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June 30
Three dead after frenzied axe attack
How gun makers can help us
New York Times - Guns and crime - a complex relationship
17 injured: Army used live ammo at open day demonstration
June 29
'No compelling evidence' that gun laws work There is "no compelling evidence" that enforcement strategies would cut firearms-related offending according to a report by King's College London researchers. The study authors said much gun crime was probably unreported because people were scared of calling the police. The Home Office said it had made tackling gun crime a priority.
June 28
And then there was....Sandra Kanck The name might not mean much to people outside South Australia but, as of Tuesday, she will be the last Australian Democrat sitting in any parliament, the final vestige of a party that for years held the balance of power federally. To South Australians, Ms Kanck is a controversial Legislative Council member who advocates trials of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and handing out free pill-testing kits at rave parties. Although she could take this moment, alone in the spotlight, to push the Democrats somewhere new, Ms Kanck said she was holding true to the 23 objectives laid down at the party's formation in 1977, one year before she joined. Those objectives will remain a guiding force even if the proposed merger with the Climate Change Coalition goes ahead. An in-principle agreement has been signed. "I am hopeful that by the end of this year, I will be the first MP representing the new party," Ms Kanck said....
Replica hand grenade spreads panic A non-English speaking man described as an "unlawful non-citizen" sparked panic in a Sydney police station when he presented a replica hand grenade to an officer, a court heard. A constable behind the front counter at City Central police station instructed colleagues to put the grenade in a toilet cubicle while he called in army explosive experts. Shuguang Xu, 49, entered the station about 8pm (AEST) Thursday. After handing in the grenade, he was searched and allegedly found to be carrying an Amadeo Rossi .38 calibre five-shot revolver and 36 rounds of .38 calibre ammunition. The grenade was duly examined and identified as a replica. Xu faced Central Local Court on Friday charged with possessing a prohibited weapon, an unauthorised firearm and ammunition without a licence. "The station constable called for assistance and arranged for the hand grenade to be placed in a nearby toilet cubicle," police documents before the court said. The same documents said a replica hand grenade is a prohibited weapon....
Court backs right to own guns "The second amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defence within the home," the court said in a resume of the decision. It was a victory for gun rights advocates and could have a far reaching impact on gun control legislation across the country. The high court had never before issued a precise ruling on the interpretation of the second amendment to the constitution, which states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Washington DC with some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, and a population of 581,530 in 2006, experienced 169 homicides that year.
Appeal court finds police acted unlawfully The Queensland Court of Appeal has quashed a homeless man's convictions for contravening a police direction and obstructing police, after finding the arresting officer acted unlawfully. Bruce James Rowe was in a public toilet in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall in 2006 when police asked him to leave so the toilet could be cleaned. Constable Robert Kemper told Mr Rowe to leave the Mall area for eight hours, but then arrested him. Six police officers forced Mr Rowe to the ground....
Mobile phone thief shoots police officer with spear-gun An off-duty police officer has been shot in the leg with a spear gun in Sydney's south. Police say the incident happened after a friend of the constable had her mobile phone stolen from a club at South Cronulla. They say the officer rang the phone and organised to meet the alleged thief, who armed himself with a spear gun for the meeting....
June 27
Man arrested for attempting to import handgun parts into Australia Customs investigators in Queensland have arrested and charged a US citizen for attempting to import semi-automatic handgun parts into Australia. The 41-year-old man, who arrived in Australia from the United States in May 2008, appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon (Thursday) facing two charges of attempting to import a prohibited item contrary to Section 233 BAB (5) of the Customs Act 1901. He was granted bail to reappear at Cairns Magistrates Court on 17 July 2008....
Update: Divided court strikes down ban but with limitations The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, has struck down the District of Columbia's handgun ban. The ruling says Americans have the individual right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the Associated Press reported. It is the high court's first definitive Second Amendment ruling in U.S. history. The Supreme Court held
that "The Second Amendment
protects an individual right to possess a firearm
unconnected with service in a militia, and to use
that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as
self-defense within the home."
Breaking News: Court overturns Washington gun ban A ban on handguns in Washington DC has been ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. The US capital, which has some of the toughest gun control laws in the US, had challenged a lower court ruling striking down the ban. In a 5-4 decision, the justices upheld a lower court ruling striking down the ban. They said individuals had a right to keep handguns for lawful purposes. It is the first such case considered by the court in decades and is expected to have effects on gun laws across the US. Debate over the exact meaning of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms has raged for years....
Knife arrest at stabbing frenzy scene Japanese police said they arrested a man today after an officer was injured by a knife during a scuffle in the high-tech district of Akihabara, the scene of a recent stabbing frenzy. Police have been on alert following a series of copycat crime threats after the knifing rampage by a 25-year-old man in Akihabara on June 8. Security is also being stepped up ahead of a summit of the leaders of the Group of Eight rich nations in northern Japan early next month....
Vic police chief says anti-bikie laws will drive gangs underground South Australia's Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has delivered a sharp rebuke to Victoria's Police Commissioner, who says new bikie laws will drive gangs underground. Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon says the laws will "merely drive the visible appearance of organised motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) underground, where the criminal activity will continue to function". Ms Nixon had argued the new laws would create more conflict between police and bikies. "Rather than displacing OMCG organised crime activity from SA, it is likely the new laws will increase police-OMCG conflict," she said. "Victoria Police does not support proposals intended to deal with OMCG members in a similar manner to that of terrorist groups by prohibiting groups and individual association between declared persons."....
