An Australian tourist has made international headlines and was labeled a “barbarian” after he was arrested for riding through a UNESCO world heritage site in Italy.
The male tourist, aged 33, was charged with “unauthorized access” by police after he drove a moped for almost two kilometers through the ancient ruins of Pompeii in the country’s south.
Italian police allege the Aussie man rode through the world-famous archaeological park via a service gate following the entry of cars from construction companies.
An Australian tourist was captured on CCTV scooting through Pompeii. Supplied Credit: NCA NewsWire
Security and guards apprehended the man before any damage was done to the 2000 year old site following a series of CCTV footage.
“The route taken is a dirt road outside the ancient city walls, used by site vehicles for excavation works,” the park said in a statement.
“It is safe, restored, and not accessible to the public. So there was no danger for either visitors or for the archaeological heritage at any point.”
The man claimed he was unaware he drove through the ancient site – which was destroyed in 79AD following a volcanic eruption.
The UNESCO world heritage site does not allow tourist vehicles to drive through.
No parts of the ancient city were accessed or damaged by the tourist, however Italian media has slammed the man, labeling him as a “barbarian”.
A Melbourne grandmother has won $20 million in Powerball after her husband said “don’t bother” buying a ticket.
The woman, from Truganina in the city’s west, held the only division one winning entry in the country on Thursday’s draw and checked her ticket just before bedtime.
After finding out she was now a multi-millionaire, she said she could only sleep for about 40 minutes over the whole night.
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“I was sitting in the lounge room, and I checked the winning numbers before going to bed, and I didn’t believe it,” the winner told The Lott on Friday morning.
“I couldn’t get out of the chair. I couldn’t go to the toilet. I couldn’t move. It was so surreal.”
The woman, from Truganina in the city’s west, held the only division one winning entry in the country on Thursday’s draw and checked her ticket just before bedtime. Credit: The Lott
The winning numbers in draw 1369 were 30, 23, 9, 22, 5, 28 and 18. The Powerball number was 3.
When the grandmother went to purchase her ticket at Wyndham Village Lotto & News in Tarneit she said her husband told her not to bother as there was no chance they would win.
“I guess I’ve proved him wrong,” she said.
“I decided to mix things up, and instead of putting my usual three to four games on, I decided to get a Powerhit consisting of special numbers that mean the most to me.
A Melbourne grandmother has won $20 million in Powerball after her husband said ‘don’t bother’ buying a ticket. File image. Credit: File image/ The Lott
“I’ve never expected to win anything big. I usually land three numbers, but never anything more.”
The woman said she wants to use some of her win to travel around Australia via train.
She is also keen to help all her children and grandchildren buy houses.
The owner of the shop where the ticket was purchased said he had not slept either after learning of the win.
“It’s truly a special day for us, and we’re absolutely over the moon,” Mahesh Thakur said.
“We’ve sold division one winning entries in all other lottery games, except for Powerball. It’s been a long time coming, and now we have a full set of division one wins.”
The Lott’s division one winning tally has now reached 272 so far this year.
Qantas has responded to an announcement that more than 700 aircraft engineers from Qantas and Jetstar are planning to stop work for “one-minute” in August.
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association(ALAEA) federal secretary Steve Purvinas told members in a meeting on Wednesday the majority had voted in favor of industrial action.
Airline engineers are asking their employer for a 12 per cent pay rise to make up for stagnant wages the last four years.
The union’s first action will be a one-minute stoppage across all airlines sometime in late August.
Qantas engineering executive manager Scott McConnell has said the airline is “disappointed” in the union’s decision to strike and is putting contingency plans in place to deal with disruptions.
Airline engineers from Qantas and Jetstar will stop work for one-minute in August. NCA NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia
“It’s extremely disappointing the union has taken this step towards industrial action,” Mr McConnell said.
“The union has repeatedly said that any industrial action won’t impact customers’ travel plans and, while we hope they stick to their word, we’re also putting in place contingency plans in case they don’t.
“The entire aviation sector is still recovering from the impact of Covid, and the threat of industrial action is the last thing travelers need.”
“The first action will be a token one,” Mr Purvinas told members.
“A one-minute stoppage of course is not going to harm any airline and also demonstrates our willingness to negotiate in good faith and not try and harm the airline.”
Airports across the country have reported massive queues, flight cancellations and missing luggage. NCA NewsWire / David Crosling Credit: News Corp Australia
Mr Purvinas said the token stoppage aimed to give the airlines an opportunity to come to the table.
“We do want to give some time for resolution of these matters before we have to do anything that may even be close to disrupting the public,” he said.
The strikes come at a difficult time for Australia’s national flag carrier, as the aviation industry struggles with staff shortages that have led to flight cancellations, delays and missing luggage.
If the stoppage does not motivate negotiations, the union plans to notify the airline of more work stoppages.
