Kyle and Jackie O told to ‘engage their brains' over mushroom case
The outspoken duo may have gone too far while giving their own early verdicts on Patterson in the weeks before she was convicted of three counts of murder, venturing into discussions that may have touched on material declared off-limits while the trial was still underway.
'Did she do it or what?,' Sandilands asked live on air on June 16 before his co-host rushed to chime in: 'Yeah, like, what does the evidence point to? My question is, how strong is her case?'
Sandilands responded: 'Not strong.'
The KIIS breakfast radio presenters then discussed evidence from the prosecution about mobile phone tower records potentially placing Patterson in Loch and Outtrim in South Gippsland, two sites where death cap mushrooms had been spotted.
'Picking mushrooms,' Sandilands said, before asking: 'Hasn't she done something like this before, with the mushrooms?'
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Media and others commenting on trials are prevented from publishing information that may prejudice the hearing under sub judice contempt laws, which continue to see career and inexperienced legal scribes walking a tightrope while reporting on Patterson's murder trial.
But with his radio program already on the nose with Victorian audiences, some of Sandilands' June 16 remarks about Patterson's trial appear to have tripped him up with Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
I worked in childcare, and these are the red flags parents can spot
I was horrified and shocked to read that an early childhood educator, Joshua Brown, had been charged with more than 70 offences against children aged between five months and two years old. My first thought, as a previous trainee doing work experience in childcare centres in Sydney, was how could an educator get away with this and go unnoticed? Over a few days, I read more and reflected on my own experiences. I realised, actually it could be quite easy. My experience is certainly not comprehensive - I completed 240 unpaid hours (about 30 days) in baby and toddler rooms across two centres. But, just from that, I can identify some measures which may help keep children safe. There are also some red flags parents and carers can keep in mind when choosing a centre for their children. The early childhood education workforce is highly casualised. Centres may have full-time educators as room leaders or managers, but rely on agency staff to fill in gaps rather than hire above ratios. There is a massive shortage of educators, probably because it is low-paid and emotionally exhausting work. The teachers I worked with often spoke about leaving to "work private" - as a nanny - or retraining. I have not been in the sector for years, but constantly receive texts, emails and calls from recruiters. (Brown is said to have worked at 11 centres from 2024 until he was charged in May 2025). Having more permanent staff is better for children who can develop attachments and be cared for by people who know them and their idiosyncrasies. More importantly, centre managers and educators get to know each other, develop and understand child safe policies and may be better at picking up on suspicious behaviour. To be clear, trusted people do abuse children. We know that perpetrators will groom parents and communities, earning the trust to get away with abuse. Convicted paedophile and Brisbane educator Ashley Paul Griffith was invited into his victims' homes. I am just suggesting that a casualised workforce is not an environment that prioritises child safety. Permanent and experienced staff may be more likely to question unsafe practices, raise concerns about another educator's unusual behaviour or notice a child is acting out of character. It is easier to track offenders. If you notice lots of unfamiliar faces at pick-up or drop-off, I would start asking questions. More than once, I found myself alone with kids in a room out of sight of educators while working as a trainee at one centre. There was a small room off the main area with dress-up clothes and books, and the toddlers liked to drag me in there. Sometimes they would even shut the door behind them. This is obviously a massive red flag. Children should be well supervised, ideally not left alone with only one educator. Sydney-based educator Nick Stephens told Triple J: "Anyone that works as a quality service has that question ... how was a male allowed one-on-one with a child for an extended period? "Ratios need to change. The more adults you have in a room working with children, the less likely something like this can happen." An open-plan environment increases visibility. Children are very small, so the furniture and walls should be smaller. It might not smell great, but nappy changes can be done in the public space. Toilets (for children, not staff), don't need doors, or frankly even walls. Big glass windows that let you see inside and out are great. Can children (and educators) hide under forts or tunnels, or behind playground equipment? There are some practicalities that are hard to address. Babies will probably need a quiet and dark room to sleep (and they need their sleep). You cannot have two teachers leave seven children to put one baby down. Perhaps we can consider CCTV in areas like this, or even the entire premises. There are issues around the privacy of children and staff, but when weighing it against child safety, I think it is worth discussing. Many parents feel guilty enough for leaving their children in care, but in a modern world, it is a necessary sacrifice to keep a roof over their heads. Research also shows disadvantaged children benefit from being in high-quality childcare (but poor quality care leads to deficits in language and cognitive function). I encourage parents to ask questions like: How often are strangers looking after my baby? Are there any places for a predator to, literally, hide? But if you don't like the answer, there may not be much you can do. Finding another centre can actually be impossible in some areas, and good ones often have long