Australia and New Zealand – Page 44 – Michmutters

Tag: Australia and New Zealand

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Melbourne vs Collingwood, Ed Langdon interview, comments on Pies, one trick pony

Melbourne vs Collingwood, Ed Langdon interview, comments on Pies, one trick pony

Melbourne star Ed Langdon has labeled Collingwood “a bit of a one-trick pony at times” despite the side’s 10-match winning streak, raising the stakes of Friday night’s blockbuster clash at the MCG.

The Pies defeated the Dees when the two sides last met, prevailing by 26 points in the Queen’s Birthday game.

Still, Langdon said the Dees were well and truly prepared for the Pies from a planning perspective.

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Grundy return suffers unexpected delay | 00:23

“There’s certainly a plan in place. Without giving away too much, it’s not dissimilar to what we did to Freo (Fremantle) last week,” he said on SEN Drive, referring to the side’s 46-point demolition of another side that had beaten them earlier in the year.

“Our defense is definitely our biggest strength and to be honest we probably pride ourselves on making Friday night games pretty boring to watch for spectators.

“They’re sort of all duck, no dinner in a sense. If they’re playing fast footy on their terms they’re a very hard team to stop.

“They’re a bit of a one-trick pony at times, so hopefully we can dampen the way they want to play and off the back of that go out and offensively play the way we want to play.”

The Pies enter Friday night’s game equal with Melbourne on points, but trailing significantly on percentage.

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Wild video of plane’s close landing over Maho Beach

Wild video of plane's close landing over Maho Beach

Incredible footage shows the moment an Embraer plane landed on an island, leaving beachgoers gasping.

A short strip of sand is all that separates Maho Beach in the Caribbean island of St Maarten and its Princess Juliana International Airport.

So, whenever a plane is heading for the landing strip, it almost always ends in screams of fright and awe from those below.

Plans come from out over the water and fly right over the beach; they are around 20m over the tops of people’s heads, but still makes them feel the need to duck.

Footage shared to Twitter shows just how close plans get to beachgoers. Or, perhaps the other way around with people seen playing a game of chicken to get the perfect view and shot.

The slow motion clip shows holiday-makers with their phone pointing towards the sky as they watch the Empress of London City’s Embraer 190 land.

They can be seen making just enough space for the aircraft.

“Yep that was me on approach,” one woman said in response to a ‘shocked’ gif. “As for takeoff, it was like going up in a rocket.”

“Whoever built that ocean put it way to close to that airport,” another added.

Maho Beach is a popular spot for people to gather and watch departing and approaching aircraft.

When the plans depart, they do so facing the same way which means those on the beach often get blown away by the engines’ jet blast if they don’t move out of the way.

If you search ‘St Maarten jet blast’ on YouTube it will pull up plenty of footage.

“I literally thought people were [expletive] crazy for doing this!” tourist Tennille told GrindTV via Jukin Media. “I was beside myself, especially here, as it was a 747! The jet stream blows people away.”

“It was the strangest feeling; the jet stream was blowing people from the beach into the water,” Tennille said.

She said people were holding on to the fence so they wouldn’t blow away.

In 2017, a New Zealand woman died after a blast from a jet knocked her into a retaining wall.

The 57-year-old had been standing at a fence that separates Maho Beach and the runway.

At the time of the incident, the unidentified woman had been hanging onto the fence along with several others, according to a statement from the Police Force of Sint Maarten.

The police statement acknowledged that watching planes take off and land at the airport is “well known worldwide as a major tourist attraction” but notes that doing so is extremely dangerous.

Airport and local officials have posted signs along the airport’s chain-link fence, warning them of the dangers of standing there while a plane is taking off, and officers patrol the area during busy hours.

Despite that, the area is still a huge drawcard for thrillseekers and aviation enthusiasts.

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Westpac, CBA and NAB banks close 37 branches, 182 jobs lost

Westpac, CBA and NAB banks close 37 branches, 182 jobs lost

Dozens of major bank branches are set to be closed over the next few months which will see 182 Australians lose their jobs, according to the Finance Sector Union.

