Monthly Archives: October 2015

More than 200 trucks defected during Operation Hydra

Operation Hydra, a joint operation between the NSW Police Force and the RMS, has concluded with more than 200 defect notices issued to non-compliant trucks.

The operation, being led by the Joint Heavy Vehicle Taskforce, was activated in response to recent heavy-vehicle crashes, fires and other non-compliance issues. It started on Monday (19 October 2015) and concluded yesterday (Friday 23 October 2015).

Notable results from the operation include:

– 1004 trucks and trailers were inspected;

– 203 (21 Major, 182 Minor) defect notices were issued for a range of issues regarding wheels and tyres, brakes, oil and fuel leaks, suspension, and body and chassis problems;

– 10 speed-limiters were found to have been tampered with to allow trucks to travel in excess of the 100kmh speed limit for heavy vehicles;

– Nine drivers returned positive roadside drug tests and will front court; and,

– One driver was found to be in possession of drugs, drug implements, and a prohibited weapon, in addition to driving a truck with a tampered speed-limiter.

Assistant Commissioner John Hartley of the NSW Police Force’s Traffic & Highway Patrol Command said compliance and enforcement are critical to changing poor truck driver behaviour across NSW.

“Given that 63 per cent, or 256 million tonnes, of Australia’s road freight is passing through New South Wales, we need to do everything we can to ensure trucks are being driven lawfully,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

“Following recent fatal and serious injury crashes, truck fires and roll-overs, the Joint Heavy Vehicle Taskforce is there to work with industry for the benefit of road safety in NSW, and across Australia.”

Assistant Commissioner Hartley said that the Joint Heavy Vehicle Taskforce can be established quickly in response to significant incidents on NSW roads.

“We can activate the Taskforce at very short notice,” he said.

“To have one truck with transmission and engine oil leaks, exhaust leaks, inoperative headlights, parklights and horn, as well as obstructed numberplates, a loose driver’s seat, and poorly adjusted service brakes, proves the worth of our work.

“To have another truck driver test positive to drugs, found to be in possession of drugs and a prohibited weapon, in a truck that had its speed-limiter tampered, suggests quite clearly that these trucks and drivers should not only not have been on the road, they should not have been allowed to leave distribution centres in that condition.

“I would like to think our work has effectively prevented serious injury or fatal crashes on our roads in these two cases.”

Roads and Maritime Services Director Safety and Compliance Peter Wells said the results showed there was still work to do in ensuring the heavy vehicle industry was operating at an optimal level for the safety of all road users.

“Having looked at 1000 trucks or trailers at distribution centres, it was encouraging to find signs of improvement at some sites. It is clear that some Distribution Centre executives are taking this seriously. We are occasionally now finding sites that are well-managed for chain of responsibility and road transport.

“However, it is still clear others are not being well-managed for safe and compliant operations of truck transport,” Mr Wells said.

“Of serious concern we found 10 trucks with non-compliant speed limiters to enable them to illegally speed more than 100 km/h, as well as 21 major defects.

“Driver fatigue at some sites was not being managed well at all.

“We will be working closely with the heavy vehicle industry to see if we can stamp out the 10 per cent of rogue operators who are letting the side down badly.

“We will now engage closely with Senior Executives from these sites with detailed feedback for them to manage,” he said.

Pizza delivery driver robbed near East Maitland

Police are appealing for information after a pizza delivery driver was robbed at Tenambit, near East Maitland last night.

Just after 9.15pm (Thursday 22 October 2015), a 25-year-old man went to a home on Collinson Street to deliver a pizza order.

Police have been told the man knocked at the front door a number of times; however no one answered.

The man returned to his vehicle when he was approached by a youth armed with a hunting knife.

The armed youth demanded cash, before a second person appeared beside the vehicle.

The delivery man threw cash and the pizzas onto the ground and fled the scene in his car.

Officers attached to Central Hunter Local Area Command were notified and commenced investigations.

As they continue their investigations, police would like to speak to two youths, who may be able to assist them.

The first one is described as being of Caucasian appearance, in his early teens, about 150cm tall, of thin build with short brown hair. He was seen wearing a navy hoodie.

The second youth is described as being of Caucasian appearance, in his early teens, about 150cm tall, of medium build, and with short black hair. He was seen wearing a hoodie with a zip-up skull style.

Hunt for armed father, son fugitives continues

A car that rammed police in northern Victoria was not the same one two of Australia’s most wanted fugitives were last seen in, and Victoria Police do not believe the pair were behind the wheel.

Police continue their hunt for Australia’s most wanted fugitives, Gino and Mark Stocco, who have been on the run for eight years and were this week seen moving around northern Victoria.