waitlists. Nannies, au pairs and babysitters are expensive and subject to far less supervision or scrutiny than educators in a centre. READ MORE: The sickening thing is that predators will find a way to abuse children, including in front of others. The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre reports that one in three girls and one in five boys are sexually abused, yet most cases do not occur in educational settings. Perpetrators are fathers, step-fathers, uncles, grandfathers, brothers, cousins and friends of the family. Those calling for male educators to be banned should perhaps also consider banning parents, especially fathers, from caring for their own children. If a predator cannot work in a childcare centre, they will find another way. UNSW research from 2023 found one in six Australian men have sexual feelings towards children, and one in 10 have offended. Banning phones might prevent an abuser from recording and sharing their abuse, but it will not stop them from doing it. Protecting your child can feel almost impossible right now; and that is because if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to protect them. This was originally published on Substack. I was horrified and shocked to read that an early childhood educator, Joshua Brown, had been charged with more than 70 offences against children aged between five months and two years old. My first thought, as a previous trainee doing work experience in childcare centres in Sydney, was how could an educator get away with this and go unnoticed? Over a few days, I read more and reflected on my own experiences. I realised, actually it could be quite easy. My experience is certainly not comprehensive - I completed 240 unpaid hours (about 30 days) in baby and toddler rooms across two centres. But, just from that, I can identify some measures which may help keep children safe. There are also some red flags parents and carers can keep in mind when choosing a centre for their children. The early childhood education workforce is highly casualised. Centres may have full-time educators as room leaders or managers, but rely on agency staff to fill in gaps rather than hire above ratios. There is a massive shortage of educators, probably because it is low-paid and emotionally exhausting work. The teachers I worked with often spoke about leaving to "work private" - as a nanny - or retraining. I have not been in the sector for years, but constantly receive texts, emails and calls from recruiters. (Brown is said to have worked at 11 centres from 2024 until he was charged in May 2025). Having more permanent staff is better for children who can develop attachments and be cared for by people who know them and their idiosyncrasies. More importantly, centre managers and educators get to know each other, develop and understand child safe policies and may be better at picking up on suspicious behaviour. To be clear, trusted people do abuse children. We know that perpetrators will groom parents and communities, earning the trust to get away with abuse. Convicted paedophile and Brisbane educator Ashley Paul Griffith was invited into his victims' homes. I am just suggesting that a casualised workforce is not an environment that prioritises child safety. Permanent and experienced staff may be more likely to question unsafe practices, raise concerns about another educator's unusual behaviour or notice a child is acting out of character. It is easier to track offenders. If you notice lots of unfamiliar faces at pick-up or drop-off, I would start asking questions. More than once, I found myself alone with kids in a room out of sight of educators while working as a trainee at one centre. There was a small room off the main area with dress-up clothes and books, and the toddlers liked to drag me in there. Sometimes they would even shut the door behind them. This is obviously a massive red flag. Children should be well supervised, ideally not left alone with only one educator. Sydney-based educator Nick Stephens told Triple J: "Anyone that works as a quality service has that question ... how was a male allowed one-on-one with a child for an extended period? "Ratios need to change. The more adults you have in a room working with children, the less likely something like this can happen." An open-plan environment increases visibility. Children are very small, so the furniture and walls should be smaller. It might not smell great, but nappy changes can be done in the public space. Toilets (for children, not staff), don't need doors, or frankly even walls. Big glass windows that let you see inside and out are great. Can children (and educators) hide under forts or tunnels, or behind playground equipment? There are some practicalities that are hard to address. Babies will probably need a quiet and dark room to sleep (and they need their sleep). You cannot have two teachers leave seven children to put one baby down. Perhaps we can consider CCTV in areas like this, or even the entire premises. There are issues around the privacy of children and staff, but when weighing it against child safety, I think it is worth discussing. Many parents feel guilty enough for leaving their children in care, but in a modern world, it is a necessary sacrifice to keep a roof over their heads. Research also shows disadvantaged children benefit from being in high-quality childcare (but poor quality care leads to deficits in language and cognitive function). I encourage parents to ask questions like: How often are strangers looking after my baby? Are there any places for a predator to, literally, hide? But if you don't like the answer, there may not be much you can do. Finding another centre can actually be impossible in some areas, and good ones often have long waitlists. Nannies, au pairs and babysitters are expensive and subject to far less supervision or scrutiny than educators in a centre. READ MORE: The sickening thing is that predators will find a way to abuse children, including in front of others. The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre reports that one in three