In total, 37 branches will be shuttered across the nation, with the union describing the closures as reaching “crisis point”.

Westpac Group is making the most dramatic cuts with 24 branches being shut down across the country.

In NSW, Westpac branches in the suburbs of Lakemba, Engadine, Corrimal and Kingscliff will be shuttered in coming months, while Queensland’s branches in Ashmore, Nerang and Rockhampton will also be shut.

The closures will also hit Westpac’s Western Australian branches based on Mandurah and South Perthwhile the berrimah branch in the Northern Territory has also been cut.

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The Finance Sector Union said it had campaigned against branch closures for many years but is now seeking government intervention to protect local economies and save what’s left of Australia’s bank branch network.

“This latest list of closures means the big four have closed more than 550 bank branches across Australia since January 2020,” said Finance Sector Union (FSU) national secretary Julia Angrisano.

“We must act to stop the banks walking away from communities in our suburbs and towns. It’s time to examine the impact of these closures which have hit hundreds of communities across the country.”

Others set to close down as part of the Westpac Group include St George’s NSW branch in Five Dockthe Bank SA’s branches in Munno Parra and St Peterswhile the Bank of Melbourne will also lose seven branches.

The Bank of Melbourne branches include Croydon, Coburg, Fitzroy, Sunbury, Footscray, 114 William St Melb and Mornington.

Meanwhile, the NAB is closing nine branches across three states, including sites located in Lavington, Narrandera, Corrimal, Figtree, Cronulla and Maroubra in NSW, Wynnum in QLD and North Melbourne in Victoria.

Two states will be impacted by branch closures by the CBA, including the NSW suburbs of Annandale, Toongabbie and Lindfieldas well as Drysdale and Woodend in Victoria.

Ms Angrisano said communities depend on the banks to deliver financial services and feared the current trend would mean no branches in the future.

“The banks notify the FSU about upcoming closures. In this case, two banking brands are being withdrawn from the same location in Corrimal, NSW. Imagine the impact of losing two more banks in the same suburb?,” she said.

She said the banks had failed to support local communities and cost savings from branch closures were designed to increase the banks’ already huge profits.

“We need an inquiry into bank branch closures to assess the impact on local communities when the banks pull out of suburbs and towns,” she said.

“The UK has a formal ‘community impact assessment test’ and we need a similar test to ring-fence our branches and make sure banking services the public which they derive their profits from.”

A Westpac Group spokesperson said with more than five million digitally active customers, it was investing in services to complement how our customers choose to bank.

“Declining customer use of branches means that in some instances, we may take a difficult decision to leave a branch location. In these instances, we continue to support our customers with access to banking services via Bank@Post, telephone, mobile and virtual banking,” they said.

“We take steps to ensure customers are notified in advance about the changes and are directly connected with the services they need to continue to do their banking. For those who are new to digital banking, or may require more assistance with the changes, we provide dedicated support and education to make the transition easier.

They added that the “majority” of affected employees would secure a new role within the group.

Krissie Jones, from NAB executive retail, said as more and more customers are choosing to bank online, we’ve made the difficult decision to close some branches that receive less customer visits.

“Increasingly Australians are banking digitally, with more than 94 per cent of customer interactions now taking place over the phone, by video or online,” she said.

“While these branches will no longer be there, we will still be there for our customers – just in different ways,” she said. “Over the past few years, fewer customers are coming into branches to do their banking and foot traffic has lessened, which has been accelerated by Covid.”

She added there will be no job losses at NAB and the branch team will also be working with customers over the coming weeks to talk with them about the various banking alternatives available.

CBA did not respond to news.com.au’s request for comment before publication.

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Facebook user’s Coles butter photo divides people online

Facebook user's Coles butter photo divides people online

One savvy shopper who scored a bargain on butter has hit back at critics who told her she shouldn’t have cleared the shelves.

The woman took to popular Facebook page Markdown Addicts Australia to share her bargain from Coles in Lake Haven, NSW.

She said she found 500g packs of Western Star butter for just $1.88 – down from its usual price of $7.50.

