A magistrate in Fremantle has lifted a suppression order, allowing the reporting of a domestic violence charge against a prominent WA doctor accused of assaulting his wife, human rights lawyer Rabia Saddique.
Key points:
Anthony Jenner Bell denies assaulting Rabia Saddique in Mount Pleasant
The court heard he feared publicity could result in him being stood down
The magistrate ruled suppressing the case was not in the interests of justice
St John of God doctor Anthony Jenner Bell has pleaded not guilty to the aggravated assault of Ms Saddique in Mount Pleasant.
An interim suppression order was in place until this morning, when Magistrate Adam Hills-Wright lifted it.
The court heard Dr Bell had sought the suppression order to prevent his identity from being reported.
Magistrate Hills-Wright said Dr Bell had stated in an affidavit that the complaint against him was made in the context of a separation.
Dr Bell also suggested the allegations were “baseless” and said the complainant had expressed a desire to “ruin his life”.
He said his wife had suggested she would do this by using connections with people in the media.
Dr Bell also stated that reporters had contacted St John of God asking whether his position was under question.
He said his employer was supporting him, but if the matter got into the media, it could lead to him being stood down and he may not be able to see some patients.
Not in interests of justice: magistrate
Magistrate Hills-Wright said Dr Bell was presumed to be innocent.
He said publicity increased the community’s understanding of how the justice system worked, and for a suppression order to be made, the court had to be satisfied there were exceptional circumstances.
While widespread publicity could cause “significant embarrassment”, the court process applied “equally for all”, he said.
Magistrate Hills-Wright said the court was being asked to weigh the potential wider ramifications for patients and institutions.
He told the court suppression was not in the interests of justice.
Dr Bell is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court next month for a trial allocation date.
The 17-year-old boy is the eighth teenager to be charged with murder after 16-year-old Declan Cutler was fatally attacked and stabbed in Reservoir on March 13.
The teenager was arrested at Melbourne Airport this morning and is due to face a children’s court this afternoon.
Teenager Declan Cutler was stabbed to death after a party in Melbourne. (Supplied Nine)
The death of 16-year-old Reservoir boy Declan Cutler has been described as “one of the most vicious and brutal attacks” police officers have seen.
Declan had left a house party with friends, before he and his friends were chased by a dark sedan with a number of people inside, police had previously said.
It’s believed Declan had separated from his friends when he was attacked on the street about 2.30am.
A 16-year-old boy died after being stabbed to death in Reservoir. (Nine)
Declan was treated by paramedics and police but died at the scene.
Six teens, a 17-year-old Taylors Hill boy, a 17-year-old Tarneit boy, a 15-year-old Hoppers Crossing boy, a 16-year-old Yarraville boy, a 14-year-old Meadow Heights boy and a 13-year-old Meadow Heights boy, were all charged with murder over the incident in March.
Another teen, a 17-year-old boy, was also charged with murder in April.
Troy Patten’s life for the last two years has been more isolated than most.
Key points:
Elective surgeries were postponed during the COVID pandemic to relieve pressure on hospitals
Waiting lists have increased by the thousands across the country, with as many as 100,000 people waiting for surgery in New South Wales
Health experts say delaying elective surgeries will eventually put pressure on other parts of the healthcare system
The 58-year-old has been waiting for a hip replacement, and the risk of catching COVID-19 just when he might finally have his surgery scheduled is not one he’s willing to take.
“All I do is sit by the phone and wait for someone to let me know I can have my life back and give me a hip replacement,” he told 7.30 at his home in regional Victoria.
Like thousands of Australians, Mr Patten’s operation has been delayed due to repeated shutdowns of elective surgery to take pressure off the strained healthcare system.
He currently relies on a walking stick and said he struggles with day-to-day tasks. He’s also had to stop working, and can’t pursue hobbies, like doing up cars, which he’s passionate about.
Despite this, his surgery is considered non-urgent. He was told in July 2020 that it should happen within 365 days – two years later, he’s still waiting.
Troy Patten can’t pursue his hobbies, like fixing up cars, because he’s in too much pain while waiting on a hip replacement.(ABC News: Daniel Fermer)
“It’s got to the point where it’s not ‘am I in pain?’, it’s ‘how much?'” he said.