June 26
Crime rate in SA falls, but armed robbery, assault increase, etc. Crime rates in South Australia are falling - but violent offences such as assault and armed robbery are on the increase. The Australian Bureau of Statistics today released data on the number of South Australian victims of crimes such as murder, assault and theft. Police Minister Paul Holloway said the data shows overall levels of crime have fallen for the fifth straight year from 143,386 in 2002 to 95,230 in 2007 - a fall of more than one-third. Between 2006 and 2007, overall crimes dropped from 99,877 to 95,230, a reduction of 4.7 per cent. However, there were more assaults in 2007 - 16,950 - than in any year since 2002. In 2004, there were less than 14,900 reported assaults. Armed robberies also broke through the 600 mark in 2007 for the first time in at least six years. Between 2002 and 2006, there were an average of about 520 armed robberies a year....
Australian Democrats deliver final speeches in Senate The Australian Democrats have farewelled federal parliament with a warning their departure will leave the nation's democracy weaker. Natasha Stott Despoja, Andrew Bartlett and leader Lyn Allison today delivered their valedictory speeches in the Senate ahead of the party's final day in parliament tomorrow. Andrew Murray delivered his farewell yesterday. The new Senate will be the first without Democrats representation since Don Chipp formed the party in 1977, famously promising to "keep the bastards honest". Senator Stott Despoja, 38, said she had lived through great dramas during her time in politics. "Not least of these dramas has been the drama of my party, whose demise has done no one any good," she said.
Lawyers grapple with NZ gun laws Hamilton gun collector and dealer Dale Jenner defended himself against 14 firearms charges, having vacated his earlier guilty plea. Jenner said his gun licences and endorsements entitled him to possess weapons including military-style semi-automatics, pistols, hand grenades and land mines. The Crown, meanwhile, argued otherwise....
Handgun bans don't cut crime Banning handguns is all the rage. Mayor David Miller's push for a national ban has been joined by other Canadian big-city mayors. Yet, dissatisfied with progress at the national level, Miller successfully asked city council this week to approve measures to further discourage gun ownership in Toronto, such as shutting down city-owned gun ranges. While it may seem obvious to many people that banning handguns will save lives and cut crime, the experience in the United States suggests differently. Two major U. S. cities -- Washington, D.C., and Chicago --have tried banning handguns. Washington's ban went into effect in early 1977, but since it started there has been only one year (1985) when its murder rate fell below what it was in 1976. Murder rates were falling before the ban and rose afterward. In the five years before the ban, the murder rate fell from 37 to 27 murders per 100,000 people. In the five years after it went into effect, the rate rose back up to 35....
June 25
16 years jail for armed robbery to pay drug debt An Elizabeth Downs man who held up three food outlets at gunpoint to pay off a drug debt has been jailed for 16 years. Glenn James Bartel, 31, was sentenced in the District Court today after pleading guilty to three counts of aggravated robbery. Bartel held up a Subway outlet at Salisbury, another at Munno Para and an Evanston food store over a 12-day period in January last year. The court heard that after his third robbery he made his getaway in his mother's car, which was later found dumped. Judge Sydney Tilmouth said Bartel gave as his motive for the robberies a $3000 debt he owed to a drug dealer....
Canadian city cancels gun clubs leases
Toronto Mayor David Miller is boasting his new gun crackdown will save lives, but his opponents suggest the anti-firearm measures will shoot blanks. Miller opened his passionate plea for a city ban on new gun clubs and manufacturers yesterday by referring to the recent carnage on Toronto streets, including the shooting deaths of Oliver Martin and Dylan Ellis. "Will it mean that fewer people are murdered on the streets of Toronto?" Miller asked. "Absolutely." It was attacked as a waste of time and "hullabaloo'' but in the end Mayor David Miller's "city-based'' measures to address gun violence in Toronto won council approval yesterday. But first, Miller took some harsh criticism, mostly from right-wingers on council. They argued that Miller is pushing a policy that won't reduce the number of guns ending up in the hands of criminals in Toronto. "This is politics, window dressing, and it won't get anything done," said councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong. They also criticized the lease and permit terminations as hollow gestures, in part because the two recreational clubs on city property have no history of problems, and because they'll simply be moving to other locations in Toronto....
IPA Review: SA abandons due process in face of imaginary bikie threat
South Australian Premier Mike Rann is obsessed with
the Hells Angels. The Labor leader thinks that bikie
gangs like the Hells Angels are a scourge on his
state and the root of most evil, and that they are
threatening the very existence of the good people of
South Australia itself. How else can one explain his
government's extraordinary new legislation that
outlaws bikie gangs, makes guilt by association a
jailable offence and gives the police unprecedented
power to close down protests?
Drug charges dropped after police bungle An Adelaide man has avoided standing trial on serious drug charges because of a police bungle that saw crucial evidence destroyed. District Court Acting Judge Andrew Wilson ordered charges be permanently stayed against Bruce Allan Martin because there was no longer any chance of him getting a fair trial. Martin was allegedly seen running through the back yard of a Para Hills home in December last year after police raided the property for drugs. Martin, 32, was this month listed to stand trial for possessing methamphetamine for sale. But the court heard that a set of scales, resealable plastic bags and a mobile phone charger - allegedly dropped by Martin as he fled - had been disposed of by police. Police had wrongly marked the items as belonging to Martin's co-accused, who has already been to trial. Acting Judge Wilson said the police bungle "deprived (Martin) of the opportunity to have the items, now destroyed, tested for fingerprints or DNA evidence"....
