was kicking off with everyone, he was out of control,” the witness said.</p> <p>Flight attendants reportedly warned him that the flight would have to be diverted if he didn't calm down, but he replied: “I don’t give a f***.” </p> <p>The altercation lasted for about 40 minutes until Flight FR2626 had to land in Toulouse, and 12 police officers took him away in custody. </p> <p>Video of the attack showed the man shouting and swearing at the police, before assaulting another traveller as he was being escorted off the flight. </p> <p>After he left the plane, his partner started harassing another traveller, hitting him and calling him a "paedo". </p> <p>In another video, police were filmed physically restraining the woman, before removing her from the plane. </p> <p>The flight spent just over an hour and a half on the tarmac at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport before continuing its journey to Ibiza.</p> <p>Just last week Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary called for flyers to be limited to two drinks at airports to crack down on disorderly behaviour on flights. </p> <p>“We don’t want to begrudge people having a drink," he said. </p> <p>“But we don’t allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000ft.</p> <p>“In the old days, people who drank too much would eventually fall over or fall asleep. But now those passengers are also on tablets and powder.</p> <p>“It’s the mix. You get much more aggressive behaviour that becomes very difficult to manage.”</p> <p>The airline has started carrying out hand luggage checks to stop passengers on flights to Ibiza and the Greek islands from smuggling duty-free alcohol on-board. </p> <p>A Ryanair spokesperson has apologised for the incident saying:  “This flight from Manchester to Ibiza diverted to Toulouse after a small group of passengers became disruptive in-flight." </p> <p>“The crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Toulouse and offloaded two passengers before this flight continued to Ibiza.</p> <p>“We sincerely apologise to passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of these unruly passengers’ behaviour, which was beyond Ryanair’s control. This is now a matter for local police.”</p> <p><em>Image: news.com.au</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Tragic final photo of newlyweds moments before fatal crash

<p dir="ltr">A bride was killed and her groom was left seriously injured when a drunk driver hit their golf cart from behind in the US state of South Carolina.</p> <p dir="ltr">Samantha Miller, 34, and husband Aric Hutchinson were reportedly leaving their wedding reception when another vehicle hit their golf cart at 105km/h, propelling it almost 100m and causing it to roll.</p> <p dir="ltr">The accident occurred around 10pm on Friday, and Miller died at the scene from blunt force injuries, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her husband and two other males were hurt and remain in hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">Annette Hutchinson, the groom's mother, said that her son-in-law and grandson were escorting the couple from the wedding reception in the golf cart when they were struck from behind.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also said that her son has had one of two reconstruction surgeries and is suffering from a brain injury, and multiple broken bones.</p> <p dir="ltr">Annette has started a GoFundMe account to help pay for her daughter-in-law’s funeral expenses and the medical bills for her son and his family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Authorities have charged Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, with three counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily harm/death, and one count of reckless homicide.</p> <p dir="ltr">Komoroski, the driver who hit the golf cart, was not injured in the accident.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: GoFundMe</em></p>

Legal

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"Stay away!": City forced into bizarre anti-travel campaign

<p>Amsterdam has taken desperate measures in the fight to keep the city safe from “messy” tourists determined to cause chaos and call it a night out. </p> <p>The Dutch capital’s new online campaign sets out to primarily tackle the problem of young British men, warning them against their plans to “let loose” while they’re visiting. </p> <p>Hopeful British tourists - between the ages of 18 and 35 - who google things like “stag party Amsterdam”, “pub crawl Amsterdam”, and “cheap hotel Amsterdam” will be made to view short videos that stress the consequences that come with “[causing] nuisance and excessive alcohol and drug use”, according to a statement from the city’s local authorities. </p> <p>One of said videos shows an intoxicated young man being arrested after insulting police officers, with text reading: “Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night + getting trashed = €140 fine + criminal record = fewer prospects.” </p> <p>From there comes the firm and to-the-point statement: “So coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away.”</p> <p>In another of the campaign’s videos, an unconscious individual can be seen in an ambulance as it rushes to hospital, this time with text that reads: “Coming to Amsterdam to take drugs + lose control = hospital trip + permanent health damage = worried family.” </p> <p>It concludes with the same message as the other. </p> <p>Amsterdam welcomes approximately 20 million tourists each year, and is well known for its red light district. It’s this same hotspot that has played a major role in establishing the city as the place to party in Europe. </p> <p>However, local residents have voiced their displeasure for years, fed up with the chaos that drunken tourists bring their way, and prevent them from enjoying their own city as they want to. </p> <p>“Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance. In that case we as a city will say: rather not, stay away,” Amsterdam’s deputy mayor Sofyan Mbarki said.</p> <p>“Amsterdam is already taking lots of measures against excessive tourism and nuisance, and we are taking more measures than other large cities in Europe. But we have to do even more [in] the coming years if we want to give tourism a sustainable place in our city.”</p> <p>From there, he went on to note that in order to keep their city a liveable place, they had to turn their attention to “restriction instead of irresponsible growth.” </p> <p>This isn’t the only - or even first - step city officials have taken towards achieving their goal, having just passed new regulations that make it illegal for anyone to smoke cannabis while in the red light district. </p> <p>The video campaign may yet expand to include visitors from beyond the UK, authorities have suggested. They also plan to launch another campaign called “How to Amsterdam”, which aims to reign in tourists already visiting. This campaign will utilise social media and street signs, with warnings about everything from drunkenness to noise, drugs, and urinating in public. </p> <p>Providers who offer bachelor party experiences have reportedly been contacted by the council as well, in the hope that they can reduce - and prevent - trouble in the city’s centre, while they also await the results of research into a potential tourist tax. </p> <p><em>Images: YouTube</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"He was a mess": Harry's drunken behaviour outed by ex-soldier