“Everything in my whole life is in a state of flux.
“Everything’s half-finished and everything’s in the process of getting done because I just do bits and pieces here and there and try to get the best out of what I have for the day.”
But it’s the toll on his family life he has struggled with the most.
“It’s just surviving now and it’s missing out [on the] grandkids, being able to hold my grandkids,” Mr Patten said.
“I had one of my grandkids on the weekend want to sit on my knee and I couldn’t.
“It’s things like that people just take for granted.”
Waiting lists blowing out across the nation
In Victoria, there were 87,000 people on the waitlist for elective surgery at the end of June – that’s an increase of 21,000 in a year.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Victorian Department of Health said $1.5 billion was being spent to get on top of the backlog and improve capacity in the future.
“Health services work closely with all patients to reschedule any postponed procedures as soon as possible and provide them with alternative supports while waiting for treatment,” they said.
But the problem is far from limited to that state.
Continuing pressure on hospitals and staff shortages have seen elective surgery waitlists blow out across the country. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)
There were more than 100,000 people on the list in New South Wales at the end of March, nearly 19,000 of whom were overdue.
The West Australian list has grown by 10 per cent in the last year to 33,000.
Tasmania’s waitlist has improved by about 2,000 in the last year, down to 9,400 in June.
In Queensland, there are almost 58,000 on the list, 7,500 of which are overdue.
The federal Department of Health told 7.30 in a statement: “The Commonwealth provides a significant proportion of spending on the Australian health system to states and territories … and is committed on working with states and territories on longer-term health reforms of the health system to reduce pressure on hospitals.”
“All health ministers realize there are challenges and pressures facing the state and territory health and hospital systems and are working in partnership to consider a number of long- and short-term measures to ease pressure on hospitals.”
The president of the Australian Medical Association Queensland, Maria Boulton, said just because someone’s surgery is considered “non-urgent” (recommended to be completed within a year) does not mean their injury or illness has no profound impact on their quality of life.
Maria Boulton says elective surgeries shouldn’t be considered optional for those on the waiting list.(ABC News: Michael Lloyd)
“It’s important to understand that surgery is not optional,” she said.
“These are people that are in pain, these are people that are having effects into their activities of daily living… it’s also causing a lot of stress to them.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen if they have to wait on a waitlist for that long — are they ending up in an emergency? Will that surgery then become an emergency surgery?
“It’s not fair that they’re waiting for so long for a procedure in such a state.”
‘My fear is that my life will change dramatically’
Dianne Hill, from Brisbane, has been waiting 13 months now for cataract surgery, which she was recommended to have within a year.
While she is managing, she said she was worried about what would happen if her condition deteriorated.
Dianne Hill has been waiting over a year for cataract surgery in Queensland.(ABC News: Michael Lloyd)
“I can drive still, but I’m on the cusp, so I’m very concerned… I’m on my own, single, no-one to look after me,” she said.
“I am having issues. I can’t read instructions … I’ve got a magnifying glass I have to use.
“I’m still lucky I can get out and about and keep up with some of my hobbies and activities … my fear is that my life will change dramatically.”
A spokesperson for Queensland Health said in a statement $15 million was being spent to tackle waitlists.
“All hospital and health services (HHS) continue to prioritize clinically safe care for patients who require emergency surgery, the sickest patients will always be seen first,” they said.
System in need of reform
Jeffrey Braithwaite from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation was part of a team of researchers who looked into how to improve elective surgery waitlists in the first year of the pandemic.
He said there were a number of things that needed to be considered.
“Prioritising people on the list and really looking at where it is that we would provide the best value care for conditions,” he said.
“We could optimize the public and private hospital nexus … the public hospitals are often jam-packed, and under huge pressure — sometimes the private system has some capacity.”
He and Dr Boulton agree that delaying elective surgeries would also eventually put pressure on other parts of the health care system.
Jeffrey Braithwaite says it will take a variety of measures to get on top of waitlists. (ABC News: Kathleen Calderwood)
“You can say a simple hip replacement is not as urgent as some cardiac surgery — that may well be true,” Professor Braithwaite said.
“However, to what extent is the hip not being replaced going to create huge effects for that person not being able to work, to be deteriorating over time, to not be mobile at all?