June 24
A kidnapped detective's daughter called 911. So did her husband. So did witnesses. They all thought help would be on the way. They were wrong.
It was bad enough that it happened at all -- the
horrible thing. But it was doubly shocking for a
West Florida Community that no one was able to stop
it. On Jan. 17, 2008, a young mother named Denise
Amber Lee was abducted from her home, driven down
busy roads, winding through residential
neighborhoods, in broad daylight, screaming for her
life. Driver: He's going slower than I am, which is not right. Something's going on. Jennifer Eckert was staying with relatives in the house next to the Lee's. She told police she'd seen a white male sitting in a dark green Camaro, parked in Denise's driveway at around 2:30 p.m. -- just one hour before Nate had arrived home. There was even a call from the victim herself, who was able to put out an alert as her kidnapper was at the wheel. Denise Lee, 21, was abducted from her home in North Port, Florida, and killed on Jan. 17, 2008.
PNG cabinet to pursue national gun buyback 'to curb crime.' The Papua New Guinea Police Minister, Sani Rambi, says his Government is planning a nationwide gun buyback scheme as part of efforts to reduce crime. He says too many illegal guns are in the hands of the wrong people. Mr Rambi told the Post Courier newspaper he is weighing up on the issue of time and cost to attack the root cause of an upsurge in organised crime....
Escaped prisoner had firearms convictions The prisoner who escaped from guards at Royal Perth Hospital yesterday was serving a sentence for firearms and drugs convictions. Police this morning said 34-year-old Michael John Gray was still on the run and warned the public not to approach the "dangerous" fugitive. Gray was last seen at the Perth Cultural Centre about 9.30am yesterday after fleeing custody while receiving treatment for a fractured skull....
June 23 Documentary – The knife maker: Title – The Passionate Apprentices In an idyllic valley in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty Mountain in southern Tasmania, three men have spent decades mastering the ancient crafts of knife making, beekeeping and bread making. Now each has found an apprentice and skills are being taught, secrets shared, and passions passed on to a new generation. Tonight, John the Knife Maker uses stone-age techniques to forge blades from recycled steel. With handles made from antler or bone, and sheaths crafted from local timbers, the knives are sought after by world class chefs, local hunters and household cooks alike. But getting hold of one of these knives is not just a matter of money. John prefers trading to selling - swapping a blade for a side of venison, a cheese, or a case of wine. Often, customers become guests, and stay to share a meal. (SBS TV, 8.00 pm Wednesday, June 25. Part 1 of 3.) SBS Television - scroll down to "The Passionate Apprentices"
June 22
Jane McGrath dies aged 42 Jane McGrath, wife of former Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath, has died after a long battle with breast cancer, Cricket Australia announced today. "It is with deep sadness that the family and friends of Jane McGrath, beloved wife of former Australian cricketer Glenn and loving mother of James and Holly, must announce she passed away at her home this morning," a Cricket Australia statement said. "With Glenn and their two children by her side, Jane's wonderful life ended peacefully after a sudden decline in her health over the past week."....
(American) States that perform local-level background checks for firearms purchases are more effective in reducing firearm suicide and homicide rates than states that rely only on a federal-level background check, according to a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Local-level background checks were found to be associated with a 27 percent-lower firearm suicide rate and a 22 percent-lower homicide rate in adults aged 21 years or older. The retrospective study observed the association between the Department of Justice classification of agencies conducting firearm background checks for each state from 2002 to 2004, and firearm suicide and homicide rates for the same years from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control....
Bike charged over Sydney tattoo parlour shooting A member of an outlaw motorcycle gang has been charged over a shooting at a tattoo parlour in Sydney's north-west.Heavily-armed police swooped on a house in Scarvell Avenue, McGraths Hill, at about 5.20pm (AEST) yesterday and arrested the 33-year-old man. Investigators also seized several items including a .22 calibre handgun during a raid on a house in Chaucer Road, Riverstone, earlier in the day.
June 21
More violence on Gouger Street Violence has erupted again on the popular Adelaide restaurant strip of Gouger St. Police had to disperse a crowd of people outside the Buddha Bar nightclub just before 1 o'clock this morning. Around 20 minutes later police were called again to the venue after reports a fight had broken out. A 22-year-old Enfield man was arrested for hindering officers as they were "sorting out a disturbance" outside the nightclub, police said....
British teen jailed after father dobs him in A British teenager has been jailed for possessing a gun after his father handed him in to police when he found the weapon and bullets in his home. Paul Metcalfe, 19, of Nelson, in Lancashire, was jailed for three years after his father, Neil, 45, turned him over to the authorities. He had faced a maximum five-year term after he pleaded guilty to firearm offences at an earlier hearing. After sentencing, his father said he had no regrets, although he did think the sentence was too long. "I think I did the right thing," he told reporters outside court. "I don't think he should have walked out of court, but 18 months or two years maybe - people get less for GBH (Grievous bodily harm)."....
