Misspelt Name Lands Australian Man In Jail Twice
A man was wrongfully arrested twice and held overnight in jail after an emergency dispatcher misspelt his name. The Western Australia Police misspelt the man's name as Mark Smith, whose real name was Marc Smith.
The incident occurred in January 2023 when a man reported to Triple Zero, Australia's national emergency number, that another man was attempting to steal his sailboat.
The alleged offender called emergency services at the same time to inform them that he felt threatened by the boat owner and asked for police help, The New York Post reported.
As a result, authorities mistook the suspect's name for that of another individual who had an ongoing arrest warrant for breach of bail and had nothing to do with the case. They misspelt the name of the suspect, writing it as Mark instead of Marc.
The officers gathered statements from both men, but they neglected to verify the information of the alleged offender. Unaware of his real name and address, they discovered that he owned a public transport SmartRider that did not belong to him.
The individual was arrested on suspicion of having an outstanding warrant, stealing a boat, and possessing a stolen SmartRider.
Officers took him to the police station, scanned his fingerprints, but they did not wait for the ten-minute process to verify if they matched those already in the system.
The man attempted to inform the authorities that his name was misspelt, but they did not verify it, and he was not questioned about any further information.
He was detained overnight without being granted bail. A magistrate discovered the error the next day and had the man's charges dropped. However, three months later, authorities repeated the blunder.
The same man and his caretaker went to the same police station to ask for help. They detained him a second time after he noticed his picture was linked to the other Mark's pending warrant.
The individual informed police that he had been unfairly arrested twice for incorrectly spelling his name and that he was released following further investigation.
The WA Corruption and Crime Commission (WA CCC) condemned the authorities for two erroneous detentions of the same name. They filed a report criticising the police for their wrongdoings due to the repeated mistakes.
The officers involved chose not to take part, and the internal assessment concluded that there was insufficient evidence to accuse them of deprivation of liberty.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
4 days ago
- Mint
Kansas man arrested for dragging American Airlines flight attendant up the aisle mid-air, faces up to 20 years in jail
A 24-year-old man from Kansas has been arrested for assaulting an American Airlines flight attendant on board, reports quoting prosecutors have said. According to a report by The New York Post, the man, identified as Julius Jordan Priester assaulted the flight attendant after ripping off his shirt. He allegedly threw the employee to the ground and dragged them up the aisle, as per the report quoting prosecutors. Priester, a 24-year-old resident of Wichita, boarded the American Airlines flight from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut. The Department of Justice said he was arrested and charged for assaulting the cabin crew member. The incident happened at around 10 pm when the Chicago-bound flight was mid-air, The Post reported, resulting in chaos. 'Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling 'Help me,'' United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan was quoted as saying. Priester then grabbed the victim who was seated, forcefully bringing them to the ground. 'He then grabbed a flight attendant ('the victim'), who was seated, shouted, 'You're coming with me,' and forcefully brought the victim to the ground,' Sullivan said. The attacker tried to drag the cabin crew member up the aisle but was stopped by passengers who rushed to save the employee. Sullivan's office further added that Priester continued to shout incoherent comments even after passengers helped him get seated. American Airlines issued a statement regarding the matter, lauding its cabin crew members for their assistance. 'We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance,' it said. However, the incident forced the pilot to divert the plane back to Bradley after the captain declared an emergency. Following the safe touchdown of the flight, Connecticut State Police arrived onboard to arrest Priester, who was then taken to a hospital for evaluation. Prosecutors have also revealed that Priester already has a criminal history in Kansas, with charges including that of an aggravated assault. He is currently in police custody and will be produced at the court soon. Priester can face imprisonment for up to 20 years with charges of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. The condition of the affected flight attendant has not been revealed.
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
Ex-Assistant On When Sean "Diddy" Combs Threw A Bowl Of Spaghetti At Her
A former assistant to Sean "Diddy" Combs has alleged that she was repeatedly abused and assaulted during those eight years she worked with him, with the American rapper tossing spaghetti at her on one such occasion. In her testimony, the woman said Combs sexually assaulted her and even got high during an interview on the Chelsea Handler show. The woman testified anonymously, under the moniker "Mia", at the Manhattan court, and provided details of the terrifying pasta-throwing episode at 3am at his Los Angeles house. The woman said Combs instructed her to 'go get everybody' so that they could all leave one of his Los Angeles residences where they lived together. But she headed to her bedroom, which displeased the Bad Boy Records founder. 'He went on a really humiliating rant in front of everybody… He grabbed a bowl of spaghetti right away, hurled it at me, and began yelling curses at me as if I needed to leave his house immediately,' Mia recounted. According to Mia's testimony, the spaghetti bowl came within a couple of arms' length of her, and Combs chased her upstairs until she escaped into a bush. She said Combs also hurled turkey meat and a computer at her, The New York Post reported. Mia testified that Combs acted violently on multiple occasions, once banging her arm into a door, tossing an ice bucket on her head, and pushing her into a swimming pool. Mia, who worked for Combs from 2009 to 2017, further claimed in her testimony that the rapper repeatedly sexually assaulted her. According to Mia, Combs even used white powders of MDMA, ketamine, and cocaine to organise a drug "guessing game" during a visit to Burning Man. On Tuesday, another former Sean Combs assistant testified that the music mogul frequently threatened her and once abducted her out of jealousy over his ex-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura. Capricorn Clark, the assistant, claimed that after finding out that Ms Ventura was dating the rapper Kid Cudi, he showed up at Clark's home one morning in December 2011. Combs has been accused of transportation to engage in prostitution, racketeering conspiracy, and sex trafficking. He has entered a not-guilty plea to all accusations.