“[And then there will] be a much bigger set of problems [and] comorbidities coming into the health system six months later because we didn’t tackle them to start with.”
For Troy Patten, he’s just desperate to get his life back.
Troy Patten has had to remain isolated at his home in regional Victoria while he waits for a hip replacement.(ABC News: Daniel Fermer)
“It’s hard on the mental state,” he said.
“Am I not worthy? Am I worthy? All these things go through your head.
“Then you start thinking they’re just going to throw me away and they’re finished with me — where I have a lot more to give.”
Australia’s national weather agency has issued a staunch defense of its handling of deadly flooding in New South Wales earlier this year, after a parliamentary report found it did not comprehend the scale of the threat.
Key points:
The Bureau of Meteorology has defended its role in the 2022 flood event, arguing government and communities were warned
A NSW parliamentary report found the bureau used “incorrect” data to brief agencies
A residents group wants more control over decisions made in a flood crisis
Five people died in the first flood event in the Northern Rivers on February 28, with evacuation orders for towns such as Lismore issued through the night as flood waters tore through the region.
A NSW parliamentary committee found the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) was not prepared, that information used to make decisions was “incorrect and out of date”, and recommended it review its data processes.
The bureau declined to be interviewed by the ABC but in a statement a spokesperson said the agency “strongly refutes” the committee’s findings.
The statement outlined how the BOM warned governments, including national cabinet, and the community in 2021 of a likely La Niña event and above-average flooding risk across Australia’s north and east.
Specifically in relation to flooding in northern NSW, it said it told the State Emergency Service (SES) five days before the first event of “the potential for life-threatening flash-flooding over the NSW north coast” and that it issued flood watches and warnings “many days in advance”.
“The bureau also explicitly identified the risk for intense localized rain events, life threatening flash flooding and the potential for rapid river rises,” it said.
The Northern Rivers flood event was the region’s worst on record.(ABC North Coast: Ruby Cornish)
The statement also addressed the report findings that some agencies treated it “as a nine-to-five business operation”, arguing it was instead a “365 days a year, 24/7 operation”.
The bureau said that for this event, a specialized meteorologist and a hydrologist were embedded with the SES at the Wollongong headquarters, and that the bureau supplied area-specific briefings to agencies.
It also noted that engagement with the parliamentary committee had been “limited”, and that a separate independent flood inquiry, which has handed its report to the government but was not yet public, was much more proactive with asking for information.
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Probe finds lead emergency agencies failed in flood response(Bruce MacKenzie)
‘more of the same’
Kyogle Shire Council general manager Graham Kennett said the report was missing recommendations to improve telecommunications, which were crucial for monitoring levels to make decisions.
“If we know what’s going on in this catchment and in that catchment, then we have warning times and we can predict flood levels to a degree of accuracy that is good enough to make informed decisions about when people need to leave,” he said.
“It takes 45 minutes to an hour for the data to get online and in some cases that is too long for a decision-making process.”
In Lismore, a group of residents said the 37 recommendations did not go far enough, and wanted locals to be given the power to make decisions in future flood events
The parliamentary committee slammed the response of the SES during the flood crisis, accusing it of “issuing out of date, inaccurate and confusing messages”.
It has recommended that a restructure of the SES be conducted to harness local knowledge and increase the number of salaried staff and volunteers.
Beth Trevan (left) believes the recommendations do not afford local people enough autonomy.(ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)
Lismore Citizens Flood Review group coordinator Beth Trevan said while the inquiry findings mirrored the group’s submission, the recommendations were “disappointing” as they appeared to be “more of the same”.
Ms Trevan wants local people on the ground to have the power to make decisions.
“In the past we’ve had long term local people, who had been here for 30 or 40 years and were in senior positions at a regional level … and the knowledge of the entire area and the knowledge of all the agencies and the people who ran them was at their fingertips,” she said.
“By the time it gets transferred from here to Sydney and they have a chat with the bureau, the time is wasted, and we don’t have time.”
Catherine Cusack left parliament in protest of her party’s handling of the flood crisis.(abcnews)
Catherine Cusack represented the Liberal Party on the parliamentary committee, but no longer sits in parliament after letting her membership lapse in protest at her party’s handling of the crisis.