June 20
Deer hunters fuming over plans to cull deer and dump carcasses Animal lovers and wildlife hunters are appalled by plans to cull 400 wild sambar deer and bury the carcasses. Hunters say the highly prized venison could be used to feed needy families or Melbourne Zoo's carnivores. Animal activists claim the cull shows poor management of wild animal populations. Melbourne Water plans to kill the deer over the next year, arguing their growing numbers in the Yarra Valley catchment area threatens Melbourne's water quality. But Australian Deer Association Victorian president Max Rheese said his members had offered to cleanly shoot the deer and then use their carcasses. "In Victoria, you can eat what you shoot, but you can't sell it," Mr Rheese said. "So by shooting the deer themselves, hunters would be able to remove the animal and then use it. "This isn't a case of greedy shooters wanting a free feed. We have hunting 365 days of a year with no bag limit....
Japan gripped by suicide epidemic – has the world's highest suicide rate Newly published figures show that 30,093 people took their own lives in Japan last year — a 2.9 per cent increase — leaving the country as the most suicide-prone anywhere in the developed world and rendering government efforts to combat the problem a failure. Government analysis has exposed a troubling trend: people in their thirties are the most likely to kill themselves, and work-related depression is emerging as a prime motive....
Greens accuse government of deal on Firearms Act changes A bill, introduced by the Shooters Party to amend the firearms act, passed through the Upper House last night with the support of Government and Coalition MPs. The changes allow unlicensed people to access and use guns at shooting clubs, removes waiting times for licensed people to buy additional guns and weakens some penalties. Greens MP Lee Rhiannon says the vote was held just before the Government sought support to bring forward debate on a bill allowing the Auditor-General a greater say in electricity privatisation....
NSW Firearms Amendment Bill passed by Upper House In the NSW Legislative Council today, Shooters MPs Roy Smith and Robert Jones will be pushing their Firearms Amendment Bill which amends the Firearms Act 1996 brought in following Martin Bryant's massacre at Port Arthur. The government helped the Shooters to jump the legislative queue and bring on their Bill last week and will be offering it support in both houses. Giving his second reading, Roy Smith said: “The proposed amendments to the Firearms Act and regulations will streamline and improve the operation of the system for the legal use and registration of firearms for law-abiding citizens within the State of NSW by removing some of the (un)necessary impediments to legitimate sport shooting, hunting and collecting, without any adverse impact on public safety. These amendments have been drafted following extensive consultation with the Ministry of Police, the Firearms Registry and approved sport shooting, hunting and collecting clubs over a number of years.”....
June 19
Man charged over laser attack on police A police helicopter has been targeted with a laser on a flight over Sydney's north-west, authorities say. The helicopter was flying over Bella Vista at about 500 metres at 6pm (AEST) yesterday when its crew was allegedly targeted with a green laser beam. The crew discovered the laser was being shone from the yard of a house in Eastbourne Way and landed the chopper nearby, police said....
Police 'overuse' of Taser 'stun gun' questioned The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) should be temporarily banned from using stun guns unless officers are prohibited from firing the electronic stun guns so often, the federal force's watchdog said in a report.The report, prompted by the case of a Polish immigrant who died shortly after mounties shot him with tasers at Vancouver airport and then subdued him, said police were using the stun guns on suspects who did not pose a serious threat.Paul Kennedy, who chairs the commission on public complaints against the RCMP, said the taser, also known as a conducted energy weapon (CEW), should only be used against people who were "combative" or posed a risk of "death or grievous bodily harm" to police. "If the RCMP cannot account for the use of this weapon and properly instruct its members to appropriately deploy the CEW ... then such use should be prohibited until prompt and strict accountability and training measures can be fully implement....
June 18
Bikies gather for funeral that will be illegal under anti-bikie laws Gypsy Jokers from across Australia have gathered in Adelaide for a funeral which would be illegal under new anti-bikie laws introduced by the State Government. The bikies were farewelling club president Wayne "Chiller" McGrath, 42, a father of four and part-owner of four tattoo parlours, who suffered a fatal heart attack last week while exercising on a treadmill at his Virginia home. His sudden death prompted public tributes from Gypsy Jokers members nationally and overseas, including the US, Germany, South Africa and Norway.
Boy machine gunned in bed in London gang war Two men have been convicted of murdering an innocent schoolboy after they sprayed him with bullets from a submachine gun as he lay in his own bed, in a case of mistaken identity during a London gang war. Michael Dosunmu, 15, was hit by four bullets, one fatally wounding him in the heart, fired by the two gunmen who had burst into his home in south London looking for his brother. They had been fighting with his brother Hakeem Dosunmu over the proceeds from a series of robberies, prosecutors told the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court. Mohammed Sannoh, 19, and Abdi Omar Noor, 22, both from south London, were convicted of murder and firearms offences after the jury deliberated for nine days. The pair will be sentenced tonight and face a mandatory life sentence. During the trial, prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw told the court the shooting happened just before 1:00am (local time) on February 6 last year, when the men forced their way into Mr Dosunmu's house in Peckham. "They went straight to the first floor and entered one of the three bedrooms," he said. "They turned the light on and opened fire with a Mac-10 submachine gun at a figure lying wrapped in a duvet....
Stockwell Day (Canada's Public Safety Minister) rejects handgun ban
June 17
Suicide rate high in violent death data An estimated 50,000 persons die annually in the United States as a result of violence-related injuries. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control summarizes data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics. More than half of all violent deaths in the United States are suicides and 49% of violent deaths involve a firearm. The report's lead author, Debra L Karch, said three major factors were common in violence of all kinds: intimate partner relationships, substance abuse and mental disturbances. “These are things we could focus on in an attempt to prevent violent deaths,” said Ms Karch.... Violence prompts calls to arm NZ police A spate of violence in New Zealand has led to calls for armed police to patrol the streets. Three people were killed in south Auckland in the past week. A shopkeeper was shot dead by a man robbing his store, an 80-year-old woman was bashed to death in her own home and this morning a 39-year-old woman died in hospital after she was robbed and then run over. A witness to this morning's attack says the victim's eight-year-old son watched on in horror....
