Five men with OMCG links arrested and charged – Central Hunter LAC

Police have arrested five men with links to the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) during an operation in the Hunter region today.

The operation follows an investigation by officers from Central Hunter Local Area Command into alleged assaults at a licensed premises on Railway Street, Kurri Kurri, about 8pm on Saturday 14 February 2015.

As a result of these investigations, police today (Friday 29 May 2015) executed search warrants at homes in Kearsley, Thornton, Weston and Morpeth.

During the searches, officers seized two unregistered firearms, 46 cannabis plants, 355 grams of cannabis leaf, cash, two knuckle dusters, and two electronic stun guns.

Five men – two aged 30, a 28-year-old, a 40-year-old and a 42-year-old – were arrested at the locations.

The men all have links to the Comancheros OMCG.

Four were taken to Maitland Police Station and one to Wyong Police Station.

One 30-year-old was charged with affray, six counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company, stalking and intimidation and robbery in company. He was bail refused and appeared at Maitland Local Court today.

The other 30-year-old was charged with affray and four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company. He was bail refused and appeared at Maitland Local Court today.

The 40-year-old was charged with affray, four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company, and goods in custody. He was bail refused to appear at Maitland Local Court today.

The 28-year-old was charged with affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company. He was bail refused to appear at Maitland Local Court today.

The 42-year-old was charged with affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company, cultivate prohibited drug, possess unregistered firearm, possess unauthorised firearm, possess ammunition without licence/permit, possess prohibited weapon and two counts of not keep firearm safely. He was bail refused to appear at Newcastle Local Court tomorrow (Saturday 30 May 2015).

Inquiries are continuing and investigators are appealing for anyone who has not yet spoken to police to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 3333 000.

Police from Central Hunter LAC were assisted in today’s operation by officers from Tuggerah Lakes LAC and the Gangs Squad’s Strike Force Raptor.

Newcastle City police charge man over alleged fraud-related offences

A man has been charged over alleged fraud-related offences in the Newcastle area.

Officers attached to Newcastle City Local Area Command have been investigating the production and distribution of fraudulent currency in the local area since early 2015.

After ongoing inquiries, police executed a search warrant at a Hamilton home on Friday 17 April 2015.

During a subsequent search of the property, police located a number of items allegedly involved in the production of counterfeit currency, which were seized for forensic examination.

About 12pm yesterday (Thursday 28 May 2015), police patrolling the Hamilton area stopped a vehicle on Tudor Street over alleged dangerous driving.

A 29-year-old male passenger was allegedly observed concealing a white envelope as police approached the car.

While searching the car police found the envelope, which allegedly contained a large quantity of fraudulent $50 notes.

The man was arrested and taken to Waratah Police Station, where he was charged with possess counterfeit currency and breach of bail.

He was refused bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 29 May 2015).

Police are continuing their investigations into the matter.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/ Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

WA driver detected 192km/h on Hume near Gundagai

A driver has been charged after being detected allegedly travelling at more than 190km/h south of Gundagai this morning.

Highway Patrol officers were conducting stationary speed enforcement duties on the Hume Highway at Tumblong, 15km south of Gundagai, at 1.10am today (Friday 29 May 2015), when they detected a vehicle allegedly travelling north at high speed.

Police will allege a speed check revealed the vehicle was allegedly travelling at 192km/h in a 110km/h zone.

The 65-year-old driver, from Western Australia, was issued with a Field Court Attendance Notice for dangerous driving, and exceed speed over 45km/h.

He is due to appear in Gundagai Local Court on Monday 6 July 2015.

His authority as a visiting driver in NSW was suspended until his court appearance.

Former teacher charged with 33 counts of indecent assault – Armidale

Detectives have charged a man over the alleged historical indecent assault of children in the state’s New England region.

In 2013, a report was made to police about the alleged indecent assault of children at a public school in Armidale in the 1970s.

It’s alleged 18 children were assaulted between 1970 and 1974 by a teacher.

