$2.3m finally paid to end Deeming-Pesutto saga, but new crisis arises
Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto has repaid his colleague Moira Deeming's legal fees after getting a bailout from the Liberal Party, but members who oppose the rescue package are dragging it to court.
Vapold, an entity associated with the Liberal Party, paid Deeming $1.55 million on Thursday morning, and Pesutto provided $750,000 from fundraising efforts to clear his debt to the first-term MP, who successfully sued him for defamation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
2 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Liberals apologise after hackers post explicit photos on party socials
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hacking. Followed categories will be added to My News. Hours after Sussan Ley vowed to lead a Liberal Party 'that is proudly for women', explicit images were posted on its social media accounts. The images appeared on the Liberals' Facebook and Instagram accounts about midnight and were the product of hacking, the party said in a statement on Thursday. 'Overnight, the social media account of a contractor used by the party was hacked, leading to the posting of unauthorised material on the Liberal Party's Meta accounts at around midnight,' the statement said. 'All material was removed within 10 minutes of it being posted and the matter was urgently raised with the Australian Cyber Security Centre and with Meta overnight 'We apologise for any offence caused.' The Liberal party's Facebook account was hacked overnight. Picture: Facebook Explicit images appearing to advertise breast implants were shared to the party's official page. Picture: Facebook The hack came as the Liberal Party tries to rebrand after years of criticism for its dwindling female representation. In her first major speech on Wednesday, the newly elected Opposition Leader said she wanted to boost the number of women in her party's ranks and left the door open to quotas. 'We must be a Liberal Party that is proudly for women and made up of women. Our party must preselect more women in winnable seats so that we see more Liberal women in federal parliament,' she said. 'Now, I'm agnostic on specific methods to make it happen, but I am a zealot that it does actually happen. Current approaches have clearly not worked, so I am open to any approach that will.' Hours earlier, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley declared she wanted to lead a Liberal Party that is 'proudly for women and made up of women'. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman Originally published as Liberals apologise after hackers post explicit photos on party socials
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Grandfather, ex-wife jailed for drug import conspiracy
An outlaw motorcycle gang member and his wife who conspired to traffic drugs across Bass Strait have been sentenced to more than seven years behind bars. Fahed Elniz, a one-time "nomad" member of the Bandidos who was in charge of security and discipline, attended the opening of the Hobart chapter of the gang in 2019. The 50-year-old and his then wife Tracy Elniz, 49, conspired with six other people to traffic methamphetamine and cocaine into Tasmania over several months in 2019. The four trips, including one on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry, involved up to $1.2 million worth of the drugs. The pair had an influential role in bringing illegal drugs into the state which were sourced "higher up the chain", Supreme Court of Tasmania Justice David Porter said during sentencing. They were arrested and charged in 2020 during large-scale raids involving local and federal police at a sleepy coastal town in southern Tasmania. Both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to traffic an illicit substance. Fahed Elniz, who has six children and nine grandchildren, joined the Bandidos because he was drawn to the "brotherhood" and had an interest in motorcycles, Justice Porter said. The pair moved to Tasmania in 2019 to pursue a fishing business after getting into financial troubles on the mainland. Tracy Elniz's offending was a direct result of drug debts in the Victorian town of Echuca. Justice Porter said they had good prospects of rehabilitation, despite both having prior convictions involving drugs. Several members of their family were in court for the sentencing. Fahed, who grew up in Campbelltown in Sydney, has experienced difficulties in prison and has been unable to practise his religion. Justice Porter noted the conspiracy to traffic drugs was only ended because of police action. "Methamphetamine is a very damaging and harmful drug in several different ways," he said. The pair will be eligible for parole after serving half of their seven-year-and-six-month prison sentence.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Brutal killer could spend rest of his life behind bars