Move to ease handgun laws for junior shooters in NSW The Shooters Party has defended its push to allow minors as young as 12 to use high-calibre handguns in shooting competitions. The proposal is contained in a draft bill that is before the New South Wales Upper House. Under the current laws, juniors can only use low-calibre firearms in supervised shooting competitions.
June 16
New 'bikie gang without bikes' patrols Kings Cross A new breed of criminal gang whose members specialise in drug dealing, extortion and violence is taking over Sydney's premier nightclub district. Police fear the gang Notorious has become the security muscle for a Kings Cross identity. The gang is the first known in Sydney to follow an international trend of being outlaw "bikies without bikes". While its dozens of city-based members wear full bikie colours, only a few members ride motorcycles. Its members range from seasoned, senior former members of the now-defunct Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang's Parramatta chapter to newly-recruited teenagers as young as 14. They are largely from Sydney's western suburbs and of Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander background. The gang is believed to be focused on criminal activities and have links to the security industry. It is feared they are acting as unofficial security to Kings Cross nightclubs linked to one person in particular....
Ron Owen declines duel by machete A man guilty of using two army-style machetes to challenge former councillor Ron Owen to a duel outside his gun shop last month told a Gympie court the scenario bred from sheer desperation. Exasperation over an ongoing dispute with Mr Owen and his surrounding neighbours led 39-year-old Karl Preston Pflugrath to instigate the duel challenge on May 1. Pflugrath pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court yesterday and was handed a suspended two-month sentence for the unusual charge. The defendant made claims with his plea that "extreme provocation" had triggered the bizarre incident outside Owen's Gun Shop last month. Pflugrath told the court he had been driven to the unreasonable act after Mr Owen "was biased and acted unfairly" in bringing noise complaints to the former Cooloola Shire Council late last year. Pflugrath said the noise complaints centred on a self-built drag racing machine he and his five sons used as a hobby, but only within reasonable hours. Police Prosecutor Sergeant Jason Todman said a customer was inside the shop when Pflugrath challenged Mr Owen to take one machete and fight him, before swearing and swiping at the opening/closing sign outside....
June 15
Quebec man acquitted of murdering police officer A jury in Quebec has acquitted a man of first-degree murder in the deadly shooting of a Laval police officer who raided his home last year. Basil Parasiris and his wife Penny Gounis leave the Longueuil courthouse after he was acquitted of murdering Const. Daniel Tessier. (Radio-Canada)Basil Parasiris was acquitted on Friday by a 12-person jury at the Longueuil courthouse, on Montreal's South Shore. He was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Const. Daniel Tessier, who died after being shot three times last spring after he entered Parasiris's Brossard home with a battering ram during a botched drug raid.
June 14
It's time for a ban on handgun bans As politicians across Canada contemplate yet another layer of laws to address the issue of urban gun crime, it may be time to consider what harm is done by such well-intentioned but impractical legislation. The Post has reported that outright bans on handguns have been tried from Great Britain to Japan, almost invariably resulting in a rise, rather than a decline, in violent crime. Part of this phenomenon must be written down to the opportunity cost of such feel-good legislation. To wit, when politicians pass laws that will be obeyed only by the law-abiding, they content themselves that they have taken action. As a consequence, while our leaders are absorbed with media interviews and mutual congratulations, the original and drastic problem is left to fester.
June 13
Victorian man refuses to tell police who shot him For the second time in a fortnight, Victorian police are trying to get information from an uncooperative shooting victim. Just after 3.30pm (AEST) yesterday, a man visited the Northern Hospital with a gunshot wound to the inside of his right ankle. The man was also shot in the arm in late March and on that occasion also visited a hospital and refused to co-operate with police. Police are asking for the public's help to find out where the shooting occurred and the identity of anyone involved....
PETA tells Garrett to go vegetarian People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says meat is a major cause of global warming and Mr Garrett should practice what he preaches by sticking to vegetables. The group wrote to Mr Garrett on the subject yesterday. "I know that you are sincere about reducing Australia's impact on global warming, so please know that the most effective action that you can take is to adopt a vegetarian diet and publicly advocate the same,'' said the letter, signed by PETA campaigner Jason Baker. "It's time to move from the Kyoto Protocol to the vegetarian protocol,'' Mr Baker said.
June 12
NSW Greens accuse government of doing deal with shooters A proposal to wind back the gun laws enacted by (the then premier) Bob Carr after the Port Arthur massacre will be taken to cabinet by the NSW Police Minister amid accusations the Government is doing a deal with the Shooters Party to win its support in the upper house for key legislation. The police ministry has provided advice to the Shooters MP Roy Smith on drafting a private member's bill he has introduced that would allow people renewing their gun licences to forgo the 28-day waiting period and to forgo the similar waiting period when buying more firearms of a type they already possess. Mr Smith said he understood the bill would be taken to cabinet next week. He said it was about putting licence conditions in line with other states and reversing changes Mr Carr, the then premier, made after 35 people were killed in Port Arthur by Martin Bryant. Mr Smith said he expected the Police Minister, David Campbell, to take the legislation to cabinet next week. He said the legislation was about correcting "rushed" proposals Mr Carr had made in introducing his gun laws before national gun laws were introduced. A Greens MP, Sylvia Hale, said the fact the Government had allowed the Shooters Party to introduce its Firearms Amendment Bill 2008 in the upper house last week and have a second reading brought on so quickly suggested a deal had been done. She questioned whether the Government was supporting the bill to attempt to win support for its electricity privatisation or planning reforms legislation....