During these stoppages, the union has offered to provide “alternative labor provisions” to the airline.
ALAEA federal secretary Steve Purvinas says the stoppage isn’t designed to ‘harm’ travellers. Ray Strange Credit: News Corp Australia
“We want to assure the public that we won’t be harming their services,” Mr Purvinas said.
“Our target is the airlines who are not negotiating in good faith.”
ALAEA members voted against using overtime bans to avoid “exacerbating” already challenging conditions in the industry.
A Qantas spokesman told the NCA NewsWire in July that the 12 per cent pay rise was something the airline “simply can’t afford”.
They said Qantas had a policy of 2 per cent annual increases for all employees across the Group.
The airline has a history of not holding back when it comes to dealing with union industrial action.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce infamously grounded the airline during a dispute with the ALAEA and two other unions back in 2011, leaving 200,000 passengers stranded without notice.
After famously filming the horrific Eastern Freeway collision which killed four police officers, infamous Porsche driver Richard Pusey tried to use the photos to make an insurance claim for $2.2 million, a court has heard.
Police allege Pusey, 44, distributed graphic pictures of the April 2020 crash – some of which showed the severely injured officers – online in a Google review of a car dealership and for a complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
The former mortgage broker, who identifies as non-binary, will be self-represented throughout the hearing to fight the charges.
Pusey faced Sunshine Magistrate’s Court in prison greens on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to two charges of using a carriage service in an offensive manner and two charges of breaching their bail by allegedly reoffending.
Pusey was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment on April 28, 2021 after they were found guilty of outraging public decency by filming the deaths of four police officers. Pusey had been pulled over by police for speeding when a truck veered into the emergency lane and fatally hit the four officers.
The court heard Pusey allegedly published graphic images of the officers online during two separate complaints in relation to the damage to their Porsche sustained during the tragic Eastern Freeway collision.
In the submission to the AFCA, Pusey said they have been unable to secure an insurance payout for the damage done to their car because “no one wants to own the claim”.
“A truck mowed down four hero road safety officers … It broke a black Porsche and now these c***s won’t pay up,” they complained to the authority.
The court heard they asked for $2.2 million in damages for the trauma of seeing the police officers violently killed in the crash.
However, the senior AFCA manager in charge of the claim, Harry Ganavas, told the court the images attached to the claim were irrelevant and Pusey’s description of events left him “full of revulsion”.
“I felt repulsed and physically ill, actually, when I viewed the photographs,” he said.
Police prosecutor Anthony Albore told the court one of the images submitted didn’t even show the damage done to the Porsche.
The “inappropriate and disrespectful” claim was denied.
The court heard Pusey also uploaded a one-star Google review about Porsche Center Melbourne, in which they criticized the company’s insurance policy and level of customer service.
An investigating police officer told the court the 44-year-old used a graphic photo of one of the bleeding police officers on the roof of the Porsche for their Google profile picture.
The officer said she felt “angry and outraged” when she saw the horrific image from the fatal tragedy.
A member of the public police alerted to the Google review, in which they allegedly used a horrific profile picture. Credit: Supplied
Mr Albore claimed an Instagram account called “The Richard Pusey Show” contained a non-confronting photo showing the damage to the Porsche, which they could have used for their complaints.
The prosecutor alleged there were a number of personal details on the Instagram account which proved it was run by Pusey.
The Porsche driver told the court the prosecution were “telling a story.”
The hearing continues before Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz on Wednesday.
One of the young men who allegedly escaped from Malmsbury Youth Justice Center in regional Victoria on Saturday night has now been tracked down by police.
Shamus Touhy, 22, and Matthew Piscopo, 19, allegedly broke out of the Mollison Street facility in Malmsbury about 11.30pm on August 6.
After allegedly being on the run for more than 24 hours, Piscopo was arrested on Monday at a residential address in Ballarat about 10.30am, police said.
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He was taken into custody without incident, and will face Ballarat Magistrates Court today before being returned to custody.
He faces charges of escaping lawful custody and criminal damage.
Touhy currently remains on the run.
He is described as 170cm tall with a thin build, and red medium length hair.
Shamus Touhy, 22 years old. Credit: Victoria PoliceMatthew Piscopo, 19 years old has now been located by police. Credit: Victoria Police
He is known to frequent the Ballarat area and is not believed to be violent.
Police however have still advised members of the public not to approach him.
“Any escape is taken very seriously and the safety of the community is of paramount concern,” a spokesperson from the Department of Justice and Community Safety said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Man with 2 boomerangs smashes window in road rage incident.
Man with 2 boomerangs smashes window in road rage incident.
An Australian Defense Force member accused of raping a teenage boy has been released on bail.
Perth-based Caleb Horner, 36, was granted the application in the County Court in Melbourne on Monday.