News18
4 days ago
- News18
The Rise And Fall Of Two Crypto Traders Who Tortured A Bitcoin Millionaire For His Password
Last Updated: From luxury rentals, private security and wild parties to a brutal $30 million Bitcoin ransom attempt, the twisted saga of John Woeltz and William Duplessie has stunned New York The Case That Shocked NYC A shocking crypto kidnapping case involving two self-styled traders has rocked New York. On May 23, Italian crypto millionaire Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan escaped from a luxury townhouse in New York's upscale SoHo neighbourhood, running barefoot onto a city street and flagging down a traffic officer, according to The New York Post. Carturan told police he had been kidnapped and held captive for nearly three weeks by John Woeltz and William Duplessie. Prosecutors alleged that during his captivity, Carturan was tortured with a chainsaw and tased while standing in water, and at one point was hung off a roof ledge in a bid to force him to reveal the password to his Bitcoin wallet, reportedly worth $30 million. According to ABC News, prosecutors said Woeltz and Duplessie lured Carturan to New York by threatening to have his family killed. Once he arrived, they allegedly stripped him of his passport and electronics, bound his wrists, beat him, shocked his feet, struck him in the head with a gun, cut his leg with a saw, urinated on him, and forcibly made him smoke crack cocaine. Prosecutors said Carturan eventually escaped after convincing his captors to retrieve his laptop so he could access his Bitcoin wallet. When Woeltz left to get the laptop, Carturan ran out and sought help. The Two Alleged Masterminds William Duplessie, 33, and John Woeltz, 37 — both self-styled crypto traders — had entered New York's luxury club scene months earlier. Woeltz, described as a seemingly mild-mannered Kentucky native, is estimated to have a net worth of $100 million. Duplessie, originally from Miami, Florida, left behind a trail of debts and legal troubles. According to The New York Post According to prosecutors, Duplessie also faced legal trouble in Switzerland, where he was accused of assaulting his fiancée. Buying Into NYC's Elite Nightlife According to The New York Post, Duplessie and Woeltz rented the Prince Street townhouse for between $30,000 and $40,000 a month and quickly entered New York's exclusive nightlife circuit. They gained access to some of the city's most high-end and selective clubs, including Nebula (a large Midtown mega-club), Hearsay and Gospël (both upscale lounges), The Box (an exclusive erotic nightclub), and Paul's Baby Grand (a fashionable downtown lounge popular with celebrities). The duo often used former club promoter Charlie Zakkour to secure entry into these venues. One woman told The New York Post that Zakkour reached out to her, saying he 'knew some wealthy crypto people staying at the Mercer Hotel who wanted to spend $30,000 at a popular lounge called Paul's Baby Grand." At one party, she recalled, 'William poured the entire bag full of cocaine onto a metal tray and casually walked away," adding, 'It was crazy because the amount of cocaine was worth the cost of my college tuition fee or even more." Another woman described arriving at one of their townhouse parties, where 'there was security everywhere, and a girl was checking coats at the entrance." She continued, 'I've never seen anything like that. Workers were serving the food and drinks — Don Julio 1942 and Grey Goose." She left soon after, saying, 'There was no politeness, there was no small talk. I felt like a piece of meat." Duplessie's spending inside these clubs was equally extravagant. One passerby told The New York Post, 'I've seen him drop $160,000." Another source said he would spend $100,000 on tables at The Box and Hearsay. A SoHo street vendor, identified as 'Dutch," said he regularly saw Woeltz dispose of 'maybe 50, 60 bottles — wine, vodka. Big bottles in plastic bags on the sidewalk." According to city 311 data cited by The New York Post, neighbours called in multiple noise complaints regarding the townhouse in early April. The Backstory Of Debt And Illusion While they flaunted immense wealth inside New York's club scene, Duplessie faced mounting lawsuits over unpaid rent, car leases and a crash lawsuit in Miami, according to The New York Post. Despite these legal troubles, he continued his lavish nightlife routine, with witnesses telling the outlet that he would sometimes claim he worked for the CIA while partying. How It All Came Crashing Down The alleged scheme ended abruptly with Carturan's escape. Both Duplessie and Woeltz were arrested and charged with kidnapping with intent to collect ransom, assault, and unlawful imprisonment. As of now, both men are being held without bail, according to The New York Post. According to ABC News, both suspects have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors argued that Woeltz should be held without bail, citing his access to a private jet and helicopter. Duplessie's request for home detention in Florida with $1 million bail was denied by the judge. Woeltz has since been indicted by a grand jury, with his arraignment scheduled for June 11. If convicted of the top charge of kidnapping, both men face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. top videos View all Their assistant, Beatrice Folchi, 24, who was previously employed as a bottle girl at The Box, was also arrested after Carturan's escape. However, Manhattan District Attorney officials have declined to prosecute pending further investigation. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a New York media outlet that while Duplessie and Woeltz remain the only suspects for now, 'there may be others." Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : bitcoin crypto trading Kidnapping case New York Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 30, 2025, 18:35 IST News world The Rise And Fall Of Two Crypto Traders Who Tortured A Bitcoin Millionaire For His Password