The woman revealed she had purchased all the butter available in the store that had been marked down.

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Some were quick to judge the woman for her actions, saying it’s fine to take advantage of a sale but she should have left some for others.

“During these hard times and so many people doing it tough I would have left some for someone else. But that’s just me,” one person said.

Another expressed disappointment as it was also their local store – and the brand of butter they use.

But the original poster was quick to defend herself against anyone who questioned her actions.

“All you clowns commenting, ‘Of course I did’ or ‘I would’ve left some’: I left shelves and shelves of meat, didn’t take a single thing, so I did leave some for others,” she wrote.

“But I bake every week so butter this cheap I wouldn’t go past.

“And no I’m not sorry because butter is expensive and I just happened to be lucky today.”

Others defended the woman – with one person adding that they would have taken the butter and all of the meat.

Another said: “As someone who works in a supermarket, thank you!

“We hate having to bin products so if you see it, buy it! We don’t care how much you buy (unless there is a limit for some reason). Take it all! Right place, right time.”

One group member congratulated the woman for her actions.

“Good on you for grabbing some. Baking brings lots of joy (and sometimes tears, when things don’t go right). Keep doing what you love, and I would have taken some too.”

Read related topics:cabbages

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Collapsed building company Willoughby Homes taken to court to be liquidated

Collapsed building company Willoughby Homes taken to court to be liquidated

The stark reality of a building company’s collapse has been laid bare after the firm proposed that trade creditors would receive 10c back for every dollar they were owed.

On Wednesday afternoon, Sydney-based builder Willoughby Homes was brought to court with creditors calling for it to be put into liquidation because the business was “hopelessly insolvent”.

Gyprocking company Regno Trades initiated legal proceedings against Willoughby Homes early last month over an unpaid debt of $184,000.

That means if they followed through on Willoughby Homes’ proposal for receiving 10c in the dollar, Regno Trades would only recover $18,400 – leaving them $166,000 out of pocket.

Two business days before the hearing, Willoughby Homes appointed David Mansfield and Jason Tracy of Deloitte’s turnaround and restructuring department as voluntary administrators, causing creditors to suggest this was an “11th hour” attempt to save the company.

Judicial Registrar Claire Gistham, of the Victorian Supreme Court, granted the administrators of Willoughby Homes an adjournment until the end of the month to come up with an official Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA), which is essentially a plan for creditors to get their money back.

In the heated court case, representatives of creditors argued that the company had “failed so miserably” and should be wounded up immediately because there was “an overwhelming case for insolvency”.

During the hearing, it was also revealed that Willoughby Homes owed up to $4.4 million to homeowners, trade creditors and the tax office.

Despite that, the construction firm has “minimal assets” and only has $14,000 in liquid cash in its accounts at the moment.

It comes after an extensive news.com.au investigation over the last month found Willoughby Homes has been non-functional for some time, with debts to creditors going unpaid, build sites stalling for as long as a year, the company’s home building insurance not being reinstated and finally, all its offices being cleared out and phone lines going straight to voicemail.

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Regno Trades acted as the plaintiff while three supporting creditors also joined the case – H & R Interiors owed $73,925, an ex-employee owed $53,000 in unpaid wages and Finese Electrical and Air Conditioning, owed $4531.

Another creditor, Kamaljit Pawar, also joined the case. The Sydney man built a house with Willoughby Homes in 2014, which was left with significant defects and he has been fighting to have them fixed ever since.

There are 44 impacted homeowners, 16 of whom have houses at “varying stages of construction” while the other 28 customers have handed over deposits but no building has commenced.

There are also a number of creditors and employees impacted. It’s understood employees are owed $67,000 in unpaid superannuation and about $600,000 is owed to deposit holders. Over a million is owed to the Australian Taxation Office.

There was debate about how much the company actually owes in total, with administrators putting the figure at $2.3 million but Mr Pawar’s lawyer Rodney Kent said he’d reviewed documents and said it was higher.

“There are substantial defaults” amounting to $4.5 million, he said.