<p dir="ltr">A former soldier has revealed Prince Harry accidentally triggered a panic alarm at St James’s Palace after a drunken night out.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of Sussex reportedly stumbled into a sentry box when he returned from a night out, banging into the emergency response button.</p> <p dir="ltr">Three armed soldiers from the Guards Division dashed out to find Harry, who was 27 at the time, on the floor in a “mess”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two armed police officers also attended the scene and helped carry the young prince back to his apartment.</p> <p dir="ltr">A former soldier, who served in the Guards Division and was part of the Quick Response Force that found Harry, revealed how the Prince was “blind drunk”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He recalled, “He was a mess, he was on the floor drooling on himself.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to get him up he was uncooperative and abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, who did not want to be named, said, “It was around midnight. An alarm went off in the guard room, but we’d never heard it before.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the senior lads said it was one of the sentry boxes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Within a couple of minutes three of us who were in the QRF were out the door. There were two Met Police guys there as well.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“But instead of an intruder or terrorist, we found Prince Harry.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was slurring his words, not making any sense.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to pick him up he started yelling, ‘Get off me, I don’t need any help’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was pushing us off and being very abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The source said they took him inside and up to his apartment – which was in a “right state”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “It was like student digs, it was sh*t.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The double bed was unmade, there were clothes and socks over the floor, cans of lager and dirty coffee cups lying around and packs of cigs.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the team carried Harry to his bed where the royal “passed out” and was left to sleep it off.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “We all had a good laugh and a joke about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, an injured veteran with more than a decade’s service, came forward about the incident after becoming enraged by claims Harry made in his memoir <em>Spare</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the Prince had a reputation among military circles for being a “social hand grenade” who would often make trouble with his drunken antics.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Nick Kyrgios’ legal case with “drunk” fan settled

<p dir="ltr">Nick Kyrgios has settled his legal case with the woman he <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/fan-accused-of-being-drunk-by-nick-kyrgios-wants-to-sue-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused of being drunk</a> during one of his matches at Wimbledon.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kyrgios was playing against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in July when the Aussie star complained to the umpire about Anna Palus who was “costing him the game”. </p> <p dir="ltr">He said Palus was "drunk out of her mind" and "looks like she's had 700 drinks" which she took offence to after being removed from the crowd.</p> <p dir="ltr">Palus took offence to Kyrgios’ comments and proceeded to seek legal representation wanting to sue the tennis player for defamation. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, the case has been settled with Kyrgios apologising to Palus and donating money to a charity of her choosing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On 10 July 2022, during the Wimbledon men’s final, I told the umpire that a fan, who I now know to be Anna Palus, was distracting me during the match, believing that she was drunk,” his statement via Knight Temple Law read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I accept that belief was mistaken, and I apologise. </p> <p dir="ltr">“To make amends, I have donated £20,000 to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, a charity chosen by Ms Palus. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I will not be commenting on this matter again.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Woman got so drunk she forgot she bought a house

<p dir="ltr">A UK woman’s recent purchase of a home came as a surprise, after she confessed she was so drunk when she placed a bid that she forgot about it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luana Ribeira, 40, told the <em><a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/woman-drunk-work-forgot-bidding-28046594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Star</a></em> that she had gone with a friend to see the house, which was up for auction, before her surprisingly rambunctious night.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I went to see a house with a friend as it was on auction, but my friend didn’t want it as it was in a rough area,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I liked the property and thought it could be really lovely and a good investment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So, I went to the nightclub where I worked, stayed afterwards and got very drunk.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After finishing her night shift, the founder of Dauntless PR remembered how “one drink turned to two”, which then turned into drinking games before the rest became a blur.</p> <p dir="ltr">The next day, her then-boyfriend informed her that she got home at 8.30am, insisted on calling the real estate agent, putting an offer on the house and going to bed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I woke up hungover and my boyfriend at the time was very annoyed, and was giving me the silent treatment,” she recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">She was then informed that her offer of £20,000 ($AU 33,000) was successful.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though it may have been made under unusual circumstances, Ms Ribeira’s decision to place a bid proved to be fruitful.</p> <p dir="ltr">After 12 months, she sold the home for double what she paid and used it to purchase another.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Ribeira then made £20,000 on the second home, going on to earn another £20,000 on a third, and using her earnings to start a new life and business in Portugal.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-57ea2072-7fff-99ce-e0d1-5d668ee1ddf1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @launadauntlesspr (Instagram)</em></p>

Real Estate

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Fan accused of being drunk by Nick Kyrgios wants to sue him

