Category: Radio16

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).

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.

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.

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.

A child who was injured during a boating accident at Lake Macquarie at the weekend has died in hospital.

Emergency services were called to Ada Street, Belmont, about 4.45pm on Saturday (7 February 2015), responding to reports that a ten-year-old boy had fallen into the lake while sailing. The child was wearing a life jacket at the time.

NSW Ambulance Paramedics rendered first aid to the boy before he was taken to John Hunter Hospital.

The child remained in a critical condition until Monday (9 February 2015), when he died.

Officers from the Marine Area Command are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and will prepare a report for the Coroner.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a boating accident at Lake Macquarie this afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Ada Street, Belmont, about 4.45pm (Saturday 7 February 2015), responding to reports that a child had fallen into the lake while sailing.

NSW Ambulance Paramedics rendered first aid to the boy before he was taken to John Hunter Hospital. He is reported to be in a critical condition.

The child was wearing a life jacket at the time.

Police from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command are speaking with witnesses at the scene, including a second boy who was also on the boat.

A man has been forced to drive three people around the Lake Macquarie area for three hours after they got into his car.

Police from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command have been told two men got into a Toyota Starlet while it was stopped at the intersection of Quigley Road and The Ridgeway at Bolton Point, about 5pm yesterday (Thursday 5 February 2015).

The driver, a 26-year-old man from Bolton Point, told police he was intimidated into driving the men around the area, picking up a third man in Toronto.

The men then forced the driver to take them to a number of other locations during the three-hour incident, before he was told to drive them to Medlow Street, Cardiff, where they assaulted him and stole his smartphone and cash.

The three men then left the area on foot and the driver reported the incident to police at Toronto.

Police are now looking for three men, who they believe can assist with their investigation.

The first man is described as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 30 years old, having a solid build, 175cm tall, and with a tattoo on his neck. At the time he was wearing a white T-shirt, black shorts and bright green joggers.

The second man is described as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance and about 30 years old; however, this man had a slim build and was about 182cm tall, with short shaved hair and facial stubble. At the time the man was wearing a dark-coloured T-shirt, shorts, a baseball cap and bright, multi-coloured joggers.

The third man is described as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance and aged about 40 to 50. This man had a thin build, about 165cm tall, with short brown hair that was curly at the back. At the time he was wearing a black track suit with white strips down the sleeves, a black baseball cap and sunglasses. He was carrying a grey back pack.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the incident, or who may know the men involved, to contact Lake Macquarie Detective.

Police are investigating the cause of a fire at a public school in the Lake Macquarie area this morning.

About 12.30am (Friday 6 February), fire crews were called to the school on Secret Corner Road in Rathmines after reports a one of the buildings was well-alight.

When crews arrived they found the hall and canteen ablaze but managed to contain the fire.

The fire has been extinguished and investigators are expected to examine the scene later today.

The cause of the fire has not been established.

Police have charged two teenagers over the theft of a car and subsequent crash in the Lake Macquarie area this week.

Between January 31 and February 1, a Nissan Tida sedan was stolen from a property on Rosemount Close in Eleebana.

The theft was reported to officers at Lake Macquarie Local Area Command, who commenced an investigation.

About 11pm yesterday (Tuesday 3 February), the car was used in a fail-to-pay incident at a petrol station on the Pacific Highway at Belmont.

A short time later, the Nissan crashed into another vehicle on the Pacific Highway near Bali Street at Blacksmiths.

The two teenagers in the Nissan attempted to run from the area. A number of witnesses were able to detain one of the males until police arrived. The other was tracked down by officers using a police dog.

The pair, aged 17 and 15, was taken to Charlestown Police Station.

The older male, who was driving the Nissan, returned a breath test reading of 0.085 and was found to be unlicensed. He was charged with car theft and obtain benefit by deception.

He has been granted conditional bail to appear at a children’s court on February 23.

The 15-year-old was charged with a first instance warrant, carry in conveyance and obtain benefit by deception. He was refused bail to appear at a children’s court today.