Mr Kent also added that the owner of Willoughby Homes, Steve Willoughby, had four properties and possibly five, which could be sold to pay back debts.

SC Peter Fary, acting for the plaintiff and three supporting creditors, called for Willoughby Homes to be placed into liquidation because it had “failed so miserably”.

“This isn’t the first winding up application, in fact it’s not even the first winding up application this year,” he said.

“One has to ask why the director hasn’t caused the company to address its insolvency at an earlier point in time.”

He said it made no sense for the company to remain in administration because Willoughby Homes was unable to carry out any construction work.

“Is it seriously suggested that a company with no capital will continue building contracts in administration where it failed so miserably before?” I have asked the court.

“These matters go to another issue of commercial morality,” he added, urging the registrar to consider “Whether as a matter of commercial morality it’s appropriate for this company to continue in existence”.

Mr Fary said Willoughby Homes had “minimal assets and significant liabilities”.

In the hearing, it was stated Willoughby Homes only had $14,000 in cash as well as some motor vehicles, property and equipment that it could sell to pay back debts.

Administrators called in at the ’11th hour’

The lawyers representing creditors were also critical of the last minute appointment of administrators, last Friday, when they said it appeared likely that the firm had been trading insolvent for months.

“This is an 11th hour appointment, the appointment of an administrator at the last minute should be treated with skepticism,” Mr Fary said.

“One can’t escape the conclusion of these facts that there is likely to be an insolvent trading claim of a significant magnitude.

“One can readily infer that insolvency was some time ago.”

Mr Kent agreed, adding: “This is so late in the day and so inappropriate… Deposit holders have lost their money in circumstances where signing contracts was totally illegal.”

However, the administrator’s legal team argued that it was far from an 11th hour appointment.

QC Hugh Smith, representing the administrators, argued, “We’ve all been involved in 11 hour appointments, this is not that.”

Administrators were appointed late on Friday, giving them two business days – Monday and Tuesday – to sort out the company’s finances.

“As such this is not an 11th hour appointment,” Mr Smith insisted.

In another twist, the administrators insisted that a category of creditors – the deposit holders – be paid back in full while all the other credits only received 10c in the dollar.

The Deloitte administrators held a meeting for deposit holders only on Monday ahead of the court hearing and claimed a vote was 100 per cent in favor of the resolution to keep the company in administration so that they would receive their promised funds.

However, register Gistham grilled the QC on how many people actually voted, which turned out to be only 15 people.

“The priority here is quite extraordinary, on the one hand you’ve got 100c in the dollar, and the other hand is 10c to the dollar,” Mr Fary said.

“My client is as vulnerable as anybody else, all of their businesses are at risk of going under as well if they’re not paid,” Mr Kent added.

Later on, in a conversation with news.com.au, Mr Kent added: “It’s disappointing that their first meeting only involved certain creditors and not all of the creditors. I’ve never seen this done before. My client didn’t even know that meeting was taking place.”

After opposition, the administrator’s lawyer indicated they would reconsider whether 10c in the dollar was appropriate compared to 100c in the dollar for deposit holders.

The registrar added the case until August 31.

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Newcastle Knights, David Klemmer abuse of trainer, what did he say?, Cameron Smith, breach notice

Newcastle Knights, David Klemmer abuse of trainer, what did he say?, Cameron Smith, breach notice

NRL great Cameron Smith has called on the Newcastle Knights to “be better” as further details emerged related to prop David Klemmer’s incident over the weekend.

Klemmer allegedly refused to leave the field and verbally abused trainer Hayden Knowles during Newcastle’s 14-point loss to the Bulldogs last Sunday.

The star forward was also dropped for this weekend’s crunch clash with the Wests Tigers, amid reports he could have his contract torn up by the Knights.

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The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read understands that the former Blues representative has apologized to head coach Adam O’Brien, as he acknowledged that he could’ve handled things differently.

The Telegraph reported on Thursday further details of Klemmer’s spray, claiming he called Knowles a “c***” and told him to “shut the f*** up”.