He is due to stand trial next year after pleading not guilty to charges including rape, sexual penetration of a child under 16, sexual assault of a child under 16 and grooming.
Police say Caleb Horner first contacted his alleged victim when the boy was 12-years-old. Credit: unknown/Facebook
Police allege Horner first contacted a 12-year-old boy on Instagram in 2018 before reconnecting with him online two years later.
The 36-year-old is accused of grooming the boy and sexually assaulting him between January and March 2020.
Horner was arrested in November last year and has been in custody for the past 270 days.
He allegedly admitted to police that he spoke to the boy, knew the teen’s age and shared photos with him.
In her reasons for granting bail, County Court Judge Fiona Todd noted Horner demonstrated compelling reasons as he had no prior convictions, no previous court orders and a stable address.
Caleb Horner was born and raised in Melbourne but had been living in Perth before he was extradited to face child sex charges Credit: unknown/Instagram
Horner was born and raised in Melbourne, Judge Todd said, with his only links to Western Australia being his ADF posting and his partner.
The 36-year-old, who is suspended from the ADF without pay, had all of his family in Victoria so he was less of a flight risk, the judge noted.
She said she was concerned about the risk of Horner approaching young boys, noting evidence that the alleged victim was worried about being contacted by the accused online.
But Judge Todd said she felt any risk could be mitigated through a number of bail conditions.
Caleb Horner has been granted bail provided he complies with a series of conditions, including not contacting his alleged victim. Credit: unknown/Facebook
Horner was granted bail on conditions including he only uses one electronic device, does not use social media sites and does not approach any child under the age of 16.
He is also expected to hand over his phone to police upon request and not leave the state of Victoria.
Two people have died in a horror late-night crash in regional Victoria.
The crash took place in Berrybank, west of Melbourne, about 11pm on Friday.
Police say a ute ran off the road near the Hamilton Highway and Berrybank-Wallinduc Road intersection and crashed into a tree.
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Two men were in the car at the time and died at the scene.
Their ages were not disclosed immediately by police.
File: Two men have died after their car left the road and hit a tree in regional Victoria. Credit: AAP
“The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and the investigation remains ongoing,” police said in a statement.
“Anyone who witnessed the crash, with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.”
The fatalities bring Victoria’s road toll to 143 this year, compared to 128 at the same time last year.
More warning signs at a popular lookout spot in Victoria’s west could have prevented a woman’s death, a coroner has found.
Rosy Loomba was taking a photo with her husband at the Grampians’ Boroka Lookout in December 2020 when she fell to her death.
The 38-year-old was trying to walk back from the “selfie rock” ledge to her children and friends but lost her balance and fell 30 meters, Deputy State Coroner Jacqui Hawkins found.
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Loomba died from multiple injuries, including skull fractures and a dislocated spine.
While the lookout spot is fenced off, Hawkins said it was common for people to climb over the “easily scaled” wire fence to take photos on the rock ledge.
A coroner recommends more warning signs at a Grampians lookout after a woman died taking a photo. (Pablo Mena/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP
At the time of Loomba’s death, there were 30 other people waiting to take their photos.
Hawkins recommended Parks Victoria install extra signage in the area that expressly stated people have died and been seriously injured at the location.
“I note that adventurers and park attendees may continue to climb fences to access lookouts in order to get a photo or for their own curiosity,” the coroner said in her findings.
“Mrs Loomba’s death is a reminder of the dangers associated with ignoring signage and fencing which is put in place to keep people safe.”
Rosie Loomba. Credit: Herald Sun
The coroner’s report noted Parks Victoria installed additional infrastructure and signage at Boroka Lookout this year.
Parks Victoria will provide a written response to the coroner within three months, setting out how the recommendations will be addressed.
“We’re reviewing the existing signage at the Boroka Lookout, including reviewing the recommendations from the Coroner’s Court,” a spokesperson told AAP in a statement.
Police are investigating an unprovoked attack at a McDonald’s restaurant in Melbourne’s northwest that has resulted in the victim requiring reconstructive surgery to his face.
It’s understood a 49-year-old Keilor man was on the patio area outside the Keilor Park Drive McDonald’s outlet just after midnight on the morning of July 8.
The Keilor Park Drive McDonald’s outlet. Credit: Google Maps
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Two men who were exiting the restaurant walked past the man, before one of them returned to confront the 49-year-old.
The unknown man, without provocation, then struck the victim in the face, causing him to lose consciousness.
The victim suffered a shattered cheek that required reconstructive surgery.
The man police believe may be able to assist with their enquiries. Credit: Victoria PoliceThe man is seen on CCTV approaching the victim without any provocation. Credit: Victoria Police
Police have released an image and CCTV footage of a man who they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries.
He is described as Caucasian in appearance, with light brown hair and a beard, and was wearing a white hoodie and black pants.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