A remorseless killer who doused an innocent man in petrol and set him alight will likely spend the rest of his years behind bars for the brutal attack. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney on Thursday spared Stuart Lee, 65, a life sentence for the "shocking and heartless" murder of Colin Bainbridge. But he was still jailed for 35 years and will be close to 90 before he is eligible for parole. "Mr Bainbridge was an entirely innocent and blameless man who provided no provocation to you for your murderous attack on him," Justice Tinney said in sentencing. "The pain and anguish you caused ... is incalculable." Mr Bainbridge had been felling trees in a friend's backyard in March 2023 when, without any instigation, Lee in the neighbouring property yelled at him to "f*** off". Mr Bainbridge said the same thing in response and Lee rushed off to call the police. After five calls went unanswered, Lee finally told an officer he would go and murder his neighbours if they did not come. The 65-year-old then went into his shed, poured petrol from a jerry can into a blue bucket and grabbed a lighter from inside the house. Lee went into the backyard, climbed a fence and poured the petrol over Mr Bainbridge before setting him on fire. Mr Bainbridge's son Joshua, who was working nearby, rushed over and helped put out the flames with a hose. He was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with burns to 81 per cent of his body and died later that evening. In sentencing Lee on Thursday, Justice Tinney accepted the 65-year-old had a personality disorder which made him inexplicably suspicious of his neighbours. That disorder explained Lee's thinking but the judge rejected defence claims Lee was genuinely frightened of Mr Bainbridge. "I do not accept that you were ever in fear," Justice Tinney said. "Your indignant anger overcame your clear understanding of the wrongfulness of your actions and you committed murder." Lee claimed to a psychiatrist that Mr Bainbridge had threatened him with a chainsaw after he was caught trespassing on Lee's property. But Justice Tinney determined that story was entirely fabricated to either make Lee's conduct sound more understandable or to make the killer feel better. It was more likely that Lee was frustrated with the noise the Bainbridges were making felling trees and he reacted in anger, the judge said. "You had ample opportunity to reflect upon your intended course," Justice Tinney said. "You chose not to do so." Justice Tinney found Lee's moral culpability was high despite his personality disorder because he was not psychotic and he knew the consequences of his action. Deterrence was key in sentencing because Lee had previously been charged with threatening to kill a neighbour by setting him on fire, Justice Tinney said. Lee's prospects of rehabilitation were also very poor given his lack of remorse and inability to feel empathy as a result of his personality disorder, the judge said. If Lee had not pleaded guilty before trial, Justice Tinney said he would have sentenced the 65-year-old to life behind bars. A remorseless killer who doused an innocent man in petrol and set him alight will likely spend the rest of his years behind bars for the brutal attack. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney on Thursday spared Stuart Lee, 65, a life sentence for the "shocking and heartless" murder of Colin Bainbridge. But he was still jailed for 35 years and will be close to 90 before he is eligible for parole. "Mr Bainbridge was an entirely innocent and blameless man who provided no provocation to you for your murderous attack on him," Justice Tinney said in sentencing. "The pain and anguish you caused ... is incalculable." Mr Bainbridge had been felling trees in a friend's backyard in March 2023 when, without any instigation, Lee in the neighbouring property yelled at him to "f*** off". Mr Bainbridge said the same thing in response and Lee rushed off to call the police. After five calls went unanswered, Lee finally told an officer he would go and murder his neighbours if they did not come. The 65-year-old then went into his shed, poured petrol from a jerry can into a blue bucket and grabbed a lighter from inside the house. Lee went into the backyard, climbed a fence and poured the petrol over Mr Bainbridge before setting him on fire. Mr Bainbridge's son Joshua, who was working nearby, rushed over and helped put out the flames with a hose. He was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with burns to 81 per cent of his body and died later that evening. In sentencing Lee on Thursday, Justice Tinney accepted the 65-year-old had a personality disorder which made him inexplicably suspicious of his neighbours. That disorder explained Lee's thinking but the judge rejected defence claims Lee was genuinely frightened of Mr Bainbridge. "I do not accept that you were ever in fear," Justice Tinney said. "Your indignant anger overcame your clear understanding of the wrongfulness of your actions and you committed murder." Lee claimed to a psychiatrist that Mr Bainbridge had threatened him with a chainsaw after he was caught trespassing on Lee's property. But Justice Tinney determined that story was entirely fabricated to either