The report also revealed an exchange of messages between a Knights player and a senior member of staff about Klemmer, in which the member signs off with “FEC”.

“Confidential understands is an acronym for “F*** every c***. It suggests that the language was part of everyday life at the Knights and largely driven by some members of staff,” the report adds.

Weighing in on the news on Thursday morning, former Australia captain Smith couldn’t believe that a formal complaint had been submitted against Klemmer for an incident which he suggested happens regularly.

Klemmer sanctioned for abusing trainer | 02:55

“Well it’s strange really. If words were spoken between a player and a trainer, that’s happened a thousand times before,” Smith said on The Captain’s Run on SEN on Thursday.

“I’ve seen it first hand, I think you have as well. It’s not a new thing. I’m really confused as to why this is such a huge problem.

“The way I’ve seen it dealt with and sorted out in the past is that if there’s an issue… it’s dealt with in-person after the match.

“It’s just unnecessary. Like seriously, how bad have the words been spoken between David Klemmer and this trainer, to have a formal complaint made. It’s just ridiculous. Deal with it man to man.

“Do we go running to people now to double on each other? Like seriously, footy clubs, you’ve got to be better than that.”

Smith, who holds the record for the most NRL games played with 430, couldn’t understand why the Knights would make the complaint considering their form.

The Telegraph have reported that Newcastle players will be involved in the investigation, as they provide witness statements of what they heard.

Newcastle are currently 14th on the ladder, but they would drop back to second-last with a loss against the Wests Tigers on Sunday.

“The football is one thing, they’re not going great, they’re not going great at all,” he added.

“Even their performances at home, they’ve let their members and their fans down at home, who are extremely good supporters.

O’Brien’s time at Knights running out? | 02:43

“We’re starting to come to the end of the 2022 season, they’ve had a bludger of a year, they’re trying to get their season done as best they can with the remaining games.

“Now their starting prop, one of their enforcers, he’s been stood down. They’ve got several players now being pulled in now to be part of this investigation, and give their account of events.”

Smith played a lot of rugby league against and with Klemmer, with the pair helping the Kangaroos to a tense 6-0 win in the World Cup final against England in 2017.

The former Melbourne Storm hooker described Klemmer as “very respectful”, and felt that he would’ve worked through the situation alongside the club if given a chance.

“I’ve had a little bit to do with David Klemmer, like I’ve played many, many times against him, and look he is one of the most competitive and passionate blokes that I’ve played against in my career. He loves footy, he loves playing for the teams that he represents.

“But once the games over, he’s a very, very respectful man. He’ll deal with those situations the way he needs to deal with them respectfully. I don’t know why they’ve gone down this path.”

The Parramatta Eels reported attempted to sign Klemmer on a loan deal for the rest of the 2022 season, but the move was blocked by the Knights.

Klemmer is currently on a deal worth up to $900,000 at Newcastle until the end of next season, but a number of teams could be interested in acquiring his services if he becomes available.

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Perth woman booted off Jetstar flight for wild suitcase issue

Perth woman booted off Jetstar flight for wild suitcase issue

Ready to begin the five hour flight from Sydney to Perth, Clare Vertannes had her Apple Airpods and noise-cancelling headphones on when she was approached by a Jetstar flight attendant.

At first, the actress and events co-ordinator thought she was being upgraded to first class.

Unfortunately, reality was less desirable.

“I was sitting there minding my own business, and then she was like: ‘Can you please come with me?’” Ms Vertannes told news.com.au, speaking of the flight she took in April 2022.

“I was getting really excited because it genuinely didn’t cross my mind [that I was about to get kicked off the plane]. It’s wasn’t until we walked off the plane, that I started asking questions.”

‘A very dangerous item’

Once her and the flight attendant were on the tarmac, the Perth woman was informed that staff had found a “very dangerous item” – a battery pack – in her checked luggage.

While portable chargers containing a lithium ion battery are banned from check-in baggage, Ms Vertannes was certain she had not packed hers in her suitcase.

“I held up my battery pack and told them I didn’t have a second one,” she said.