girls and one in five boys are sexually abused, yet most cases do not occur in educational settings. Perpetrators are fathers, step-fathers, uncles, grandfathers, brothers, cousins and friends of the family. Those calling for male educators to be banned should perhaps also consider banning parents, especially fathers, from caring for their own children. If a predator cannot work in a childcare centre, they will find another way. UNSW research from 2023 found one in six Australian men have sexual feelings towards children, and one in 10 have offended. Banning phones might prevent an abuser from recording and sharing their abuse, but it will not stop them from doing it. Protecting your child can feel almost impossible right now; and that is because if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to protect them. This was originally published on Substack. I was horrified and shocked to read that an early childhood educator, Joshua Brown, had been charged with more than 70 offences against children aged between five months and two years old. My first thought, as a previous trainee doing work experience in childcare centres in Sydney, was how could an educator get away with this and go unnoticed? Over a few days, I read more and reflected on my own experiences. I realised, actually it could be quite easy. My experience is certainly not comprehensive - I completed 240 unpaid hours (about 30 days) in baby and toddler rooms across two centres. But, just from that, I can identify some measures which may help keep children safe. There are also some red flags parents and carers can keep in mind when choosing a centre for their children. The early childhood education workforce is highly casualised. Centres may have full-time educators as room leaders or managers, but rely on agency staff to fill in gaps rather than hire above ratios. There is a massive shortage of educators, probably because it is low-paid and emotionally exhausting work. The teachers I worked with often spoke about leaving to "work private" - as a nanny - or retraining. I have not been in the sector for years, but constantly receive texts, emails and calls from recruiters. (Brown is said to have worked at 11 centres from 2024 until he was charged in May 2025). Having more permanent staff is better for children who can develop attachments and be cared for by people who know them and their idiosyncrasies. More importantly, centre managers and educators get to know each other, develop and understand child safe policies and may be better at picking up on suspicious behaviour. To be clear, trusted people do abuse children. We know that perpetrators will groom parents and communities, earning the trust to get away with abuse. Convicted paedophile and Brisbane educator Ashley Paul Griffith was invited into his victims' homes. I am just suggesting that a casualised workforce is not an environment that prioritises child safety. Permanent and experienced staff may be more likely to question unsafe practices, raise concerns about another educator's unusual behaviour or notice a child is acting out of character. It is easier to track offenders. If you notice lots of unfamiliar faces at pick-up or drop-off, I would start asking questions. More than once, I found myself alone with kids in a room out of sight of educators while working as a trainee at one centre. There was a small room off the main area with dress-up clothes and books, and the toddlers liked to drag me in there. Sometimes they would even shut the door behind them. This is obviously a massive red flag. Children should be well supervised, ideally not left alone with only one educator. Sydney-based educator Nick Stephens told Triple J: "Anyone that works as a quality service has that question ... how was a male allowed one-on-one with a child for an extended period? "Ratios need to change. The more adults you have in a room working with children, the less likely something like this can happen." An open-plan environment increases visibility. Children are very small, so the furniture and walls should be smaller. It might not smell great, but nappy changes can be done in the public space. Toilets (for children, not staff), don't need doors, or frankly even walls. Big glass windows that let you see inside and out are great. Can children (and educators) hide under forts or tunnels, or behind playground equipment? There are some practicalities that are hard to address. Babies will probably need a quiet and dark room to sleep (and they need their sleep). You cannot have two teachers leave seven children to put one baby down. Perhaps we can consider CCTV in areas like this, or even the entire premises. There are issues around the privacy of children and staff, but when weighing it against child safety, I think it is worth discussing. Many parents feel guilty enough for leaving their children in care, but in a modern world, it is a necessary sacrifice to keep a roof over their heads. Research also shows disadvantaged children benefit from being in high-quality childcare (but poor quality care leads to deficits in language and cognitive function). I encourage parents to ask questions like: How often are strangers looking after my baby? Are there any places for a predator to, literally, hide? But if you don't like the answer, there may not be much you can do. Finding another centre can actually be impossible in some areas, and good ones often have long waitlists. Nannies, au pairs and babysitters are expensive and subject to far less supervision or scrutiny than educators in a centre. READ MORE: The sickening thing is that predators will find a way to abuse children, including in front of others. The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre reports that one in three girls and one in five boys are sexually abused, yet most cases do not occur in educational settings. Perpetrators are fathers, step-fathers, uncles, grandfathers, brothers, cousins and friends of the family. Those calling for male educators to be banned should perhaps also consider banning parents, especially fathers, from caring