<p dir="ltr">A tennis fan who was accused by Nick Kyrgios of being drunk during a Wimbledon match wants to sue him for defamation.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kyrgios was playing against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon back in July when the Aussie star complained to the umpire about Anna Palus who was “costing him the game”. </p> <p dir="ltr">He said Palus was "drunk out of her mind" and "looks like she's had 700 drinks" which she took offence to after being removed from the crowd.</p> <p dir="ltr">Palus has since hired legal representation and is looking to sue Kyrgios for defamation following his comments. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On Sunday July 10 2022 I attended the final of the Wimbledon tennis championships with my mother. It was an event we had been looking forward to for some time,” Palus’ statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“During the course of the final, Nick Kyrgios made a reckless and entirely baseless allegation against me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only did this cause considerable harm on the day, resulting in my temporary removal from the arena, but Mr Kyrgios’s false allegation was broadcast to, and read by, millions around the world causing me and my family very substantial damage and distress.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">"She's drunk out of her mind and talking to me in the middle of a game. She's the one who looks like she's had 700 drinks."</p> <p>Classic Nick Kyrgios<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> <a href="https://t.co/mhDw7M2Zbd">pic.twitter.com/mhDw7M2Zbd</a></p> <p>— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisHammer180/status/1546145885528248320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">She explained that she was not a lawyer and was debating on whether or not she should take legal action before deciding that she felt like she had no choice.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am not litigious, but after much consideration, I have concluded that I have no alternative but to instruct my solicitors Brett Wilson LLP to bring defamation proceedings against Mr Kyrgios in order to clear my name,” she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The need to obtain vindication, and to prevent repetition of the allegations are the only reasons for taking legal action.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Any damages recovered will be donated to charity. Given the extant claim, I am unable to comment further on the events of the day in question.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope that Mr Kyrgios will reflect on the harm he has caused me and my family and offer a prompt resolution to this matter.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“However, if he is unwilling to do this, I am committed to obtaining vindication in the High Court.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Drunk driver blames burrito for crash

<p dir="ltr">After slamming into a line of traffic stopped in front of him, a 65-year-old man has blamed being distracted by his burrito for the crash - rather than the beers he’d had before getting behind the wheel.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ross Coeland had picked up a burrito on his way home in early June, claiming that he was distracted enough by his food that he didn’t see the car ahead had stopped.</p> <p dir="ltr">After telling police he had been drinking, Mr Coeland was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol for a third or subsequent time, having been most recently convicted for the same charge in July 2017, per the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/drunk-driver-covered-in-burrito-after-crashing-into-line-of-traffic/UKPA5HDIYUNXHYH5KTLXE5P7BE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">On this occasion, Mr Coeland was found to be three times over the limit.</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing briefly in Nelson District Court, Mr Coeland admitted that he had been driving over the limit on June 2, with the police summary of facts showing that he returned a reading of 861 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - equivalent to a reading 0.08 BAC in Australia.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Due to his intoxication and distraction the defendant failed to see a line of traffic which had slowed to a crawl,” police prosecution told the court.</p> <p dir="ltr">When he eventually noticed the slowing traffic and took evasive action, it was too late.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When the defendant noticed the traffic ahead of him, he slammed his brakes on and skidded, crashing hard into the rear of the trailing vehicle,” the prosecution said.</p> <p dir="ltr">When police found him, Mr Coeland was covered in his ill-fated burrito.</p> <p dir="ltr">He has been remanded on bail for sentencing in September, as well as for a pre-sentence and alcohol and drug report.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <a href="https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roadcode/general-road-code/road-code/about-limits/alcohol-and-drugs-limits/#:~:text=Your%20licence%20will%20be%20suspended,alcohol%20per%20litre%20of%20breath." target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Transport Agency</a>, Mr Coeland could see his licence suspended, a fine of up to $6000 or a prison sentence of up to two years if it is his third offence, and the court impose a “zero alcohol licence”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-36c3b8c2-7fff-20a3-8fc4-bfca368b08c5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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Daniel Johns ordered to complete community service over drunk driving incident

<p>Daniel Johns has narrowly avoided jail time with a 10-month intensive corrections order to be served in the community over a high-range drink-driving car crash.</p> <p>The former Silverchair frontman has also been disqualified from driving for seven months and ordered to fit an alcohol-reading interlock device to his car for 24 months when he gets his driver's licence back.</p> <p>In March this year, Johns was charged with high-range drink driving after a head-on crash at North Arm Cove, north of Newcastle.</p> <p>When tested, he returned a blood alcohol reading three times the legal limit.</p> <p>The police report states that Johns was heading north when his SUV crossed onto the wrong side of the Pacific Highway and collided with a light commercial truck travelling in the opposite direction.</p> <p>Both vehicles ended up on a nearby nature strip, with the 51-year-old driver of the van and his 55-year-old female passenger being treated at the scene by paramedics. </p> <p>Johns entered rehabilitation of his own will for four weeks after the crash and the court was told he had not touched alcohol since.</p> <p>In his sentencing submission, defence lawyer Bryan Wrench said his client suffered from complex mental health issues from his time as a child musical star.</p> <p>"He was a very successful musician. He was 14 when that came to him in an unwanted fashion and that came with attacks and vitriol," Mr Wrench said.</p> <p>"He is a recluse, his house is his only safe place."</p> <p>These defence submissions are what helped Johns avoid time behind bars, as Magistrate Ian Cheetham said Johns was best served to continue with psychiatric treatment in the community.</p> <p>"There is no doubt a custodial sentence will not achieve an appropriate result for him or the community," Magistrate Cheetham said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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Mother charged after allegedly running down daughter