Detectives from New England Local Area Command launched Strike Force Flair to investigate the allegations.

Following extensive inquiries, a 71-year-old man was arrested at a home in Armidale just after 8.30am yesterday (Thursday 28 May 2015).

He was taken to Armidale Police Station where he was charged with 33 counts of indecent assault upon a male.

The former teacher was given bail to appear at Armidale Local Court on Monday 6 July 2015.

Investigations by Strike Force Flair are continuing.

Body found after house fire near Wagga Wagga

A body has been found by investigators examining the ruins of a home by destroyed fire this morning, north of Wagga Wagga.

About 12.45am today (Thursday 28 May 2015) emergency services were alerted to a house on fire in Coopers Lane, Coolamon, about 43km north of Wagga Wagga.

Fire fighters from Fire & Rescue NSW and the Rural Fire Service, attended the scene and found the premises well alight. The fire was extinguished but not before the building was destroyed.

Shortly before midday, investigators located a body within the ruins of the home.

A post mortem examination will be conducted to determine if it is that of the 68-year-old man who lived alone in the home. The examination will also endeavour to determine a cause of death.

Police have advised the man’s family.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

There is no evidence the fire was suspicious.

Man missing after house fire near Wagga Wagga

A house has been destroyed and a man is missing following a fire north of Wagga Wagga this morning.

About 12.45am today (Thursday 28/ May 2015) emergency services were alerted to a house on fire in Coopers Lane, Coolamon, about 43km north of Wagga Wagga.

Fire fighters from Fire & Rescue NSW and the Rural Fire Service, attended the scene and found the premises well alight. The fire was extinguished but not before the building was destroyed.

The only person who lived in the home, a 68-year-old man, has not been found. A canvass of the man’s neighbours and family have been unable to determine if he was home at the time the fire broke out.

Police have advised the man’s family.

The building is still too dangerous to enter; however, investigators will search the scene once it is deemed safe later today. The cause of the fire is unknown.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

COLD CHISEL CONFIRMED TO ROCK THE DENI UTE MUSTER!

The legendary Cold Chisel have announced that they will start their 2015 One Night Stand national tour with a headlining set at the 2015 Deni Ute Muster on Friday, 2 October 2015.

Cold Chisel smashed the record for the biggest crowd at the Muster in 2010 and it also marked the last time the band performed with their drummer, Steve Prestwich, who passed away in January 2011.

‘We loved playing the Deni Ute Muster in 2010 and we can’t wait to play there again. It holds great memories and emotions for us, being the last time we ever played with Steve,” said guitarist Ian Moss.

With a history that spans forty years and a reputation forged through blistering live shows and a catalogue of much-loved songs and albums, Cold Chisel has become a part of the nation’s psyche. Their story is colourful, volatile and proud and their music continues to be ingrained in the hearts of generations of Australians. They’ve sold almost 7 million albums across bona-fide Australian classics like East, Breakfast at Sweethearts and Circus Animals, while songs like Cheap Wine, Choir Girl, When The War Is Over, Flame Trees, Bow River, Saturday Night and Khe Sanh remain the staple of radio playlists, pubs, jukeboxes, barbeques and karaoke bars across every part of the country.

Their reunion in 2009, for a one-off performance at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, saw the band play in front of 50,000 people – the biggest crowd of their career. This sparked a renewed enthusiasm for working together again – onstage and in the studio.  In 2010 they smashed the record for the biggest crowd at the Deni Ute Muster and then in late 2011 they undertook the Light The Nitro tour, one of the biggest tours ever by an Australian band.  In 2012 they then released the critically hailed and Gold-selling No Plans album which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Album chart.

After a three year break, in February this year Cold Chisel played the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide to over 35,000 people. More recently the band announced two special shows under the banner ‘The Last Stand of Sydney’s entertainment centre’, to mark the closing of the iconic Sydney venue (now known as the Qantas Credit Union Arena). The band promised to construct a show that referenced their legendary 1983 Last Stand tour and it captured the fascination and excitement of music fans across the country – with the band selling all 20,000 tickets in minutes.

