Monthly Archives: February 2015

Man wanted on warrants – Albury

Police from Albury Local Area Command are appealing for information to locate a man wanted by virtue of outstanding warrants.

Ashton Ryan, aged 21, is currently wanted on four arrest warrants and a revocation of parole warrant for the offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and contravene apprehended violence order.

He is described as being of Aboriginal appearance, with a fair complexion, about 160 to 165cm tall, thin build, with brown hair, and brown eyes.

Mr Ryan was last seen on Prune Street, Lavington about 1am yesterday (Monday 16 February 2015). At the time he was wearing dark tracksuit pants, grey t-shirt, no footwear and was in handcuffs.

Anyone who sees Ashton is urged to contact police immediately via Triple Zero (000).

Alternatively, anyone who has information about his whereabouts can call Albury Police Station on (02) 6023 9299 or via Crime Stoppers.

Teenager arrested following armed robbery – Newcastle

A teenager has been charged after being arrested by a witness to an armed robbery in Birmingham Gardens, Newcastle, this morning.

About 9.30am (Monday 16 February 2015), a male entered a service station on Sandgate Road allegedly armed with a knife and threatened staff.

Staff complied with his demands and handed over an amount of cash before he ran from the scene.

A 55-year-old man who witnessed the incident followed the male, who dropped the knife and jumped on a bicycle.

The witness lost sight of the male for a short time before seeing him again at a drain system nearby. The witness gave chase and tackled the male to the ground.

Police from Newcastle City Local Area Command arrived a short time later and arrested a 17-year-old boy.

He was taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with armed robbery (x2) and was refused bail to appear at Children’s Court tomorrow (Thursday 17 February 2015).

Feature Concerts at Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre

The first Music at Midday concert for 2015 is on Wednesday 18th February at noon.

This concert will feature a variety of ensembles from within the band with the intention of showing off Australian Army Band Kapooka’s versatility and highlight the talent of the individuals that make up the band. Jade O’Halloran will be the featured vocalist.

There are four new members of the band this year, two of them have previously been posted here – Dave Matthews (trumpet) and Marcus McCray (saxophone). The other two new members are Brendan Moore (trombone and euphonium) and Jason Mitchell (saxophone).

This will be Major Peter Thomas’ last year as the Music Director (his fifth in total) and he is very excited about presenting his final series of concerts at the Civic Theatre.

Later this year, six musicians from Kapooka (including Major Thomas) will be travelling to Gallipoli for services on Anzac Day and in August to commemorate the battle at Lone Pine.

The other Music at Midday concert dates for 2015, for your calendar are:
Wednesday 1st April at 12noon and 6pm.
This will be a Special ANZAC Tribute.
Wednesday 24th June at 12noon
Wednesday 30th September at 12noon and 6pm.
These concerts will be for the whole family.

Vigneron leans on cattle for harvest help near Gundagai

The light is fading and a light breeze rolls in across the vines.

The grape harvester hums in the distance.

It straddles a steep row of shiraz vines and spits out bunches of grapes into the chaser bin.

Jim Coe follows the pair of tractors closely behind, checking everything is in order.

His small team of pickers are anxious to get the last of the crop off at Cooba East Station before the storm rolls in.

The property he owns with his wife Karen is nestled behind Cooba Mountain near Eurongilly, about 30 kilometres north-east of Gundagai in south-west New South Wales.

They purchased the 1,800 hectare farm in February 2002.

“I remember the first week we bought it, my son was born,” Mr Coe said.

“The clouds opened up and it rained and rained and rained and everybody said, ‘oh wow you’ve bought at the perfect time’.

“Then I can honestly say for the next seven years, I don’t think it rained again.”

Nevertheless, the pair planted chardonnay and shiraz grapes in 2004 and supplied them to Casella’s in Griffith until 2011.

They are now putting all of their energy into developing their own label, Leaning Cow, which they released late last year.

The Angus cattle grazing in the paddock, adjacent to the 50 hectares of vines, might have helped with the inspiration.

“The day that we stop harvesting here, the gates will be opened and the cattle will come in,” Mr Coe said.

“They’ll be leaning into every vine they can see for the next couple of weeks until they’ve cleaned up any of the sugary berries that were left over.

“They just love it.”

The stock is managed on a rotational grazing system to maintain groundcover and conserve soil moisture.

The Coes have been awarded a NSW innovation fund to help convert diesel powered-pumps to renewable energy.

The four mobile solar power units will enable the vineyard to pump water from its bores during the winter months and irrigate the grapes during the summer months.

Any water the grapes do not utilise will drain back into the water table.

This season, the farm picked up ample rainfall in November and December, just enough to escape any disease.

“We have the most fantastic ripening conditions with temperatures barely exceeding 30 degrees for the last six weeks,” Mr Coe said.

“As far as the grapes are concerned, the sugar levels are there, but there’s still good acid and I think it’s going to be a great vintage.”

Woman dies after collision at Jugiong

A woman has died in hospital after a collision in the state’s south on Tuesday (10 February 2015).

Police have been told a truck was travelling north on the Hume Highway at Jugiong when it collided with the back of a Toyota Coaster van about 12.15am.

The truck driver was not injured.

Also uninjured were the van’s driver and front-seat passenger, both men aged 24.

A 26-year-old woman, a Canadian national, was asleep and unrestrained in the back of the van.