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A 58-year-old mother has been charged after allegedly running down her daughter in a car and dragging her for 100 metres.</p> <p>Just after 12 am on Sunday, outside a 21st birthday party held in the family home, 27-year-old Keely Palmer was struck by a Toyota hatchback and dragged down the road.</p> <p>She was then pinned under the car for more than 90 minutes as paramedics and rescue crew frantically tried to free her.</p> <p>She was reportedly conscious during the whole ordeal and was eventually freed at around 2 am.</p> <p>Keely was then taken to St George Hospital in a serious condition with compound fractures to her right arm and leg.</p> <p>"She was just bellowing, crying, screaming. It was pretty shocking," neighbour Amber Wardrop-Barros told 9News.</p> <p>"You could just hear screaming… they were saying 'can someone get a jack, can someone get a jack?'</p> <p>"So, I thought maybe someone was stuck under a car."</p> <p>Her mother, Dale Palmer, was subject to a roadside breath test at the scene which allegedly returned a positive result. She was then taken to Sutherland Police Station for further breath testing and allegedly returned a blood-alcohol reading of 0.166.</p> <p>"There was a party there throughout the evening, but as to the reasons why she was in the vehicle they are unknown at this point of time," NSW Police Chief Inspector Gary Ford told 9News.</p> <p>"Her reading of .166 will be the alleged reading for that breath test."</p> <p>The mother's licence has been suspended and she has been granted conditional bail to appear in Sutherland Local Court. </p> </div> </div> </div>

News

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Drunk driver who killed four children receives 21 years in prison: “No sentence can help ease that pain”

<p>Samuel William Davidson will spend a minimum of 21 years behind bars after he ploughed into a group of children on a Sydney pavement, a court has ruled on Friday.</p> <p>The man, who was on drugs, drunk and speeding was sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in jail for the tragic crash in Oatlands killed siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 8, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11.</p> <p>He will be eligible for release in January 2041.</p> <p>Danny Abdallah, the father who lost three of his children in the devastating crash said nothing could bring them back, and the lengthy jail term was “God’s will.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840643/oatlands-children-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/de3c9b35c61d4357bbfdb22374af89d8" /></p> <p>“Whether he gets one year or 100 years we won’t get Antony, Angelina, Sienna and Veronique back,” he said while standing alongside his stricken wife Leila.</p> <p>“The most beautiful, innocent and pure-hearted children were killed on the 1st of February 2020</p> <p>“We will all have our hearts broken until the day we take our last breath and no sentence can help ease that pain.”</p> <p>Mr Abdallah said the sentence meant that the Davidson family had also lost a son, meaning it was a “lose-lose” situation for everyone.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840642/oatlands-children-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1cc506b89c8b47518d037831bfafeb81" /></p> <p>“Our focus was never really about what serving a sentence was going to be,” he said.</p> <p>“When we made that choice of forgiveness we focused on our kids.</p> <p>“We knew justice would be served and it was served because it was God’s will this sentence.”</p> <p>The mother of Veronique, Bridget Sakr said too many lives have been lost due to dangerous driving that is often influenced by drugs and alcohol.</p> <p>On February 22, seven children were walking along the footpath to a local IGA. They had been meaning to buy ice cream to evade the summer heat.</p> <p>At around 7:30 pm, the group of kids were hit by Davidson who had been travelling at 133km/h after 12 hours of drinking and drug-taking.</p> <p>Judge Bennett revealed that the graphic scene had seen the kid’s bodies found metres apart from each other.</p> <p>Out of the seven that were struck, only three survived with horrible injuries.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840644/oatlands-children.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5e2000f47cfb43ebb5c6b9de97a072ea" /></p> <p>Judge James Bennett spoke in court on Friday, saying Davidson’s “horrific” actions and “menacing” driving that day showed he had abandoned all his morals.</p> <p>“The manner of driving was such that tragedy was inevitable,” the judge said.</p> <p>“The magnitude of the tragedy extends to the unimaginable.”</p>

News

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Erin Molan quits booze after drunk dialling Gladys Berejiklian at 1AM

<p><span>It’s not out of the ordinary for a friend to call in for a chat once the drinks have started flowing – however it is a little unusual when the friend is the premier of NSW.</span><br /><br /><span>Erin Molan can vouch that she did indeed make contact with Gladys Berejiklian, during a night out on the town.</span><br /><br /><span>While speaking on <em>2Day FM's Morning Crew</em> with Hughesy, Ed and Erin, Molan admitted she was with Nine colleagues Belinda Russell and Lizzie Pearl when Berejiklian's name came up in conversation.</span><br /><br /><span>"It might have been, say, 11pm, potentially midnight, 1 am — I'm not quite sure," the well-connected journalist recalled to the NSW premier who joined in on the radio program.</span><br /><br /><span>"We were talking about how well you've handled the pandemic, and how we all look up to you.</span><br /><br /><span>"I said to the girls, 'Well, Gladys and I are basically best friends, do you want me to call her and I'll tell her how we all feel?'"</span><br /><br /><span>Molan clarified that she and Berejiklian had become well acquainted with each other after bonding over their shared experience of working in male-dominated industries.</span><br /><br /><span>"I might have used a bit of creative license and talked up our friendship, slightly more than what it was, but I feel like we could then grow into that role," she said.</span><br /><br /><span>Molan did however end up calling the politician, revealing the phone was not picked up.</span><br /><br /><span>"So, the premier of the state didn't answer, nor has she returned my call since. So I just wanted to check the status of our friendship, Gladys," she continued.</span><br /><br /><span>A clearly amused Berejiklian verified the radio host's "version of events", saying she thought she'd texted Molan back.</span><br /><br /><span>"If I didn't, I apologise — in my head I did," she said.</span><br /><br /><span>"Can I be honest? I did have a missed call from midnight, and do you know what I thought, Erin? I thought you'd pocket-dialled me ... I thought, 'Maybe she's looking after [daughter] Eliza or doing something'."</span></p>