She fell short of backing the notion that local people should be making decisions but said they should be “more front and centre”.
“Of all the data that flows into them, there’s just no capacity for locals to say ‘I don’t know what it is in your gauges … but all I can tell you is the water is meters high up here in an unprecedented way’ ,” she said.
The SES said it is reviewing the report and will provide a response to parliament.
Popular Fremantle venue Mojo’s Bar has come under scrutiny in the music community after a Perth band member claimed they were attacked “aggressively” by one of their staff members at Freo.Social at the weekend.
Punk band Body Horrors will allege their lead singer Eden was in the green room on Sunday with a senior Mojo’s staff member when they were verbally abused and shoved by the woman in front of another band member just before midnight.
The band described the alleged incident, which followed their set at the venue on Parry Street, as “childish” and “unprofessional” on their social media page on Tuesday.
“(She) started antagonizing us, clearly intoxicated, aggressively yelling in our faces,” the band’s Instagram story read.
Body Horrors described the alleged incident as “childish” and “unprofessional” on their social media page on Tuesday. Credit: Instagram/Instagram
“Realizing there was no reasoning with someone in such a state, Eden and I tried to leave, twice.
“(She) then physically assaulted them by shoving them against the wall/door before opening the door to leave herself.”
On Tuesday Freo.Social confirmed it was investigating the incident.
“This investigation includes discussions with all parties involved, any witnesses, and reviewing the venue’s CCTV footage,” the venue wrote in a Facebook post.
“We are taking this incident very seriously, and the investigation is ongoing.”
The post claimed no contact had been made with venue management by those making the allegations as of Tuesday evening, and they remained steadfast in their “commitment to creating a safe and supportive space”.
Another local band, Lauren and the Good Fights, has thrown their support behind the Body Horrors band, urging other artists to boycott Freo. Social and Mojo’s Bar.
A WA Police spokeswoman has confirmed a complaint was made, and police will be making further inquiries into the incident.
Freo. Social and the Body Horrors band have been contacted for comment.
Read the full exclusive story at The West Australian
Police remain stunned about the identity of a man more than a month after he was struck by a train in Melbourne’s inner north.
Key points:
The man was hit by a slow-moving train in Brunswick on July 7
Authorities say the man has only been able to say the words “Roy”, “Ryan” and “Coburg”
The man’s DNA and fingerprints do not match with any on police databases
A train struck the man as it was moving at a slow rate between Royal Park and Jewell railway stations in Brunswick at about 6:33pm on July 7.
However, he suffered significant head injuries, and hospital staff did not initially expect him to survive.
Transit Safety Division Senior Constable Dean Pilati said the man had since woken up, but the extent of long-term injuries was unknown.
“He is conscious and stable, however he is non-communicative,” Senior Constable Pilati said.
“[Medical staff] don’t know the extent of his injuries, in terms of his brain damage, or how he’s going to progress from here.”
The man is described as between 65 and 75 years of age, with no distinct identifying features such as tattoos or scars.
He is described as Caucasian, about 175cm tall, and of medium build. He has a prominent mole below his left eye.
It is unknown exactly what the man was wearing at the time of the incident, but it included black runners with white soles, black socks and a black belt.
Man only able to utter a few words
Police said the man had only been able to mutter the words “Roy” and “Ryan”, but they were unsure if the names referred to family or the man’s own name.
The man has also been able to say the word “Coburg”, leading police to believe he could be from the suburb.
Police have cross-referenced the names with internal databases and conducted doorknocks with potential matches in order to discern the man’s identity, with no success.
Fingerprints and DNA analysis have also failed to shed any light on the man’s identity.
Due to long periods of unconsciousness and a tracheotomy procedure, the man had been unable to communicate with police.
Senior Constable Dean Pilati says the man has been unable to communicate beyond a few words.(ABCNews)
Senior Constable Pilati said the man remained largely non-communicative.
“We’ve tried to do some prompt cards to try and have him spell out words. He’s unable to do that,” he said.
“The hospital have tried to get him to respond by gripping his hands but they’ve been unsuccessful with that as well.”
Police said there were no witnesses to the incident besides the train driver.