She sustained critical head and internal injuries.

The woman was taken to Canberra Hospital, where she died about 9pm yesterday (Saturday 14 February 2015).

Police from Cootamundra Local Area Command are continuing their investigation into this incident.

Man to face court over theft of terracotta warrior – Swansea

Police have charged a 67-year-old man over the theft of a 175kg statue from a gift shop in Swansea.

CCTV images captured the terracotta warrior being wheeled away from the shop on a trolley about 6.50am on Tuesday 3 February 2015.

During the theft, the head broke off the statue.

Police from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command have been investigating the incident.

Following these inquiries, a 67-year-old Swansea man was today (Friday 13 February 2015) served a future court attendance notice.

He is due to answer a charge of larceny in Belmont Local Court on 1 April 2015.

At this time, the statue has not been located.

Surf and skate fans reminded to plan ahead for the Australian Open of Surfing finals – Manly

Police are reminding surf and skate fans to plan ahead for the Hurley Australian Open of Surfing that continues on Sydney’s Northern Beaches this weekend.

The nine-day event began last Saturday (7 February 2015) at Manly Beach, and combines the best of Australia’s surfing, skate, music, fashion and art in a vibrant celebration of culture, innovation and athleticism.

Organisers are expecting significant crowds this weekend for a number of concerts planned tomorrow (Saturday 14 February 2015), as well as surf and skateboarding finals on Sunday (15 February 2015).

Northern Beaches police have launched a high-visibility operation, to ensure the safety of competitors, spectators and the community during the final days of the event.

General Duties police will be assisted by officers from Operations Support Group, Bicycle Unit, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and Police Transport Command.

Northern Beaches Local Area Commander Superintendent Dave Darcy, said police have been pleased with the behaviour of crowds and they’re focused on maintaining a safe and enjoyable event.

“There have been substantial crowds at the beach during the first week of competition and we encourage everyone attending in the coming days to look out for one another and themselves,” Supt Darcy said.

“We’d also like to remind anyone heading to Manly this weekend to please plan ahead.

“Public transport is definitely going to be your best bet, so opt for a train, bus or ferry, as parking will be very limited.

“If you must drive, be sure to plan your journey, access special event information on livetraffic.com and be prepared for possible delays,” Supt Darcy said.

Plan your trip to the Australian Open of Surfing at: www.transportnsw.info or call 131 500.

“I’d also encourage everyone to check event details, particularly regarding council-established alcohol-free zones throughout the Manly CBD,” Supt Darcy said.

Information on alcohol-free zones in the area can be found on the Manly Council website: www.manly.nsw.gov.au

Tips to ensure your safety:

• Plan ahead and check the event website and guides for details

• Leave your car at home and catch public transport

• This is an alcohol-free event so don’t bring alcohol into the precinct

• Don’t bring glass into the area

• Factor in possible delays and be patient

• Plan ahead for all weather conditions and pack appropriate attire including water, hats and sunscreen in case of hot weather

• Leave your valuables at home

• Ensure you have contact details for friends and relatives in case of an emergency

For further event information, visit the official Australian Open of Surfing website at: australianopenofsurfing.com.

Man’s body found floating in Lake Macquarie

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner after a man’s body was found floating in Lake Macquarie a few hours ago.

Around 11am (Friday 13 February 2015), police were called to a section of Lake Macquarie near Marmong Point, where a man was found floating face down in the water. A small boat was floating nearby.

The man was retrieved from the water but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, which does not appear to be suspicious.

The man, believed to be aged in his sixties or seventies, has not yet been formally identified.

Police release image of bike as part of investigation into B&Es – Armidale

Police from New England have released an image of a bicycle as part of an investigation into a number of break and enter offences in Armidale.

Around 2.30am today (13 February 2015), a residence in Baldwyn Street was broken into.

Police attended and disturbed a man who immediately left the scene on a pushbike. Police chased the man on foot. The man rode a short distance before dumping the bike and subsequently jumped over a number of fences in order to evade police.

He is described as being about 179cm tall and having a thin athletic build. At the time of the break and enter he was wearing dark clothing, a cap and hooded jacket.

Police were unable to find the man and are now appealing for any member of the public who may recognise the bike to contact Armidale Police on (02) 6771 0699 or Crime Stoppers.

The bike is described as a blue and silver Giant branded bike with a rack on the back.

Man charged with fraud offences as investigations into Newcastle fire continue

A man has been charged with fraud offences and perverting the course of justice as police investigations continue into a suspicious fire at a business complex at Newcastle.

The Property Crime Squad and Newcastle City Local Area Command are investigating the fire which destroyed a complex containing five business suites in Kemp Street, The Junction, on Sunday 7 July 2014.

The fire is believed to have been deliberately lit.

During the course of the investigation, detectives uncovered information relating to the alleged creation of false invoices to obtain funding from financial institutions.

Further, detectives will allege a man nominated a false driver after receiving a speeding infringement, thereby transferring the demerit point loss to that person.

Four search warrants were executed at Cameron Park, Broadmeadow, Elermore Vale and The Junction yesterday morning (Thursday 12 February 2015) where numerous documents were seized.

A 64-year-old man was arrested at Toronto a short time later and taken to Toronto Police Station where he was charged with perverting the course of justice, 4 x use false document, and 2 x make false document.

The man was granted conditional bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Monday 16 March 2015.

Investigations are continuing.