Beauty & Style

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Drunk probationary cop assaults terrified woman while waving badge

<p>A 41-year old NSW police officer might have just had the shortest career ever with the state’s Police Force, after being <a href="https://amp.9news.com.au/article/07bf385c-62e2-428a-90af-f052bfa61fb7">caught on camera</a> assaulting a woman and trying to arrest her while off duty, after a drunken night out.</p> <p>CCTV footage shows the officer chase and then grab the terrified woman by the back of the neck when she seeks refuge inside a bank’s after hours ATM area.</p> <p>The officer holds her with one hand as he waves his badge in the air.</p> <p>The woman calls for help, and a member of the community, 21 year-old Levi Minchin, steps in.</p> <p>Mr Minchin reports that he saw the man heckling the young women on Tucker Street in Ryde moments beforehand, and took it upon himself to help.</p> <p>Mr Minchin is seen getting between the two and trying to diffuse the situation.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838480/police-officer-off-duty-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6ca62de82f774f0cacb5e3d1dd67e7f0" /></p> <p>He reports telling the told the off-duty officer to leave the woman alone. The officer is then seen to grab him around the body, before Mr Minchin spins his body, causing the intoxicated officer to be thrown to the ground just outside the bank.</p> <p>Mr Minchin then performs what is known as <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/what-is-a-citizens-arrest/">a citizen’s arrest</a>, which is something he is legally entitled to do under <a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/leara2002451/s100.html">section 100 of the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002</a> when witnessing a perpetrator committing a criminal offence, <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/can-i-arrest-a-police-officer/">including an offending police officer</a>.</p> <p><strong>Drunken ‘power trip’</strong></p> <p>Mr Minchin reports that the officer was swearing aggressively, and told him that he was “gone”, “finished” and that the young man didn’t “know who you’re fucking with.”</p> <p>He says the officer “kept saying he was a police officer like that was the definition that he could do what he wanted.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838478/police-officer-off-duty-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2d397e7a902c4888a1d56d27191dbd9c" /></p> <p>The officer graduated from the police academy just a few weeks ago.</p> <p>He has now been suspended from the NSW Police Force, and has since handed in his newly minted badge.</p> <p>He has also been charged with two counts of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/offences/assault/common-assault/">common assault</a>.</p> <p>A spokesperson for the NSW Police Force says the officer has been terminated for “bringing the force into disrepute and not upholding the values expected.”</p> <p>Police brutality</p> <p>It’s certainly an embarrassing and serious indictment on the NSW Police Force which has already strained relationships with many sectors of the community, given the increasing number of reports about, and footage of, officers engaging in criminal conduct.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838479/police-officer-off-duty-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/78544f6c88cf4217aad3326ea49ec8d2" /></p> <p>To recap some of the most recent from 2020:</p> <p>Two Sydney Wales Police officers have been charged with <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-police-officers-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-and-filming-schoolgirl/">sexual assault offences against a 17-year old school girl. </a>Their case is before the courts and they have both been suspended from the NSW Police Force.</p> <p>Last month, a female police officer from the Newcastle region was charged with a domestic violence offence and this case is also currently before the courts and she is currently on long term leave.</p> <p>Earlier this year it was revealed that a senior officer remains suspended on full pay despite <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-police-officer-remains-on-force-despite-being-guilty-of-sexual-touching/">being found guilty of the offence of sexual touching</a> a female colleague at a Christmas Party.</p> <p>Another police officer from Northern NSW has been suspended <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-police-officer-charged-with-possessing-child-abuse-material/">despite being charged with posessing child abuse material</a>. And yet another, from Goulburn remains employed on ‘restricted duties’  by NSW police despite being <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-police-officer-found-guilty-of-common-assault/">found guilty of assaulting an indigenous man in custody</a>.</p> <p>These are only a handful of cases, and some suggest they’re simply the ‘tip of the iceberg’.</p> <p>Lack of consistency in accountability</p> <p>But what they also illustrate is the concerning lack of consistency with which NSW Police deals with misconduct by officers.</p> <p>All police officers sign an oath to serve and protect, and <em>any</em> deviation of that oath should automatically result in serious consideration of employment status.</p> <p>However many are suspended on full pay, or at least suspended (meaning the option remains open for them to return to their jobs) until the completion of the justice process, which can drag on for months, even years.</p> <p>It seems that those in authority tend to forget that taxpayers fund the police force at a cost of at least $3.4 billion each year.</p> <p>The taxpaying community most certainly has expectations around transparency and accountability for police behaviour. It should certainly follow that any officer which brings the “force into disrepute and does not uphold the values expected”, say for example, by being suspected of, or charged with, a criminal offence, should have employment terminated, immediately, and without the need for any further explanation.</p> <p>Certainly in the private sector any employee who brings an organisation into disrepute or breaches company policy faces serious consequences, often dismissal. It is not unreasonable for the general public of NSW to deserve similar standards from its publicly funded police force.</p> <p><em>Written by Ugur Nedim and Sonia Hickey. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/drunk-probationary-cop-assaults-terrified-woman-while-waving-badge/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a></em></p>

