Monthly Archives: October 2015

Three charged with property and drug offences – Belmont

Three people have been charged following a vehicle stop in Belmont.

About 4.45pm on Thursday (29 October 2015), police stopped a vehicle in a car park adjacent to the Pacific Highway.

After speaking with the occupants – two men, aged 25 and 22, and an 18-year-old woman – officers from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command conducted a search of the vehicle.

During the search, police allegedly located stolen property including jewellery.

It will be alleged the items were stolen during two break-ins at homes in Kimbarra Close, Kotara and Main Road, Cardiff earlier that day (Thursday 29 October 2015).

A quantity of Methylamphetamine was also allegedly found on the 25-year-old man.

The three people were arrested and taken to Charlestown Police Station.

The 25-year-old man was charged with possess prohibited drug and appeared at Wyong Local Court yesterday (Friday 30 October 2015).

The 22-year-old man was charged with goods suspected stolen in/on premises and granted conditional bail to appear in Belmont Local Court on 25 November 2015.

The 18-year-old woman was charged with goods in personal custody suspected being stolen and granted conditional bail to appear in Belmont Local Court on 25 November 2015.

Firearms missing following house fire near Goulburn

Police are appealing for information following a house fire and theft of firearms in the state’s south.

Between 26 October 2015 and 29 October 2015, unknown persons have entered a property on Williams Drive, Tarago, reportedly stealing a number of items, including firearms.

Upon returning to his property yesterday (29 October 2015), the owner observed his house completely destroyed by fire and his firearms missing from the safe.

Police from The Hume Local Area Command are investigating the incident and are treating the fire as suspicious.

Man charged over 1982 murder – Central Hunter

A man is due to appear in court this morning charged over the 1982 murder of a woman in the Central Hunter.

Detectives from Central Hunter Local Area Command have been investigating the alleged stabbing murder of 31-year-old Elizabeth Dixon, since her body was found in a car in bushland at Ashtonfield on 6 April 1982.

In August this year, detectives received new information which led them to arrest a man at his home in Stockton yesterday (Wednesday 28 October 2015).

The man was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged with murder.

The 64-year-old man was refused bail to appear in Raymond Terrace Local Court today (Thursday 29 October 2015).

Police have repeated their appeal for information from the public as investigations continue.

Police are

Police investigate home invasion – Tamworth

Police are appealing for public assistance following a home invasion at Tamworth.

About 5.30am today (Wednesday 28 October 2015), two men forced entry to a home attached to the rear of a convenience store on Hillvue Road at South Tamworth.

The men confronted the occupants, a man and his wife, armed with a knife.

The pair demanded money from the occupants before fleeing with cash.

Police were alerted and officers from Oxley Local Area Command attended and commenced inquiries.

An investigation is underway and police are appealing for public assistance to locate those involved.

Joint statement NSW and South Australia Police : Man arrested in NSW over alleged murder of ‘Angel’

A man is in police custody for allegedly murdering Karlie Pearce-Stevenson.

NSW Police State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad established Strike Force Malaya and South Australia Police’s Major Crime established Task Force Malee to investigate the murders of Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter, Khandalyce Pearce.

Following extensive investigations, detectives arrested a 41-year-old man at Cessnock Police Station about 4.15pm today (Wednesday 28 October 2015).

He is expected to be charged with Karlie’s murder later tonight.

Inquiries into the murder of Khandalyce are continuing.

No further information is available at this time.

Police officer charged with drink-driving offences – Goulburn

An off-duty police officer has been charged with drink-driving offences.

About 6.10pm yesterday (Tuesday 27 October 2015), officers from The Hume Local Area Command stopped a Mazda SUV in Auburn Street, Goulburn, and spoke with the driver.

The male driver was arrested after allegedly failing to supply a roadside breath test sample.

He was taken to Goulburn Police Station, where he allegedly refused to provide a breath analysis sample.

The officer, who is attached to Southern Region, was issued with a Field Court Attendance Notice for fail to submit to roadside breath test and refuse to submit to breath analysis.

He is due to appear in Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday 18 November 2015.

Homicide squad probe after body found at house in Inchbold St, Wangaratta

A COMMUNITY is mourning a young girl believed to have been murdered at her home in Victoria’s northeast at the weekend.

Zoe, 11, who was remembered as a sweet girl and a “beautiful angel”.

Neighbours and friends, among them children in school uniform, gathered outside the Wangaratta house today to lay flowers and toys for Zoe, 11, who was remembered as a sweet girl and a “beautiful angel”.

Distraught mother Janelle Saunders was being comforted by police and family, as homicide detectives continued to probe for clues into the suspected murder.

A 29-year-old Mildura man remained under police guard in a psychiatric unit of the Wangaratta Hospital.

It’s understood he was an acquaintance of the Saunders family, but was not well known to them. It’s believed he had attended a party at their Inchbold St property on Saturday night.

Local parents told of their anguish at having to explain the death to their children, including Zoe’s classmates at a primary school nearby to her home.

Police were yet to lay charges and were today speaking to “several” potential witnesses over the death.

Neighbours described a “beautiful” family, and said there were often friends gathered at the Saunders’ home.

It’s understood Zoe had been living with her mum and her mum’s long-term boyfriend, and that her biological dad died suddenly a number of years ago.

Pictures shared with friends and relatives by Ms Saunders and her partner revealed a happy household: Zoe playing with their pet dog Jax, family holidays to the beach and the snow, Zoe riding a horse.

Ms Saunders regularly shared photographs of her daughter, and had “Zoe Louise” tattooed across her wrist.