“The flight attendants that kicked me off the plane were really rude. I understand they have jobs to do but they didn’t even give me the time of day to explain.

“I asked them to call someone to confirm because there was nothing in my suitcase but I was told to go to baggage claim.”

At the same time she was told she would miss her existing flight and she’d have to pay for her next one.

She claims the flight attendant told her she wouldn’t be reimbursed “because you’ve held up everyone on the current flight”.

On her way to baggage claim, Ms Vertannes began crying.

“It was like I was going to the principal’s office. It was so terrible,” she said.

However, she remembers the surreal moment when she realized the airport had made a terrible mistake. As she was walking to the baggage claim, she claims to have overheard a staff member on the phone.

“She was like: ‘Why would she do that? What’s wrong with you people? I told you to wait for confirmation,’” said Ms Vertannes.

“She then saw us walking towards her she just stops and says into the phone: ‘I think the lady you’ve kicked off is in front of me and she is not impressed.’”

A missed flight and a miscommunication

That’s when she was told that there had been “a miscommunication”. While airport staff had initially found something dangerous in her bag, it turned out to be a false alarm.

“There was nothing in my suitcase. I was actually hoping that there had been something wrong with my luggage, especially after all this drama,” joked Ms Vertannes.

“I said look: ‘Thank you for your apology but I need to get home. Can I get back on my flight now?’”

However, in the time Ms Vertannes had reported to baggage claim, her original flight had taken off. She was then told the next flight wouldn’t be until tomorrow.

While Ms Vertannes said the airline initially refused to pay for another flight that day, she was determined to return to Perth.

“I literally just sat there and stared at her. I know the airport staff was doing their best but I knew that nothing was going to get done unless I just sat there,” she said.

After “an hour or two”, she was approached by a Qantas staff member, who are the parent company for Jetstar. In another twist of events, she had been offered a flight for that day free of charge, however it was scheduled for 8pm, which at that point was around eight hours away.

Looking back at her airport debacle, Ms Vertannes said she was surprised by the lack of services given to her by the airlines.

In a statement to news.com.au, Jetsar says they “sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding and are looking into what took place”.

Much to be desired

Despite the “miscommunication,” she claims she was told she was unable to check in her luggage early. While she decided to meet up with her boyfriend from her back in the Sydney CBD, she was told that she would have had to pay $50 to store her luggage from her at the airport.

Another blow came as she was sitting in her Qantas seat.

“I’m sitting on the Qantas flight and I get an email from Jetstar. It says: ‘thank you so much for your purchase of a pie. That’s $10,’” she said.

“Someone on my flight had charged on foot to my seat and I got that invoice. I was done.

“I remember getting that on the flight and not even being surprised.”

The experience left much to be desired.

Now, in the four months from the ill-fated flight, Ms Vertannes says she’s finally ready to talk about her it.

“When I got back I genuinely needed to recover from the trauma,” she said.

Sharing her experience on TikTok, Ms Vertannes amassed more than 67,100 views, 5100 likes and 285 comments.

Despite this, she hasn’t been thrilled with the airline’s response.

“The flight really upset me. It had an effect on my mental health and it was really stressful. [I asked for] two return flights to a destination around Australia,” she said

“I wanted some form of compensation and I thought I was being quite reasonable.”

To date, in documents seen by news.com.au, Ms Vertannes has been given a $116.22 cash refund and a $350.76 voucher which Jetstar says aligns with the purchase methods used to buy her flight from Jetstar to Qantas.

Later, when she tried to get reimbursed for the $50 taxi fare into the city, she was told they were “unable to provide you with any compensation nor cover your out of pocket expenses”.

“I kept on being in all these phone calls but everything just got too annoying so I took the voucher,” she said.

“But all I wanted was just some compensation and to not be left on the phone for two hours. It’s not that hard.”

Read related topics:PerthSydney

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Tennis 2022: Australian Daria Saville stuns top seed Jessica Pegula in huge upset at Washington Open

Tennis 2022: Australian Daria Saville stuns top seed Jessica Pegula in huge upset at Washington Open

Australia’s Daria Saville upset top-seeded defending champion Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday at the Washington Open.