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Shattered mother shares tragic final photo of three children in Oatland tragedy

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Heartbroken mother Leila Abdallah has shared the final photo taken by her children just before they were struck by a drunk driver in Oatlands.</p> <p>Smiling as they travel on a “sunset walk”, Angelina, 12, Leanna, 10 and Sienna Abdallah and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 10, and Mabelle Kassas posed for a group photo taken about 7:45 pm on February 1.</p> <p>Their relatives Antony Abdallah and Charbel Kassas are standing out of shot.</p> <p>Leila captioned the photo with a sweet but sad caption.</p> <p>“Their last Sunset Walk on this earth. Saturday 1/2/2020 before God called them back home and said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”. Forever in our hearts,” she wrote.</p> <div id="fb-root"></div> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158034780419819&amp;set=a.10150278081034819&amp;type=3&amp;theater" data-width="auto"> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>Their last Sunset Walk on this earth. Saturday 1/2/2020 before God called them back home and said “Let the little...</p> Posted by <a href="#">Leila Geagea Abdallah</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158034780419819&amp;set=a.10150278081034819&amp;type=3">Saturday, February 22, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> <p>Leila has also started a blog called “The Four Angels” to remember her three children Antony, Angelina and Sienna as well as their cousin Veronique, who all died in the horrific accident.</p> <p>“Hi all my friends here on Facebook. I’ve started a page where I will be sharing what’s in my heart, the wonderful gift my children were and how blessed I was to have them in my life .. thank you so much for your kind words and the support during this difficult time. Feel free to follow,” she wrote.</p> <p>The terrible accident occurred when an out-of-control 4WD being driven by alleged drunk driver Samuel William David Wilson, 29, ran down into the group of children on Bettington road.</p> <p>Four children died while three others were treated for serious injuries.</p> <p>Davidson has been charged with 20 offences, including four counts of manslaughter and high-range drink driving. He currently remains behind bars until his next court appearance.</p> <p>Danny Abdallah explained after the crash that he had given the children money so they could walk to get dessert.</p> <p>“These kids were just walking innocently, enjoying each other's company,” he said, according to<span> </span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8064015/Heartbreaking-selfie-taken-minutes-four-children-killed-Oatlands-drunk-driver.html" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Mail</em></a>.</p> <p>“I told them to go for a little walk. 'Stay together, you guys should be OK'. (You) give them a little bit of independence... this is one in a million, they were just walking on the footpath.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

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"We've effectively lost our son": Parents of killer driver face reporters

<p>The family of driver Samuel Davidson have expressed their deepest condolences towards the victims of the Oatlands crash, saying they have “no words” and they are “so sorry”.</p> <p>Speaking to<span> </span><em>9News</em>, former NSW police detective Allan Davidson said: “We’re absolutely devastated for the loss of those children. Words can’t express how devastated we are”.</p> <p>Their son, a truck driver, was allegedly drunk driving, when police say it mounted a curb in Oatlands on Saturday night, killing siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, Sienna, 9, and their cousin, Veronique Sakr, 11.</p> <p>The Davidsons say the four children will always remain in their thoughts.</p> <p>“We’re no stranger to grief, we lost our daughter ten years ago, and now effectively we’ve lost our son,” said Mr Davidson.</p> <p>“Our hearts go out to the families that’ve lost their children.”</p> <p>Despite having the opportunity to remain silent, the Davidsons chose to address the tragedy today.</p> <p>“It was a bad decision by my son to go out that day instead of walking,” said Mr Davidson.</p> <p>“It’s very out of character for him to be driving when he’s drunk, because I tried to enforce that his whole life.”</p> <p>They revealed that they spoke to their son on Sunday, where he felt guilty about what occurred.</p> <p>“He was very quiet. He was just in shock as well,” said Kay Davidson.</p> <p>“He is so, so sorry. He can’t believe what’s happened.”</p>

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Pauline Hanson weighs in on zero blood alcohol vs zero tolerance sentencing