The latest sighting of the father-son duo was by police at a station post near Castella, heading north on the Melba Highway about 1am Thursday, towards Glenburn.

Police said they were driving at high speeds of up to 140km/h in a stolen Toyota Landcruiser.

The duo, who police warned could be heavily armed, are wanted for a number of crimes including arson, fraud and allegedly firing shots at a pursuing police car in Wagga Wagga last Friday.

On Thursday afternoon Victoria Police confirmed a vehicle, which rammed a police car near Lake Rowan, in Benalla, in Victoria’s north-east, was not the same vehicle being driven by the fugitives.

Gino and Mark Stocco were reportedly spotted at a Euroa petrol station on Monday.

A police spokesperson said in a statement that police didn’t believe they were driving the vehicle.

They said officers would continue to focus their search for the wanted pair in the Yea area, about 120km south-west of Benalla.

Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Dan Trimble said a highway patrol intercepted the car “for a routine check and it reversed into their vehicle and then took off”.

“There was two people in the car and they haven’t been identified … we don’t believe it was them, and we’re maintaining our search in the Yea area at this stage,” Supt Trimble said.

He said police had increased patrols around Lake Rowan searching for the car involved in the ramming incident.

Police warned the public to be vigilant and not approach the pair, who were believed to be carrying a semi-automatic rifle as well as a shotgun.

On Sunday night, the owner of a Landcruiser reported it stolen from his property at Little Billabong, north of Albury in NSW.

The men were later reportedly seen at a petrol station at Euroa, in Victoria.

Police confirmed the ute spotted near Castella on Thursday morning was the same vehicle stolen in NSW and both men were said to be in the car.

Detective Inspector Ian Campbell said during a press conference later on Thursday, a shooting at a highway patrol car in Wagga Wagga during a random intercept had sparked the intensified manhunt.

“It was a desperate act by two men who might have panicked purely because they were fearful of being caught with weapons on them,” Insp Campbell said.

Police also stressed that despite having been shown in pictures to have long hair and beards, the pair are clean shaven with short hair.

Four charged, firearms and drugs seized – Muswellbrook

Four people have been charged and firearms, ammunition and drugs seized after search warrants were executed in the state’s Hunter region.

About 11am on Saturday 14 October 2015, police from Hunter Valley Local Area Command stopped a vehicle in Muswellbrook and spoke with the driver.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located and seized two shortened firearms.

The driver, a 33-year-old man, was arrested and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station where he was charged with multiple firearms offences.

He was refused bail and appeared at Muswellbrook Local Court yesterday (Monday 19 October 2015) where he was remanded in custody to appear at Cessnock Local Court on 21 October 2015.

Following the man’s arrest, a search warrant was executed at a home on Denman Road at Muswellbrook.

At the home, police seized an amount of ammunition.

Following further inquiries, police executed a search warrant at a home on Lou Fisher Place at Muswellbrook about 9am yesterday (Monday 19 October 2015).

Police located and seized an amount of methylamphetamine (ICE) and cannabis, along with drug-related paraphernalia.

Three people – a 25-year-old man and two women, aged 20 and 22 – were arrested and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station.

The man was charged with owner/occupier knowingly allow use as a drug premises. He was granted bail to appear at Muswellbrook Local Court on Monday 30 November 2015.

The 20-year-old woman was charged with found on/entering/leaving drug premises and was bail refused to appear at Muswellbrook Local Court today (Tuesday 20 October 2015).

The older woman was charged with supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity); and possess prohibited drug. She was granted bail to appear at Muswellbrook Local Court on Monday 2 November 2015.

$100,000 reward announced following death of Singleton toddler

Police investigating the suspicious death of a toddler in the state’s Hunter region 10 years ago have welcomed a NSW Government reward of $100,000 for information relating to the incident.

Jordan William Thompson was 21 months old when his mum, Bernice Swales, went to run some errands, leaving him in the care of her then partner during the afternoon of Thursday 19 March 2005.

When she returned home, Jordan was in the lounge room unresponsive. She rushed him across the road to Singleton Base Hospital but he could not be revived.

Police were told the little boy had been found face down in the bath tub; however, a post mortem later found a lethal dose of a prescription medication used to treat depression in his system.

A Coronial Inquest into Jordan’s death commenced in 2008, and is set to resume in December this year.

No person has ever been convicted over Jordan’s death but police continue to treat the incident as suspicious.

Investigators are now hopeful that the $100,000 reward on offer from the NSW Government will encourage someone to come forward with information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Troy Grant said Jordan’s family has been suffering for 10 years and deserve closure.

“It’s now been just over a decade since Jordan died, and yet his mother and family still don’t know have any answers about his death,” Mr Grant said.