for their own children. If a predator cannot work in a childcare centre, they will find another way. UNSW research from 2023 found one in six Australian men have sexual feelings towards children, and one in 10 have offended. Banning phones might prevent an abuser from recording and sharing their abuse, but it will not stop them from doing it. Protecting your child can feel almost impossible right now; and that is because if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to protect them. This was originally published on Substack. I was horrified and shocked to read that an early childhood educator, Joshua Brown, had been charged with more than 70 offences against children aged between five months and two years old. My first thought, as a previous trainee doing work experience in childcare centres in Sydney, was how could an educator get away with this and go unnoticed? Over a few days, I read more and reflected on my own experiences. I realised, actually it could be quite easy. My experience is certainly not comprehensive - I completed 240 unpaid hours (about 30 days) in baby and toddler rooms across two centres. But, just from that, I can identify some measures which may help keep children safe. There are also some red flags parents and carers can keep in mind when choosing a centre for their children. The early childhood education workforce is highly casualised. Centres may have full-time educators as room leaders or managers, but rely on agency staff to fill in gaps rather than hire above ratios. There is a massive shortage of educators, probably because it is low-paid and emotionally exhausting work. The teachers I worked with often spoke about leaving to "work private" - as a nanny - or retraining. I have not been in the sector for years, but constantly receive texts, emails and calls from recruiters. (Brown is said to have worked at 11 centres from 2024 until he was charged in May 2025). Having more permanent staff is better for children who can develop attachments and be cared for by people who know them and their idiosyncrasies. More importantly, centre managers and educators get to know each other, develop and understand child safe policies and may be better at picking up on suspicious behaviour. To be clear, trusted people do abuse children. We know that perpetrators will groom parents and communities, earning the trust to get away with abuse. Convicted paedophile and Brisbane educator Ashley Paul Griffith was invited into his victims' homes. I am just suggesting that a casualised workforce is not an environment that prioritises child safety. Permanent and experienced staff may be more likely to question unsafe practices, raise concerns about another educator's unusual behaviour or notice a child is acting out of character. It is easier to track offenders. If you notice lots of unfamiliar faces at pick-up or drop-off, I would start asking questions. More than once, I found myself alone with kids in a room out of sight of educators while working as a trainee at one centre. There was a small room off the main area with dress-up clothes and books, and the toddlers liked to drag me in there. Sometimes they would even shut the door behind them. This is obviously a massive red flag. Children should be well supervised, ideally not left alone with only one educator. Sydney-based educator Nick Stephens told Triple J: "Anyone that works as a quality service has that question ... how was a male allowed one-on-one with a child for an extended period? "Ratios need to change. The more adults you have in a room working with children, the less likely something like this can happen." An open-plan environment increases visibility. Children are very small, so the furniture and walls should be smaller. It might not smell great, but nappy changes can be done in the public space. Toilets (for children, not staff), don't need doors, or frankly even walls. Big glass windows that let you see inside and out are great. Can children (and educators) hide under forts or tunnels, or behind playground equipment? There are some practicalities that are hard to address. Babies will probably need a quiet and dark room to sleep (and they need their sleep). You cannot have two teachers leave seven children to put one baby down. Perhaps we can consider CCTV in areas like this, or even the entire premises. There are issues around the privacy of children and staff, but when weighing it against child safety, I think it is worth discussing. Many parents feel guilty enough for leaving their children in care, but in a modern world, it is a necessary sacrifice to keep a roof over their heads. Research also shows disadvantaged children benefit from being in high-quality childcare (but poor quality care leads to deficits in language and cognitive function). I encourage parents to ask questions like: How often are strangers looking after my baby? Are there any places for a predator to, literally, hide? But if you don't like the answer, there may not be much you can do. Finding another centre can actually be impossible in some areas, and good ones often have long waitlists. Nannies, au pairs and babysitters are expensive and subject to far less supervision or scrutiny than educators in a centre. READ MORE: The sickening thing is that predators will find a way to abuse children, including in front of others. The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre reports that one in three girls and one in five boys are sexually abused, yet most cases do not occur in educational settings. Perpetrators are fathers, step-fathers, uncles, grandfathers, brothers, cousins and friends of the family. Those calling for male educators to be banned should perhaps also consider banning parents, especially fathers, from caring for their own children. If a predator cannot work in a childcare centre, they will find another way. UNSW research from 2023 found one in six Australian men have sexual feelings towards children, and one in 10 have offended. Banning phones might prevent an abuser from recording and sharing their abuse, but it will not stop them from doing it. Protecting your child can feel almost impossible right now; and that is because if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to protect them. This was originally published on Substack.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