Talk-back callers
support SSAA junior program
(Full story) 'John' is surprised by the all support that has been aired this morning. John Howard was brought up in the city, he says, but John was raised in the country where he and his friends were taught how to handle firearms and never shot each other. Vermin needed to be kept under control, John said....
Firearms training may be revised following death of police officer
Firearms training exercises may be revised following
the death of a Burnley officer. Ian James Terry, 32,
of Red Spar Road, Briercliffe, was playing the role
of an armed criminal in the training exercise when
he was shot in the chest by a fellow officer on
Monday.
June 11
Man with 'semi-automatic machinegun' detained outside Sydney nightclub Police investigating alcohol and drug crimes spotted a 30-year-old man acting suspiciously in a lane near an Oxford St nightclub about 12.50am on Monday. Officers allegedly found a 'semi-automatic machinegun' and a magazine with 32 rounds inside his bag. The gun was similar in appearance to an Uzi, police said today....
NZ shop owners push for guns after robbery killing The death of an Indian shop owner during an armed robbery in Auckland has led to a call for shop owners to carry guns. Thirty-year-old father of three Navtej Sing had his hands in the air when he was shot by one of three men robbing his South Auckland shop. He died yesterday in hospital. Gang violence has escalated in the area and Indian shop owners say they are an easy target, and some want to be allowed to have a gun behind the counter....
June 10
Victorian police officer linked to murder A corruption hearing has begun a probe into whether police impeded investigations of the 2004 murders of a police informer and his wife. A corruption investigation in Melbourne was told today that Victorian former Detective Sergeant Paul Dale was suspected of involvement in leaking the fact that Terrence Hodson was a police informer, knowing this would make him a target of Melbourne's drug underworld. Mr Hodson had agreed to give evidence against Mr Dale in relation to a burglary at a drug house in east Oakleigh. Following the murders of Mr Hodson and his wife Christine, charges that Mr Dale was involved in the burglary were dropped....
Dead police officer was shot by colleague
Police constable Ian Terry, 32, was struck in the
chest as he and other members of the Greater
Manchester Police (GMP) firearms unit practised in a
disused factory on Monday. GMP said Pc Terry was
taking part in a "reasonably routine" tactical
manoeuvres exercise when a weapon being held by one
of his colleagues was fired. As he lay dying, other
officers ran to his aid and tried to give him
emergency medical treatment while paramedics were on
their way.
June 09
Former PM on Queen's Birthday Honours List He may have missed out on a British imperial honour from the Queen, but John Howard receives the highest Australian honour in this year's Queen's Birthday list. Mr Howard is one of eight Australians appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), just two months after a Buckingham Palace announcement ended intense speculation that he was the Queen's personal choice as a Royal Knight of the Garter, one of Britain's oldest honours. Mr Howard's Australian honour marks his brightest public moment since the election defeat last November which ended his 11-and-a-half-year term as Australia's second longest serving prime minister. Since becoming only the second incumbent to lose his seat at a federal poll, he has watched Kevin Rudd's Labor government dismantle some of his major initiatives, rolling back his industrial relations reforms and ending Australia's combat commitment in Iraq. His citation honours him in part for "fostering and promoting Australia's interests internationally". Mr Howard, 68, has been able to relax his heavy schedule since the voters of Bennelong ended his 33-year parliamentary career....
Gun control an urgent priority for Jamaica UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today called for increased effort by all stakeholders to stem the illegal flow and use of small arms in Jamaica, saying gun control - combined with long-term social interventions - are critical to curb the armed violence that has enveloped the country. The UN agencies issued their appeal as the world observes the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, and as Jamaica confronts what has been reported as one of the bloodiest periods of gang- and gun-related homicides in the nation’s history.
Seven dead in Tokyo knife attack A man armed with a knife has killed seven people and injured 10 others in central Tokyo, Japanese media say. The incident occurred in the Akihabara district, a busy shopping area known as Electric Town that is popular with young people and tourists. A suspect, said to be 25-year-old Tomohiro Kato, has been arrested. Police spokesman Jiro Akaogi told reporters: "The suspect said he came to Akihabara to kill people. He said he was tired of life".
Teens probed after laser lights spotted A teenager has been arrested and questioned but later released following an incident involving the use of a high-powered laser beam being pointed at planes in Sydney yesterday. The 17-year-old youth was one of a group of five teenagers questioned by police following complaints of lasers being pointed at planes in the city's south-west. Police said following inquiries, a 17-year-old youth was arrested and interviewed in relation to the matter, but has since been released pending further inquiries. In a separate incident last night, a laser light was directed at a police helicopter during an aerial search for a missing woman in the Blue Mountains....
June 08
First stage of bikie gang law in force today
The first stage of the State Government's three-pronged legislative attack on outlaw bikie gangs and their associates comes into force today. Gang members involved in brawls or those threatening witnesses will be charged with new offences under the Public Order Offences Act, which carries penalties of up to 10 years' jail or fines of up to $10,000.