A canvas of CCTV footage produced no results, nor did outreach to local homeless support services.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the man is from overseas, explaining the lack of information available.
Police have also explored the possibility that the man may be from a nursing home, but no missing persons reports have emerged from any nursing homes.
Senior Constable Pilati said police were eager to find support for the man.
“If I was in that position, I’d want my family around me, and if I were that person’s family I’d want to be there to support him as well,” he said.
The COVIDSafe app, introduced by the Morrison government in 2020, has been decommissioned after a senate select committee branded it an expensive failure and the health minister said state governments haven’t used it for months.
The app was updated on Wednesday night to remove all of its functionality, and users opening the app are now greeted with the message “Please uninstall COVIDSafe”. On Thursday, Health Minister Mark Butler said the app did little but burn through money.
Health Minister Mark Butler said contact tracers working on the ground were far more effective than the COVIDSafe app.Credit:alex ellinghausen
“It is clear this app failed as a public health measure, and that’s why we’ve acted to delete it,” he said. “This failed app was a colossal waste of more than $21 million of taxpayers’ money.”
Butler said while the app had 7.9 million registrations, fewer than 800 users consented to having their data added to the national store. Since its launch in April 2020, the app had only identified two positive cases that were not found by manual contact tracing, he said.
Designed to aid contact tracers by determining the people that an infected individual had been physically near, COVIDSafe was originally described by Morrison as like a sunscreen you need to apply when you go outside. But it was an immediate source of controversy.
Technical limitations meant that people using iPhones needed to keep the app on their screens, and their phones unlocked at all times, prompting concerns for their security as well as their phone batteries. After several updates, experts continued to question the efficacy of the Bluetooth-based tracking method — which was shown to work less than half of the time — as well as the government’s decision to decline help from Apple and Google.
Former PM Scott Morrison described COVIDSafe as a way to protect the community against infection.Credit:alex ellinghausen
After two months and 6 million downloads the app had failed to detect any close contacts that hadn’t already been identified by traditional contact tracers. A government report published in July of last year disclosed that the app only led to 17 unique close contacts as at May 2021. An evaluation published in the Lancet Public Health journal concluded this caused substantial additional work for contact tracers, without making a meaningful to COVID response.
As state governments opened up in 2021 and moved to QR codes and check-in apps for contact-tracing, the expectation was that they’d somehow integrate with COVIDSafe, but this ended up not happening.
An internal review into John Barilaro’s controversial appointment to a lucrative trade role in New York has cost taxpayers $73,000 and is overdue.
Key points:
An internal review into Mr Barilaro’s appointment has cost taxpayers $73,500
The Premier has received part of a draft section of the report
Mr Barilaro will reappear before a parliamentary inquiry on Friday
The former NSW Public Service Commissioner Graeme Head was asked to conduct the review after it was ordered by Premier Dominic Perrottet last month.
New documents have been released publicly through a parliamentary order revealing that the fee set for the review was $73,500.
The documents suggest that when Mr Head was first engaged in late June the completion date was set at July 15, which gave the former Commissioner three weeks to undertake it.
But another document reveals it was extended to August 5.
The review is understood to be funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
In the new tranche of documents, there is also the official letter from the Secretary of the Department Michael Coutts-Trotter to Mr Head which sets out the terms of reference.
It includes inquiring into “details and outcomes of all recruitment and selection processes that were commenced in relation to the role of Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas”.
Mr Coutts-Trotter added “including arrangements for managing actual and perceived conflicts of interest” in the letter.
The Premier has received part of a draft section of the report which prompted him to force trade minister Stuart Ayres to resign last week.
At the time, Mr Perrottet said the draft section raised concerns that Mr Ayres had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct but it wasn’t in the remit of Mr Head’s review to investigate if such a breach had occurred.
Yesterday the Premier asked for Bruce McClintock, SC, to conduct a legal review into whether there was a breach of the code.
Mr Perrottet has promised to make both the reviews public once he receives them.
Mr Barilaro has withdrawn from taking the New York job.
The former deputy premier told a parliamentary inquiry on Monday that he had been interviewed as part of the Head review.
Mr Barilaro will reappear before the parliamentary inquiry investigating his appointment on Friday.