“The Muster is going to be the first show of our One Night Stand tour so it’ll be full of excitement, adrenaline, emotion – and just the right amount of danger,” said singer Jimmy Barnes. “Bring it on!”

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said, “The Deni Ute Muster is one of Australia’s most unique festivals and it’s fitting that one of Australia’s most iconic bands, Cold Chisel, will return to the festival stage again this year.”

“The Deni Ute Muster brings thousands of visitors to Deniliquin, who come to enjoy a taste of the Regional NSW lifestyle along with world-class entertainment. The NSW Government is proud to be supporting the event in 2015 through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW,” he said.

The Deni Ute Muster is on almost every local and international bucket list and with, more music and more fun than your average long weekend can cram into it, our Australian Made special event will be one to remember for a lifetime so don’t miss out – get your tickets today!

Festival General Manager, Kate Pitt said “Cold Chisel deserve their legendary status – as no one has documented Australian life better than Chisel, so to have them headlining our proudly Australian event will be the perfect way to celebrate our 17th record breaking Muster”.

The Deni Ute Muster is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Joint Traffic Taskforce cracks down on non-compliant trucks – Operation Austrans

Thirty truck drivers have tested positive to drugs and more than 1200 defect notices were issued in New South Wales since the beginning of Operation Austrans, which commenced on Monday (18 May 2015).

Officers from the Joint Traffic Taskforce comprising the NSW Police Force Traffic and Highway Patrol Command working alongside Roads & Maritime Service Inspectors have been conducting the operation, part of a nationwide campaign focussing on heavy vehicle compliance and load restraint.

Since the operation began on Monday (18 May 2015) until Tuesday (26 May 2015), 1941 truck drivers were tested for drugs and 30 of them returned a positive result. In total, Traffic and Highway Patrol officers made 6208 intercepts and inspected 12388 heavy vehicles ranging from small rigid local trucks to interstate b-doubles.

Officers issued 1240 defect notices for a range of violations, including 53 non-compliant Engine Control modules, allowing those trucks to travel at speeds of more than 100km/h, brake, ancillary equipment and body and chassis faults.

In another incident around 10am (Monday 25 May 2015), officers from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command observed an over-height B-double heavy vehicle stationary in a lane on General Holmes Drive.

Upon questioning the driver allegedly indicated he was distracted and mistakenly turned onto General Holmes Drive before stopping when the over-height warning lights had activated.

Officers closed General Holmes Drive in both directions and the vehicle was turned around toward Foreshore Road for inspection.

The driver was issued with two penalty notices for being off route and disobeying road access signs and one penalty notice for a work diary offence.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Command’s Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said Operation Austrans was aimed at ensuring road safety for all by focussing on heavy vehicles.

“Any tampering with trucks, incorrect and unrestrained loading, driving fatigued, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or exceeding the speed limit is violation of the law. Police officers are out in force to make sure that those offenders are stopped for the safety of the entire community,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said

“The Joint Traffic Taskforce Officers are out there everyday to prevent heavy vehicle related crashes on our roads.”

Operation Austrans, a month-long operation, began across Australia and New Zealand on Monday May 18 2015.

 

CCTV images released following hotel break-in – Tamworth

Police have released images of two people they wish to speak to following a break-in at a hotel in Tamworth yesterday morning.

About 3.45am (Tuesday 26 May 2015), two men were disturbed by staff after breaking into the hotel on Ringers Road.

The two men entered the adjacent bottle shop a number of times, stealing several bottles of spirits.

A staff member attempted to stop the men and became involved in a struggle.

The men managed to get away from the staff member and escaped by breaking a window.

The staff member suffered bruising and a laceration to his hand during the struggle. His injuries are not considered life threatening.

Detectives from Oxley Local Area Command were called to the scene and established a crime scene.

Following investigations, police have released closed-circuit television images of two people they believe might be able to assist with inquiries.