<div class="body_text "> <p>One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has slammed calls for an overhaul of Australian drink-driving laws after a drunk driver ran down four children as they walked to get ice cream.</p> <p>Experts have called for the blood-alcohol limit to be reduced to zero after the horrific incident, but Hanson said on the Today show that she didn’t support the calls.</p> <p>“Society is now 0.05 alcohol limit and I think that is fair,” she told Today host Karl Stefanovic.</p> <p>“People will still drink more. We have to get tough on the sentencing that we have now to try and stop it.”</p> <p>“For a person to go out and have one or two beers after work, they're not a menace on the road. So to reduce it to zero, I don't think that's fair,” she continued.</p> <p>“I think for those people who just want to have one or two beers, I think they should be entitled to have that.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"For those people who just want to have one or two beers, I think they should be entitled to have that." <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulineHansonOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulineHansonOz</a> does NOT agree with calls for the blood alcohol limit to be reduced to zero in the wake of four children being killed by a suspected drunk driver. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/vvpJ8GBjbq">pic.twitter.com/vvpJ8GBjbq</a></p> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1224064872188731392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>The legal blood-alcohol concentration limit for driving in Australia is currently 0.05 per cent.</p> <p>Calls for the overhaul of drink-driving laws have come from Dr John Crozier of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons as he spoke to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/call-for-zero-bloodalcohol-limit-for-drivers-in-wake-of-four-children-killed-in-sydney-road-crash/news-story/f8645a7a8898367d892fb17ac26df208" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a>.</em></p> <p>“I think it’s right as you look at this tragedy that any further way of reducing the risk of ­alcohol affecting the behaviour of the driver — and it does — should be explored,” he said.</p> <p>“We have it as a requirement for all commercial drivers and poignant deaths like this, it's reasonable to further explore whether we should have a zero blood-alcohol requirement for all drivers.”</p> <p>Stefanovic said that he was horrified when he heard about the incident.</p> <p>'If they were my children who had been knocked over by someone who was driving allegedly at 0.15, three times over the legal limit, I would not care if that person never saw the light of day again,” Stefanovic said.</p> <p>“Pauline is 100 per cent right. There needs to be tougher sentencing. How else are we going to stop this from happening?”</p> <p>The driver, Samuel Davidson, is facing 25 years in prison but Senator Hanson said that he should face even tougher sentencing.</p> <p>“Throw away the key for the rest of his life,” she said.</p> </div> <div class="post_download_all_wrapper"></div>

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Do different drinks make you different drunk?

<p><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/av/health-42072497/how-different-drinks-alter-your-mood">Reports of a study</a> linking different kinds of alcoholic drinks with different mood states were making the rounds in 2017. The <a href="http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/10/e016089">research used</a> 30,000 survey responses from the <a href="http://www.globaldrugsurvey.com">Global Drug Survey</a> and found that people attached different emotions to different alcoholic drinks.</p> <p>For instance, more respondents reported feeling aggressive when drinking spirits than when drinking wine.</p> <p>We all have friends who swear they feel differently when drinking different types of alcohol. But can different drinks really influence your mood in different ways?</p> <p><strong>Alcohol is alcohol</strong></p> <p>Let’s cut to the chase. No matter what the drink, the active ingredient is the same: ethanol.</p> <p>When you have a drink, ethanol enters the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine and is then processed in the liver. The liver can process only a limited amount of alcohol at a time so any excess remains in the blood and travels to other organs, including your brain where mood is regulated.</p> <p>The direct effects of alcohol are the same whether you drink wine, beer or spirits. There’s no evidence that different types of alcohol cause different mood states. People aren’t even very good at recognising their <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2167702616689780?journalCode=cpxa">mood states</a> when they have been drinking.</p> <p>So where does the myth come from?</p> <p><strong>Grape expectations</strong></p> <p>Scientists have studied specific <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2965491/">alcohol-related beliefs</a> called “expectancies”. If you believe a particular type of drink makes you angry, sad or sexed up, then it is more likely to.</p> <p>We develop expectancies from a number of sources, including our own and others’ experiences. If wine makes you relaxed, it’s probably because you usually sip it slowly in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. If tequila makes you crazy, maybe it’s because you usually drink it in shots, which is bound to be on a wild night out.</p> <p>Or if you regularly saw your parents sitting around on a Sunday afternoon with their friends and a few beers, you might expect beer to make you more sociable. Kids as young as six have been <a href="http://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsa.1990.51.343">found to have expectancies</a> about alcohol, well before any experience of drinking.</p> <p>We build conscious and unconscious associations between alcohol and our emotions every time we drink or see someone else drinking.</p> <p>We could even be influenced by music and art. “Tequila makes me crazy” is a common belief, which also happens to be a line in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8XkLrErSHw">Kenny Chesney</a> song, and Billy Joel’s <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEPV4kolz0">Piano Man</a> </em>might reinforce the idea that gin makes you melancholy.</p> <p><strong>It’s the ‘how’ more than the ‘what’</strong></p> <p>Other chemicals, called congeners, can be produced in the process of making alcohol. Different drinks produce different congeners. Some argue these could have different effects on mood, but the only real effect of these chemicals is on the taste and smell of a beverage. They can also contribute to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20712591">cracker of a hangover</a>.</p> <p>But there is no evidence that these congeners produce specific mood or behavioural effects while you are drinking.</p> <p>The critical factor in the physical and psychological effects you experience when drinking really comes down to how you drink rather than what you drink. Different drinks have different alcohol content and the more alcohol you ingest – and the faster you ingest it – the stronger the effects.</p> <p>Spirits have a higher concentration of alcohol (40%) than beer (5%) or wine (12%) and are often downed quickly, either in shots or with a sweet mixer. This rapidly increases blood alcohol concentration, and therefore alcohol’s effects, including changes in mood.</p> <p>The same goes for mixing drinks. You might have heard the saying “Beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear”, but again it’s the amount of alcohol that might get you into trouble rather than mixing different types.</p> <p>Mixing a stimulant (like an energy drink) with alcohol can also mask how intoxicated you feel, allowing you to drink more.</p> <p>You can reduce the risk of extreme mood changes by drinking slowly, eating food before and while you drink, and spacing alcoholic drinks with water, juice or soft drink. Stick to drinking within the Australian <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-topics/alcohol-guidelines">alcohol guidelines</a> of no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion.</p> <p><strong>Party animals and bad eggs</strong></p> <p>Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, which means it slows the brain’s functioning. Alcohol’s effects include reducing activity in the part of the brain that regulates thinking, reasoning and decision-making, known as the <a href="http://universe-review.ca/I10-80-prefrontal.jpg">prefrontal cortex</a>. Alcohol also decreases inhibitions and our ability to regulate emotions.</p> <p>“In vino veritas” (in wine there is truth) is a saying that suggests that when drinking we are more likely to reveal our true selves. While that’s not completely accurate, the changes in mood when someone is drinking often reflect underlying personal styles that become less regulated with alcohol on board.</p> <p>Studies of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2791902/">aggression and alcohol</a>, for example, show that people who are normally irritable, cranky or low in empathy when they are not drinking are more likely to be aggressive when their inhibitions are lowered while drinking.</p> <p>As with all drugs, the effect alcohol has on your mood is a combination of the alcohol itself, where you are drinking it and how you’re feeling at the time.</p> <p>So does alcohol make you crazy, mean or sad? If it does, you were probably a bit that way inclined already, and if you believe it enough it may just come true.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88247/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-lee-81635">Nicole Lee</a>, Professor at the National Drug Research Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-different-drinks-make-you-different-drunk-88247">original article</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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“Completely drunk”: Woman banned for life from Disney World after attacking taxi driver