Gino and Mark Stocco: Fugitive father and son reportedly seen on Hume Highway at Tarcutta

Police are investigating a reported sighting of fugitive father and son Gino and Mark Stocco on the Hume Highway in southern New South Wales.

A media briefing scheduled for 2:00pm (AEDT) on Monday in Wagga Wagga was delayed so police could follow up the reported sighting at Tarcutta, about 50 kilometres east of Wagga Wagga.

Earlier, police said the pair could have stockpiles of supplies and weapons throughout New South Wales and Victoria.

Victorian Assistant Commissioner Rick Nugent said the sighting at Tarcutta was “unconfirmed”.

“New South Wales police are following up on that and we’ll continue to deploy our policing resources in and around the border and the north-east of Victoria,” he said.

He said Victoria Police would continue to assess their operational plans over the next few days before deciding whether or not to scale back the operation.

“Certainly the last confirmed sighting was on Saturday night at 9:00pm south of Gundagai. It’s now Monday,” he said.

“We’ll assess that later on and also again [on Tuesday], and if information and intelligence suggests they’ve continued in another direction we’ll look at winding back the operation here.

“But intelligence does indicate that the Stoccos do move frequently between southern New South Wales and north-east Victoria. We have that from the confirmed sightings.”

Assistant Commissioner Nugent said it appeared the pair was operating alone.

“We know that they drove off without paying for fuel recently. We do believe they’re running out of money and that they are not getting support from others, but we continue to investigate that,” he said.

“Our intelligence suggests that if they’re running out of money they will look at ways that they can obtain some food or other supplies — most likely by stealing them covertly.”

How fugitive father and son Gino and Mark Stocco keep evading a major police operation to find them.
The last confirmed sighting of the father and son at Gundagai in southern NSW occurred when they stopped to fill up a white Toyota LandCruiser with fuel, and drove away without paying, about 9:00pm (AEDT) on Saturday night.

Police also received a report of a sighting east of Wagga Wagga on Sunday morning, but have been unable to confirm that, Wagga Wagga Superintendent Bob Noble said.

There had been multiple sightings of the stolen vehicle in Victoria over the previous few days, including an unconfirmed sighting at Sale, in the state’s south-east, on Saturday morning.

Superintendent Noble said it was possible the men had caches of supplies hidden in bushland in NSW and Victoria.

“These are obviously fairly resourceful individuals,” Superintendent Noble told 702 ABC Sydney.

“They work in a team, obviously. There’s a high trust model. They are father and son. So it’s quite possible that level of organisation is present.”

Police have been running a major operation to capture Gino, 57, and his 35-year-old son since they allegedly shot at police with a high-powered rifle during a car chase in Wagga Wagga earlier this month.

Police believe the men have been changing their appearance, including shaving their beards.

They are wanted for a number of violent crimes and property offences in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Toyota LandCruiser used by Stocco fugitives
Photo: The Toyota LandCruiser ute was captured on CCTV at Bairnsdale on October 21. (Victoria Police)

“We’re keeping an open mind about the search pattern and the areas because they are mobile and the situation appears fluid,” Superintendent Noble said.

“The police want to see these people apprehended.

“There’s no hard evidence that they are likely to be violent towards members of the community but they have demonstrated a propensity for violence towards police and, to that end, they are unpredictable.

“People are concerned about that. People out in rural areas are concerned particularly because this seems to be the environment they’re comfortable in.”

The men are believed to be frequently changing the licence plates on the LandCruiser ute, and police believe they are in possession of at least four sets of plates: Vic YHS085, SA S415AZL, Vic ZUE632 and NSW BV70WP.

The ute is also fitted with a distinctive white bull bar, white rims and a black snorkel at the front of the vehicle on the driver’s side.

“A nice vehicle, a late model LandCruiser, and obviously there’s a fair few of them running around in this part of the world but we are taking all those alleged sightings and all that information seriously and chasing it all down,” Superintendent Noble said.

Man dies after motorcycle crash – Tamworth

A report will be prepared for the Coroner following the death of a man in Tamworth yesterday.

Just after midnight (Sunday 25 October 2015), Tamworth Base Hospital notified police a 51-year-old man had been admitted with serious life-threatening injuries.

He was pronounced deceased at 12.19am.

Officers attached to Oxley Local Area Command attended the hospital and spoke to two men – aged 27 – who took the 51-year-old man to hospital.

Police have been told the man was riding a motorcycle which hit a parked boat trailer on Mitchell Street, Westdale.

Detectives established crime scenes on Mitchell Street and Tasman Place, Westdale, and at Tamworth Base Hospital where the vehicle used to take the 51-year-old man to hospital was parked.

The Honda CRF450 was seized and taken to Tamworth Police Station for further examination.

Inquiries are ongoing.

Possible sighting of LandCruiser linked to wanted men – South Gundagai

Police are appealing for information after a possible sighting of a vehicle linked to two wanted men.

A white Toyota LandCruiser drove into a service station on the Hume Highway at South Gundagai about 9pm today (Saturday 24 October 2015).

It was filled with fuel, and allegedly left the premises without payment being made.

Police believe it may be the same vehicle allegedly stolen from Little Billabong, north of Holbrook, between 7pm on Sunday 18 October 2015 and 8am the following day.

It’s believed the vehicle may have been taken by Gino and Mark Stucco, a father and son from Queensland who are currently wanted in a number of Australian states for a range of alleged criminal offences.

The vehicle involved in this evening’s alleged fail-to-pay incident has South Australian number plates S415 AZL.

Anyone who sees this vehicle should not approach it, but contact Triple Zero immediately.