A police probe is underway into whether a woman was chasing two teenagers who were riding an allegedly stolen motorcycle through Perth’s north before a fiery crash that left three people in hospital.
Key points:
The fiery crash occurred in the early hours of Monday morning
Three people were hospitalized after the incident, one in critical condition
Police are investigating whether a woman involved was chasing two teenagers
The WA Police Commissioner today confirmed it formed part of the investigation into the crash, which happened at the intersection of Hepburn Avenue and Amalfi Drive on the border of Hillarys and Sorrento in the early morning hours of Monday.
A car and two off-road motorcycles were stolen in the early hours of Monday morning, according to police.
Shortly after, authorities were called to a major crash between a car and one of the motorbikes and an 18-year-old man riding the bike was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. A 17-year-old boy, who was also on the bike, was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
A 49-year-old woman driving a Toyota Kluger also suffered serious injuries in the crash, after her car rolled and caught fire.
Police commissioner Col Blanch said the focus of the investigation was specifically on finding out whether the woman was chasing the two teenagers.
The blackened wreckage of a Toyota Kluger that was involved in the crash. (ABCNews)
He also confirmed the two bikes were from the same home the woman resided in.
“[The focus will be] how those motorcycles were stolen, who else was in company of the two males who are now in hospital and how the Toyota Kluger came to be there and the manner in which it was driven prior to the crash,” he said.
“I would give a strong message to the community that nothing is worth dying over when it comes to property,” he said.
Col Blanch says the investigation will probe the manner the Toyota Kluger was being driven in prior to the crash. (ABC News: Greg Pollock)
“Often you’ll find the people who’ll put their lives at risk can result in tragedy for other members of the community, they themselves who are taking chase, and I’m not talking about this matter, I’m saying in general , members of the public that chase offenders in circumstances, we have seen it many times … these can end in tragedy for everyone involved, and my view as police is that it’s not worth it.
“Call the police.”
Mr Blanch said any further charges would be laid once evidence is found.
“We have strong oversight from the CCC [Corruption and Crime Commission] in all our investigations and when we have the evidence, we’ll make the appropriate decisions at that time,” he said.
Police at the scene of the horrific crash on Monday. (ABCNews)
The 17-year-old boy has been charged with three offenses including aggravated home burglary and stealing.
He appeared in court via a bedside hearing in hospital on Tuesday.
Stunning photos of snow falling near Bluff Knoll have emerged after the Stirling Range was treated to a light dusting on Tuesday.
Several hikers braved freezing cold conditions to see the snow up close as it fell near one of WA’s highest peaks.
Photos posted to social media show hikers giving the thumbs up to their mates as a steady stream of snow falls around them.
Other photos show large amounts of snow covering the ground and earth of Bluff Knoll, as a thick fog lingers nearby.
Snow falls in Stirling Range National Park and Bluff Knoll as a cold snap hits Western Australia. Credit: Frederick Schafsma/Frederick Schafsma
The Bureau of Meteorology had predicted snow would fall in the Great Southern after a cold front moved across Perth and South West on Monday and Tuesday morning.
Cool air behind the cold front meant the upper-level air temperatures were also very low, which created almost ideal conditions for a light amount of snowfall to reach the Bluff Knoll peak.
Snow was recorded at least five times last year in the Stirling Range, equaling a record set 53 years ago.
The State’s record top of six snow flurries in one 12-month period came in 2016, with all recorded at Bluff Knoll.
The Bureau of Meteorology relies on hikers to confirm snowfall at Bluff Knoll, which is the highest peak in southern WA at 1,099 meters, because there’s no observation equipment there.
The snowfall came on what was also Perth’s coldest day of the year so far.
The city reached a top of 12.4C just before 4pm on Tuesday.
The chilly conditions come during one of the metropolitan area’s wettest ever starts to August.
Already the city has recorded 110mm of rain for the month so far, which is just shy of the monthly average of 122mm.
Last August only 56mm of rain was recorded.
Snow falls in Stirling Range National Park and Bluff Knoll as a cold snap hits Western Australia A toupee of fog, rolling over the mountain top. Credit: Anton Willk/Anton Willk
Perth can expect some sunshine over the next two days before the rain returns yet again over the weekend, and it looks set to continue into early next week.