The first man depicted in the images is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a thin build and blonde hair. He is shown wearing a green hooded top, black pants and white shoes.

The second man is also described as being of Caucasian appearance with a medium build. He is shown seen wearing a green top with a dark coloured hood, black pants and white shoes.

COLD CHISEL ANNOUNCE THEIR 'ONE NIGHT STAND' NATIONAL TOUR

Tonight, ahead of State Of Origin 1, and in front of an audience of 80,000 live spectators, more than 2.5 million TV viewers and many millions more online, the legendary Cold Chisel announced their One Night Stand tour of Australia.  It will be a tour unlike any the band has previously undertaken and will include a number of unique performances and ‘firsts’ for an Australian band.

The band revealed tonight that they will ‘kick-off’ the tour with a special mini-concert at the NRL Grand Final at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, 4 October, where they will be the only artist performing. That same weekend they will play a full headline set at the 2015 Deni Ute Muster on Friday, 2 October. From there, Cold Chisel will traverse the nation (full details below), headlining festivals like The V8 Supercars Castrol Gold Coast 600 and the Decades Festival in Strathpine, Qld, playing arenas and a number of special performances – including being the first Australian band to headline the mythical Hanging Rock in Victoria and also Hope Estate in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. There are also big shows in new venues for the band, like 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville (Saturday, 7 November) and Perth Arena (Saturday, 14 November) which wasn’t completed when the band last played Perth in 2012. Cold Chisel is excited to confirm that The Living End will be joining them at the Decades Festival, Hope Estate and Hanging Rock.

Frontman Jimmy Barnes revealed tonight that the band felt compelled to undertake the tour as a direct response of the incredible reaction they received when they recently announced two special shows under the banner of ‘The Last Stand of Sydney’s entertainment centre’ to mark the closing of the Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly known as the Entertainment Centre). Promising a show that referenced their classic 1983 Last Stand tour, which finished at the iconic venue, these two new shows captured the fascination of music fans around the country with all 20,000 tickets selling out within minutes – and with interstate fans screaming to be included.

“In March we played a homecoming show in Adelaide to 35,000 people,” said Barnes. “Then when we announced these two shows in Sydney the reaction was ballistic. The demand blew our minds, suggesting that it was time for us to get back out there.” The band then hatched the idea of One Night Stand, with each venue being a definite ‘for one night only’ experience – with the exception of Sydney where the tour concludes with the two already sold-out shows at QCUA.

Of course Barnes and his band mates Ian Moss (guitar/vocals), Don Walker (piano/keyboards), Phil Small (bass) and drummer Charley Drayton shouldn’t have been surprised by the excitement: With a history that spans forty years and a reputation forged through blistering live shows and a catalogue of much-loved songs and albums, Cold Chisel has become a part of the nation’s psyche. Their story is colourful, volatile and proud and their music continues to be ingrained in the hearts of generations of Australians. They’ve sold almost 7 million albums across bona-fide Australian classics like East, Breakfast at Sweethearts and Circus Animals, while songs like Cheap Wine, Choir Girl, When The War Is Over, Flame Trees, Bow River, Saturday Night and Khe Sanh remain the staple of radio playlists, pubs, jukeboxes, concert halls and karaoke bars across every part of the country.

Their reunion in 2009, for a one-off performance at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, saw the band play in front of 50,000 people – the biggest crowd of their career. This sparked a renewed enthusiasm for working together again – onstage and in the studio. In 2011 they undertook the Light The Nitro tour, one of the biggest tours ever by an Australian band with over 285,000 tickets sold. And in 2012 they released the critically hailed and Gold-selling No Plans album, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Album chart.

After a three year break, 2015 feels like the right time to get back in the saddle.

“We love playing together,” said guitarist Ian Moss. “We’ve come to realise that there’s a certain magic and chemistry in Cold Chisel that we don’t get anywhere else and it makes a special connection with Australian audiences. We can’t wait to make that connection once again on our One Night Stand tour. See you there!”