'Ole Dead Eye' rode with a wild and woolly gang Michael "Ole Dead Eye" Sinclair rode with a wild and woolly gang. Buckshot Chavez, Crusty Gil, the Wild Irishman, Blackjack Fletcher, Mean Rayleen, Dirty Bob, Bison Bert, Lottie Shots, Turquoise Jake and others.
Plan to restrict airgun sales A pilot scheme restricting the sale of airguns in Scotland could be brought in to stop firearms getting a "grip" on communities. Justice Secretary Kenny McAskill has written to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith seeking permission for such a scheme to stop irresponsible air weapon use. Ms Smith has previously rejected Mr McAskill's call for a gun laws review. In the letter, he suggested that it could play an important part of a wider review of UK gun controls. A firearms summit was held in Edinburgh last month which Ms Smith declined to attend saying that firearms legislation was reserved to Westminster.The parents of toddler Andrew Morton, who was killed by an airgun pellet three years ago, were among those who went to the event hosted by Mr McAskill. He said there was a consensus on the need to urgently overhaul the current complex firearms legal framework, which is based on 40-year-old legislation.
June 07
NSW Firearms Amendment Bill 2008: Second reading speech by Roy Smith The Shooters Party is pleased to move the Firearms Amendment Bill 2008. The bill proposes a number of amendments to the Firearms Act 1996 and the Firearms Regulation 2006. The proposed amendments to the Act and regulations will streamline and improve the operation of the system for the legal use and registration of firearms for law-abiding citizens within the State of New South Wales by removing some of the necessary impediments to legitimate sport shooting, hunting and collecting, without any adverse impact on public safety. These amendments have been drafted following extensive consultation with the Ministry of Police, the Firearms Registry and approved sport shooting, hunting and collecting clubs over a number of years.
Rebels clubhouse torched A Rebels clubhouse and bikie gang memorabilia have been torched, sparking fears of escalating violence among Adelaide outlaw gangs. Police were called to the Rebels' burning Old Noarlunga clubhouse about 11pm (CST) yesterday after neighbours reported an explosion. Superintendent Des Bray said today the empty clubhouse entertainment area had been extensively vandalised and torched but explosive devices did not appear to have been used. "It is most likely that the explosion was the result of vapours caused as a result of having flammable liquid dispersed through the premises ... which went off with explosion-type sound when they were lit," Supt Bray said.... news.com.au17 year-old arrested for Gouger Street shooting A 17-year-old youth from Afelaide's northern suburbs has been arrested and charged after a city nightclub was sprayed with bullets this morning. The drive-by shooting happened just after 3am, when a person inside a white car fired seven shots into the upstairs window of Buddha Bar. "The club was in the process of closing at the time and no-one was injured," a police spokesman said. The shooting is the second in five weeks for the popular cafe strip....
June 06
Texans proud of their German shooting heritage...and Schuetzenfest The little town of Boerne, nestled in the Texas hill country between Austin and San Antonio, is famous for antiques, sauerkraut, and reverence for its German heritage. Driving into town on Highway 87, you immediately see German names everywhere. The streets, the shops, the local directory. And one name that pops up with great regularity is Toepperwein. If that name rings a bell, it should: Adolph Toepperwein was America’s most famous exhibition shooter from 1900 until the early 1950s. He was also Boerne’s most famous son. And today, the shooting club where Ad Toepperwein got his start still occupies its old range just north of town, hanging on in the face of encroaching housing developments. The same people and culture that settled in SA barely 10 years after the Province of South Australia was founded. Their legacy lives on in the German place names of the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley, and Adelaide's Schuetzenfest.
Victorian police to get semi-automatic guns Victorian police officers will be armed with semi-automatic
guns within the next six months, Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon says. The announcement follows the conclusion of an investigation by an independent panel into the weapons' potential use and viability within Victoria Police....
Greens MP pleads not guilty to assault NSW Greens MP Ian Cohen has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting his former partner. Cohen, who turned 57 on Thursday, did not appear at Byron Bay Local Court on Friday, where he faces two charges, of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault. Magistrate Annette Sinclair called for police to provide a brief of evidence by July 11 and adjourned the matter to July 25 in the same court....
Fantasy gunfighters square off in cowboy action matches he Bessemer Vigilance Committee, named for the vanished ghost town on the outskirts of Casper, is one of eight cowboy action shooting clubs in Wyoming, a state that has about 300 cowboy action shooters. The club's matches are sanctioned by the Single Action Shooting Society, SASS, which has tens of thousands of members across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The shooters can use only pistols, rifles and shotguns that are single-action, which requires pulling back the hammer to fire each round. Only firearms like those used on the American Frontier in the late 1800s can be used in competitions....
June 05
Shooters Party moves amendments to NSW firearms act The amendments seek to remove anomalies to bring New South Wales more into line with procedures in other States allowing people to try sport shooting.Sporting shooters and hunters are the most legislated, inspected and restricted citizens in New South Wales. Licensed firearm owners have to go through more scrutiny than anyone else to pursue their chosen sport. Our amendments are long overdue and sensible and reasonable people will understand why they are proposed. Shooters Party members have been elected to represent the interests of sporting shooters in this State and we have moved these amendments in consultation with our constituents and the Police Ministry. Given the past record of the Greens, we do not expect them to support our proposed changes. However, we do expect support for what are sensible amendments from the Government, the Opposition and the Christian Democrats. The most important changes, for law abiding firearms owners, are the removal of the 28-day waiting period for PTA’s for a second firearm; exemptions for antique firearms; and the streamlining of procedures allowing people to try sport shooting. Please note this correction: The Penalty Notice will not disqualify a person from having a firearms licence or permit unless they elect to contest the matter in court, and the court then finds them guilty of the offence....