“Detectives have never wavered in their pursuit for answers and are doing everything they can to solve the case, so the family can get the closure they need.

“We are hopeful this $100,000 reward offer will help them find out who is responsible for Jordan’s death,” Mr Grant said.

The Homicide Squad has carriage of the investigation, and Commander, Detective Superintendent Mick Willing, welcomed the reward.

“There is someone out there who knows who is responsible for Jordan’s death and we’re hoping this reward may prompt them to get in touch with police,” Det Supt Willing said.

“By all accounts, Jordan was a vivacious and loving child, and his family have been robbed of the opportunity to see him grow into a man.

“Investigators are committed to getting to the bottom of this case and bringing those responsible for an innocent child’s death to justice, but we can’t do it without assistance from the public.

“I hope this $100,000 reward is the incentive needed for someone who has information to come forward.

“If you have any information that may help us, please do the right thing and call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” Det Supt Willing said.

Jordan’s mum, Bernice, has joined police in appealing to the community for someone to come forward.

“This reward announcement means so much to our family. We have struggled every single day since we lost Jordan, and we hope this will give police the answers we all need,” Bernice said.

The reward of up to $100,000 is available for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Jordan’s death.

Man charged with two acts of indecency

A man has been charged with two acts of indecency following separate incidents this month.

The first incident occurred about 5.30am Wednesday 7 October 2015, when a 34-year-old woman was travelling on a train to Sydney after boarding at Broadmeadow.

Police will allege the man exposed himself and committed an act of indecency while she was sitting opposite. When the train stopped at Morisset she reported the incident to police.

The other incident occurred about 9.30am on Friday 16 October 2015,when a 43-year-old woman was at a playground in John Street, Leichhardt, with her two children, aged one and six weeks.

It’s alleged a man stood a short distance from her and committed an act of indecency. The man then left in his car and the incident was reported to police.

About 4.50pm Friday 16 October 2015, police attached to Leichhardt Local Area Command attended Whites Creek Lane, Annandale, and arrested a 32-year-old man.

He was taken to Redfern Police Station and charged with two counts of commit act of indecency. He was refused bail and appeared at Parramatta Local Court on 17 October where he was again remanded in custody and is due to appear in Central Local Court on 23 October 2015.

Two wanted men possibly in Landcruiser stolen near Wagga Wagga

Police are appealing for assistance from the community after a Toyota Landcruiser was possibly stolen by two wanted men near Wagga Wagga.

About 7pm (Sunday 18 October 2015), the owner of a white Toyota Landcruiser parked it on his property at Four Mile Lane, Little Billabong, about 18kms north of Holbrook.

About 8am today (Monday 19 October 2015), the owner discovered the Landcruiser missing and contacted officers from Albury Local Area Command to report it stolen.

The vehicle is described as a 2013 white Toyota Landcruiser with distinctive white bull bars, with a 145l fuel tank and NSW registration plates BV70WP.

An investigation has been launched and officers believe that two men, Gino and Mark Stocco, a father and son from Queensland, may have possession of the vehicle. They are currently wanted in a number of Australian states for a range of alleged criminal offences.

Investigators are appealing for people to keep vigilant and report any fuel theft or sightings of the distinctive Toyota Landcruiser, that maybe displaying different registration plates.

Police are warning the public to contact Triple Zero (‘000’) immediately if they see the two men or the Toyota Landcruiser.

Under no circumstances should members of the public approach the men, who are considered armed and dangerous.

Pedestrian dies near Armidale

Police are investigating after a pedestrian died when he was hit by a truck, about 35km north of Armidale, this morning.

Just before 12.30am (Sunday 18 October 2015), emergency services were called to the New England Highway, near Sandon Street, Guyra, following reports that a pedestrian was hit by a B-double heavy vehicle.

A 36-year-old man was treated by NSW Ambulance Paramedics but died at the scene.

The 58-year-old driver from Queensland was taken to Armidale Hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests.

No one else was injured and officers from Oxley Crash Investigation Unit are investigating the incident.

Any witnesses who have not yet spoken to police are urged to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A report is being prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Teen injured in stabbing – Wagga Wagga

Police are appealing for information after a teenager suffered stab wounds during a fight near Wagga Wagga.

About 2.30am today (Saturday 17 October 2015), a brawl broke out between a number of young people on Marshall and Poulton Streets at Ashmont.

During the brawl, a 17-year-old boy suffered stab wounds to his torso.

He was treated at the scene by Ambulance Paramedics before being taken to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital where he underwent surgery. He remains in a serious condition.

Detectives from Wagga Wagga Local Area Command are investigating the incident and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.