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walt Disney World has taken action against an intoxicated woman for slapping a cab driver as well as kicking a police officer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ellen McMillion, 53, from Florida slapped unsuspecting cab driver Adel Mahmoud after she asked him for a cigarette.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When he said he didn’t smoke, she slapped him several times.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A minute or two after I told her I don’t have a cigarette, she hit and slapped me,” Mr Mahmoud told </span><em><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/drunk-florida-woman-banned-from-disney-world-for-assault-130639643.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yahoo Lifestyle</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “She didn’t have control, she was completely drunk, out of her mind.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Disney security guard Barbara Somoano observed the assault and said to police that McMillion caused a disturbance at the Hollywood Studios entrance.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An Orange County police officer stationed at Disney World told Ms McMillion to sit down, but she became “verbally belligerent...She had bloodshot eyes, an unsteady gait, was slurring her words, and had a strong odour of alcohol emanating from her facial area. She also verbally stated she was drunk multiple times.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After McMillion was asked for her driver’s licence, she threw her small black purse on the ground and said “HERE”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She was also yelling profanities as families passed by and was led into a squad car, where she kicked a female officer in the leg twice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and disorderly intoxication.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The police report obtained by </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yahoo Lifestyle</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> said that Disney Security asked for McMillion to be banned from all Walt Disney World Properties.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Disney spokesperson tells </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yahoo Lifestyle</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, “We have no tolerance for violence.”</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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Drunk man fined $2000 for groping and shoving trolley at flight attendant

<p>A Wellington man has been fined $2,000 after groping a flight attendant and shoving a service trolley at her multiple times.</p> <p>Christopher Campbell of Karori, Wellington was convicted for breaching Civil Aviation rules on Wednesday after the Wellington District Court determined that he behaved in a way that interfered with a flight crew member’s duties on a Virgin Australia flight.</p> <p>The incident – which took place on July 9 last year on a trip from Brisbane to Wellington – began at boarding when Campbell, who had been drinking, initially refused to show his boarding pass.</p> <p>During the flight safety briefing, he yelled, clapped his hands loudly and attempted to grab a flight attendant’s whistle. While dinner was served, Campbell was talking loudly, clapping his hands and pulling the seat in front of him.</p> <p>A judge said when Campbell called a crew member over for assistance, he laughed and did not ask for anything but touched her bottom as she walked away.</p> <p>The cabin crew supervisor gave Campbell a warning, leading him to apologise. Later, Campbell approached the attendant and tried to hug her, which she refused.</p> <p>Towards the end of the flight, Campbell stood at the end of a service trolley where an attendant was collecting rubbish. He shoved the cart into the attendant about five times, hitting her in the stomach and pushing the trolley over her toes.</p> <p> “This incident left the flight attendant shaken and in tears,” said Judge Jan Kelly, as the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&amp;objectid=12258455" target="_blank"><em>New Zealand Herald</em></a><span> </span>reported.</p> <p>“She also suffered a sore stomach following the incident. She was extremely upset and was unable to continue with her duties.”</p> <p>Campbell also refused to put on his seatbelt for landing until he was told that the plane would not land unless he complied.</p> <p>“As a result of your disruptive behaviour, the captain was required to leave the flight deck at one stage to check the flight crew were coping,” Judge Kelly said.</p> <p>According to a summary given to the court, Campbell told investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority that he did not remember some of the flight. The court was also told that Campbell had been drinking before and during the flight.</p> <p>The 48-year-old man was fined $2,000 (AU$1,898) and ordered to pay court costs. While the maximum penalty for the infringement was a fine of $5,000 (AU$4,746), Campbell received the full discount for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.</p>

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