Canadian Mayor 'shooting blanks' in war on gun clubs Gun enthusiasts, including an Olympic sport shooter, confronted Toronto Mayor David Miller yesterday over his plan to shut down two shooting ranges on city property and ban all new gun clubs, persuading his executive committee to offer a kind of reprieve. After nearly six hours of hearings and debate, the mayor and his executive committee voted to recommend that city council allow the two gun clubs - one in the rafters of Union Station, the other in a Scarborough community centre - to relocate to private property, since the city's proposed ban would not affect existing gun clubs on private land.
Kitchen knives 'most used' in teenage stabbings Kitchen knives have become the most used weapons in teenage stabbings, the Metropolitan Police commissioner said. About 200 blades have been seized and 210 people have been arrested in the past two weeks in a crackdown on knife crime, Sir Ian Blair revealed. Speaking at Scotland Yard, Sir Ian said parents "must have conversations about knife crime with teenagers". Fifteen teenagers have been killed in London so far this year, of which 11 were stabbed....
Unarmed victims beaten, burned to death An outbreak of xenophobic violence has resulted in the murders of 56 people and forced thousands more to take shelter in camps, community halls and churches across South Africa – the victims are foreigners who are strictly forbidden from owning guns. Foreigners in Gauteng Province are suffering from gunshot and stab wounds, while many others have been raped, fatally beaten and burned alive.
Thomas Eastes, national
chairman of Gun Owners of South Africa, said
foreigners are unable to defend themselves from such
atrocities because they are not allowed to be armed
in South Africa. He believes the rise in crime and
chaos is chiefly a result of the Firearms Control
Act passed by the South African Parliament. "Arming
foreigners and as many citizens in South Africa will
surely provide an equal opportunity of survival for
all," Eastes said. "The weak, the marginalised, the
oppressed and frail have a chance of survival if
they are armed. I believe that firearm ownership
places great responsibility on people but also
enables foreigners and legal citizens not to live in
fear." Approximately 22,000 people are murdered
annually in the country for being of another race,
Eastes said. Some are killed because they own cars
or $5 cell phones....
June 04
Airline passenger banned for wearing T-shirt with a gun image Airport guards have stopped a man boarding a plane for wearing a Transformers T-shirt showing a cartoon gun. Brad Jayakody, 30, was told he had to change his T-shirt if he wanted to catch his flight from Heathrow's Terminal 5. His top showed the Transformers film character Optimus Prime holding a gun. Mr Jayakody, an IT consultant, was scheduled to board the British Airways plane to Dusseldorf, Germany, with four work colleagues.
More charged over Rhys Jones murder Police investigating the murder of 11-year-old Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones charged two people on Tuesday with trying to pervert the course of justice and summonsed two others for the same offence. Jones was shot in the neck in the Liverpool suburb of Croxteth last August after returning from football practice, a high-profile murder that shocked the nation and added to growing fears of youth crime....
NSW Crime Commission director charged over drugs NSW Premier Morris Iemma says a new body may be formed to oversee the NSW Crime Commission, after a senior investigator was charged over an international drug syndicate. NSW Crime Commission Assistant Director Mark Standen faced Sydney Central Local Court yesterday charged with conspiracy over his alleged involvement in the syndicate. The Opposition has called for a judicial review. Mr Iemma said he wouldn't rule out the review....
June 03
Armed UK police safety fears after accidental discharges revealed Armed police have fired their guns more times by mistake than in the line of duty. A Daily Mirror investigation revealed officers have shot each other, hit patrol cars and blasted a range of household items in a two-year catalogue of blunders. One gun cop even shot himself by accident. Police opened fire 46 times in error between January 2006 and March 2008. In the same period marksmen used their guns in real threats 18 times.
Voices: Sport shooting David Miller, Mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, says sport shooting is a hobby that "creates danger to others." The Star newspaper asked readers if they agreed. Here is some of what they had to say. "I would tend to think that sport shooting clubs would promote safe gun usage and practices and not create danger to others." "If sport shooting “creates danger to others” why is gun violence a non-issue in rural communities where firearm ownership per capita is much higher then in Canada’s urban centres?" "Ludicrous. Those who own and use firearms for sports in designated firing ranges are responsible and safety-conscious."....
British anti-gun campaigner stabbed to death The grandson of prominent anti-gun campaigner Pat Regan has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing her to death. Mrs Regan, 53, was discovered at the property on Marlborough Grange in the Hyde Park area of Leeds on Sunday. The mother-of-six started campaigning against gun crime when her son Danny was shot dead in 2002. The 20-year-old man was being held on suspicion of murder, police said. It is thought he had been arrested earlier in the day over another stabbing.
June 02
Roo cull appears complete |
A police officer is fighting for her life, with her
two children and her mother believed to be dead
after a vicious axe attack inside her home at Cowra,
NSW. Police are seeking to question John
Walsh, the 69-year-old father of the female officer.
The injured woman is a serving officer in the
state's Central West who had moved into the Brougham
St residence in Cowra to take care of her elderly
mother....