New criminal group dubbed 'G7' linked to Sydney underworld violence, police say
A new Sydney criminal syndicate has drawn the attention of detectives over its alleged links to an ongoing underworld feud. NSW Police said 13 members of an emerging criminal network in Sydney's south-west, dubbed 'G7', had been arrested and charged in recent months. It is alleged the group are made up of young men and responsible for a string of public place shootings, home invasions, and motor vehicle thefts across Sydney, which have been aiding several high-profile organisations . The ABC has been told the group did not play sides and had been recruited for feuding organisations including the notorious Alameddine crime network and Brothers for Life, also referred to as the Hamzy family. Head of Taskforce Falcon, Detective Superintendent Jason Box said police became aware of the group's operations after they began investigating the suspected supply of vehicles used in recent criminal activities earlier this year. "We believe they are independently working for organised crime networks, they're being recruited by them," Superintendent Box said. Police have located 17 "staged" vehicles, which have been linked to G7. The group has been linked to at least two shootings this year, which are being investigated as part of an internal criminal feud. One of those was a drive by shooting at Merrylands in March where an innocent mother and her four children escaped uninjured after their home was peppered with bullets. "No one has died as a result of any [of their] actions but they've come close," Superintendent Box said. "On one occasion there was over 40 shots fired into two premises, missing the occupants by centimetres. "Someone was stabbed as a result of their actions and that person could have been killed." Two 15-year-old boys were arrested in relation to that incident and currently remain before the courts. In the past week, police have arrested four people aged between 18 and 21 who detectives believe are either members or associates of G7. In vision provided by NSW Police, Raptor Squad officers can be seen arresting a 21-year-old man in the middle of a street in Narellan on Wednesday, who was later charged with possessing a shortened firearm and participating in a criminal group. Police said it followed nine other arrests made in relation to this investigation in recent months. Detectives also carried out raids on several properties in the past week including in Greystanes and Menai where they seized a single barrel shotgun, several rounds of ammunition, 14 mobile phones, one kilogram on cocaine and almost $30,000 in cash. "We hope we've prevented them from committing a lot more offences and we hope it slows them down," Superintendent Box said.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Aussie activists ‘psychologically brutalised' by Israeli soldiers
A pair of Aussie activists have touched down in Sydney after they spent several weeks in Israeli Defence Forces custody after a failed mission to supply food and aid to the starving people of Gaza. Journalist and filmmaker Tan Safi and activist Robert Martin were part of a 21-strong crew that set sail aboard the 'Handala' as part of a humanitarian mission. Since Israel began military operations in Gaza in October 2023, 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in a campaign that prominent Israeli humanitarian organisations labelled as 'genocide' on Monday. While speaking to the media at Sydney Airport on Friday morning, the pair said they were 'psychologically brutalised' by their captors. 'We were in international waters at the time, and we were taken completely against our will and just brutalised psychologically in every way,' Safi said. 'We were on a hunger and water strike, but the only time they offered food was once and it was a tomato about (the size of a golf ball),' she said. In a video published on Sunday, Safi said she had been 'abducted' by the Israeli military, and urged supporters to 'put pressure on the Australian government to sanction Israel'. The Freedom Flotilla departed from Syracuse, Italy, on July 13, fully equipped with humanitarian supplies, en route to Gaza. Free Gaza Australia, the Australian branch of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) that organised the expedition, said the cargo of the Handala 'carried desperately needed lifesaving humanitarian cargo, including baby formula, food, and medical supplies, to the Palestinian people in Gaza'. At about midnight on July 26, the Handala was intercepted by the Israeli military about 80km miles off the coast of Gaza – an area that is considered to be international waters. Footage shows the moment Israeli troops boarded the flotilla, brandishing assault weapons and pointing them in the direction of flotilla activists who sat in the middle of their ship with hands outstretched. The crew had agreed before their arrest they would engage in a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinians. Every crew member has now been deported to their country of residence or are in the process of repatriation. In a social media post on Friday morning, Free Gaza Australia said plans were already under way for another expedition to Palestine. 'Robert and Tan are home and we're already preparing the next Freedom Flotilla boat to break the siege of Gaza. We sail until Palestine is free,' it said. Allegations have also surfaced of other Freedom Flotilla crew members being abused by IDF soldiers. The FFC said US crew member Chris Smalls was beaten, kicked and choked by at least seven IDF soldiers as he and the other crew members were being detained in the only physical display of brutality catalogued by members of the Flotilla. Among the activists was Greta Thunberg, who has since been sent back to Sweden by Israeli authorities.