World No. 88 Saville ripped the seventh-ranked American in hot and humid conditions while Romanian third seed Simona Halep retired with illness down 7-5 2-0 to Anna Kalinskaya.

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“I stayed really composed,” Saville said.

“I managed the energy really well. It was very hot. But I thought it’s hot for everyone so get on with it.”

Saville booked a quarterfinal match against Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino, who beat Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-3 3-6 6-1.

The 28-year-old Russian-born Aussie won her only WTA title at the 2017 Connecticut Open but dispatched Pegula in 98 minutes for her second top-10 win of the year after downing Ons Jabeur at Indian Wells in March.

“Everyone’s attitude is I’m here to win the tournament and I’m no different,” Saville said. “I’m playing really good tennis right now. I’m excited for more.”

Saville fell to 627th in the world rankings after Achilles tendon surgery that sidelined her for most of last year.

Now she is into her third quarter-final of the year after Miami and Guadalajara.

“I’m happy,” Saville said.

“It creates good reputation. Players are going to say, ‘she’s playing well. She has some good wins this year’.

On the men’s side of the draw, Nick Kyrgios defeated Tommy Paul in straight sets to move into the round of 16 and continue his strong form ahead of the US Open.

It wasn’t such good news elsewhere among the Australian contingent in Washington, with Alexei Popyrin and Alex de Minaur losing to Taylor Fritz and Yoshihito Nishioka, respectively.

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Michael Lichaa: Twist in DV case as ex-partner fails to show in court

Michael Lichaa: Twist in DV case as ex-partner fails to show in court

The former fiancee of Michael Lichaa has refused to show up to court and give evidence – because she is pregnant – as the ex-NRL star fights domestic violence allegations.

The former Cronulla and Canterbury hooker has denied assaulting his former partner Kara Childerhouse during a heated late-night incident in February last year.

The conclusion of the matter was due to be heard at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday and Friday.

Police allege Mr Lichaa, 29, was involved in an argument that prompted concerned neighbors to call police to his Connells Point home in southern Sydney.

The court was told that the incident occurred after Mr Lichaa caught Ms Childerhouse cheating on him with his best mate and former teammate Adam Elliott.

The court was due to hear evidence from Mr Elliott on Thursday.

However, the police prosecution applied for an adjournment after tending to a doctor’s note saying that Ms Childerhouse was pregnant and she claimed she was unfit to give evidence until October 31.

Hours later the court was told that Ms Childerhouse’s mother had arrived at Sutherland Court House and told police that Ms Childerhouse did not want to relive the “trauma” and was worried about the stress of having to give evidence having already twice been in the witness box. .

Ms Childerhouse was in the middle of cross-examination when she failed to show up to court on Thursday.

The prosecution conceded that there was no guarantee that she would show up to court if the hearing – which has already dragged on for nearly nine months – was further pushed back.

“I’ve not heard any information which provides me with any confidence that Ms Childerhouse is likely to attend if granted an adjournment,” magistrate Melissa Humphreys said.

“It would appear Ms Childerhouse no longer wishes to participate in the proceedings.”

Police had attempted to contact her by phone and email and knocked on her door on Thursday; however, she did not respond, the court was told.

Ms Childerhouse has previously given part of her evidence in closed court. Defense barrister James Trevallion applied for all of her testimony from her to be struck out because he had not been able to cross-examine her on key issues.

Ms Childerhouse had claimed that during the incident that Mr Lichaa pushed her, causing her to hit her head against a wall, the court was previously told.

Mr Lichaa has pleaded not guilty to common assault and stalking/intimidate causing fear of physical harm.

He pleaded guilty to the less serious charge of destroying property.

Earlier, Ms Humphreys ruled that a statement given by Ms Childerhouse, in which she retracted the allegations, would be admitted into evidence.

The hearing has now stretched on since late last year – day one of the trial was held in early November last year before it returned to court in March.

The proceedings have so far been concerned with legal arguments about the admissibility of Ms Childerhouse’s statutory declaration in which she said she did not want an AVO taken out on her behalf.

The police prosecution has asked Ms Humphreys to rule it inadmissible after Ms Childerhouse claimed that she was pressured into making it by Mr Lichaa, his parents and solicitor.

However, Ms Humphreys said she could make no finding of impropriety and said it would be included.

The hearing continues on Thursday.

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Will Ashcroft nominated Brisbane Lions under father-son rule, draft rankings

Will Ashcroft nominated Brisbane Lions under father-son rule, draft rankings

Will Ashcroft, the son of a triple premiership Lions great and the best player in this year’s AFL draft pool according to many scouts, will join the Brisbane Lions next year.

The Lions on Thursday confirmed they had formally agreed to join the club as a father-son selection at this year’s national draft after officially nominating Brisbane as his preferred destination earlier in the day.

It means Brisbane now gets the opportunity to match a rival club bid on Ashcroft, who’s widely regarded as the Pick 1 favorite for November’s draft.

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One recruiter told foxfooty.com.au Ashcroft “could play AFL this week” as he was on a “different level” to most of this year’s draft class.

Ashcroft’s father is Marcus Ashcroft, who played 318 games with the Lions and was part of the club’s famous three-peat premiership from 2001 to 2003.

He trained with the Lions’ AFL list last summer then played two games with the club’s VFL team in early May. He starred, of course, for the Lions against both Sydney and Coburg, averaging 28 disposals, eight tackles, six inside 50s and five clearances across the two matches.

Will Ashcroft of Vic Metro. Picture: Dylan BurnsSource: Getty Images

Ashcroft has impressed at every level he’s played so far this year, including in the recent AFL Under 18 National Championships. He booted two goals and averaged 33.3 disposals, 15.0 contested possessions, 10.0 clearances, 6.7 tackles and 6.7 inside 50s from his three Vic Metro matches.

The 18-year-old is the hot favorite to claim this year’s Larke Medal – the award given to the best player of the annual carnival — when it’s awarded next month. Recent winners of the honor include Stephen Coniglio, Lachie Whitfield, Dom Sheed, Jack Graham and Sam Walsh – the latter, of which, Ashcroft has been compared to for his elite on-field consistency and leadership, as well as his off-field professionalism of the.

“I can’t wait to join the club and start earning the respect of all the players and coaching staff,” Will Ashcroft said.

“I was lucky enough to do some work with the midfielders last pre-season and I am really looking forward to learning from them and hopefully breaking into that group and seeing what we can become.

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“To be following after dad is a privilege and if I can achieve half of what he did then I would be happy. I am also looking forward to forging my own name.

“I’d like to say a big thanks to Leon Harris (Lions recruiter) he has done heaps of work over the years to support me. And also a huge thanks to my parents and brother and sister for all they have done.”

Lions football boss Danny Daly said it’ll be exciting to see Ashcroft follow in his father’s footsteps.

“Will is one of the most talented young players in the country and to have him choose the Brisbane Lions to start his AFL career is a huge moment for all involved,” Daly said.

Will Ashcroft of the Sandringham Dragons. Picture: Morgan HancockSource: Getty Images

“He has impressed at every level he has played at this year, and like our members, we cannot wait for him to pull on a Brisbane Lions jumper.”

Possibly complicating matters, in a positive way, for the Lions is they have another father-son prospect in first-round calculations, with Jaspa Fletcher – the son of Adrian Fletcher who played 231 games for four clubs including 107 for Brisbane – rising up draft boards following an three strong carnival games for the Allies.

It means the Lions could spend most of this year’s trade period banking selections to match rival club bids on Ashcroft and, possibly, Fletcher. As of July 26, the Lions held Picks 16, 34, 44 (via Port Adelaide) and 70 in the draft, but will need more picks in their arsenal to secure Ashcroft if his name is called at Pick 1.

Ashcroft’s main competitor for the Pick 1 mantle is seen as George Wardlaw – a powerful, competitive and combative inside midfielder that models his game on Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver.

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