make Lee's conduct sound more understandable or to make the killer feel better. It was more likely that Lee was frustrated with the noise the Bainbridges were making felling trees and he reacted in anger, the judge said. "You had ample opportunity to reflect upon your intended course," Justice Tinney said. "You chose not to do so." Justice Tinney found Lee's moral culpability was high despite his personality disorder because he was not psychotic and he knew the consequences of his action. Deterrence was key in sentencing because Lee had previously been charged with threatening to kill a neighbour by setting him on fire, Justice Tinney said. Lee's prospects of rehabilitation were also very poor given his lack of remorse and inability to feel empathy as a result of his personality disorder, the judge said. If Lee had not pleaded guilty before trial, Justice Tinney said he would have sentenced the 65-year-old to life behind bars. A remorseless killer who doused an innocent man in petrol and set him alight will likely spend the rest of his years behind bars for the brutal attack. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney on Thursday spared Stuart Lee, 65, a life sentence for the "shocking and heartless" murder of Colin Bainbridge. But he was still jailed for 35 years and will be close to 90 before he is eligible for parole. "Mr Bainbridge was an entirely innocent and blameless man who provided no provocation to you for your murderous attack on him," Justice Tinney said in sentencing. "The pain and anguish you caused ... is incalculable." Mr Bainbridge had been felling trees in a friend's backyard in March 2023 when, without any instigation, Lee in the neighbouring property yelled at him to "f*** off". Mr Bainbridge said the same thing in response and Lee rushed off to call the police. After five calls went unanswered, Lee finally told an officer he would go and murder his neighbours if they did not come. The 65-year-old then went into his shed, poured petrol from a jerry can into a blue bucket and grabbed a lighter from inside the house. Lee went into the backyard, climbed a fence and poured the petrol over Mr Bainbridge before setting him on fire. Mr Bainbridge's son Joshua, who was working nearby, rushed over and helped put out the flames with a hose. He was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with burns to 81 per cent of his body and died later that evening. In sentencing Lee on Thursday, Justice Tinney accepted the 65-year-old had a personality disorder which made him inexplicably suspicious of his neighbours. That disorder explained Lee's thinking but the judge rejected defence claims Lee was genuinely frightened of Mr Bainbridge. "I do not accept that you were ever in fear," Justice Tinney said. "Your indignant anger overcame your clear understanding of the wrongfulness of your actions and you committed murder." Lee claimed to a psychiatrist that Mr Bainbridge had threatened him with a chainsaw after he was caught trespassing on Lee's property. But Justice Tinney determined that story was entirely fabricated to either make Lee's conduct sound more understandable or to make the killer feel better. It was more likely that Lee was frustrated with the noise the Bainbridges were making felling trees and he reacted in anger, the judge said. "You had ample opportunity to reflect upon your intended course," Justice Tinney said. "You chose not to do so." Justice Tinney found Lee's moral culpability was high despite his personality disorder because he was not psychotic and he knew the consequences of his action. Deterrence was key in sentencing because Lee had previously been charged with threatening to kill a neighbour by setting him on fire, Justice Tinney said. Lee's prospects of rehabilitation were also very poor given his lack of remorse and inability to feel empathy as a result of his personality disorder, the judge said. If Lee had not pleaded guilty before trial, Justice Tinney said he would have sentenced the 65-year-old to life behind bars. A remorseless killer who doused an innocent man in petrol and set him alight will likely spend the rest of his years behind bars for the brutal attack. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney on Thursday spared Stuart Lee, 65, a life sentence for the "shocking and heartless" murder of Colin Bainbridge. But he was still jailed for 35 years and will be close to 90 before he is eligible for parole. "Mr Bainbridge was an entirely innocent and blameless man who provided no provocation to you for your murderous attack on him," Justice Tinney said in sentencing. "The pain and anguish you caused ... is incalculable." Mr Bainbridge had been felling trees in a friend's backyard in March 2023 when, without any instigation, Lee in the neighbouring property yelled at him to "f*** off". Mr Bainbridge said the same thing in response and Lee rushed off to call the police. After five calls went unanswered, Lee finally told an officer he would go and murder his neighbours if they did not come. The 65-year-old then went into his shed, poured petrol from a jerry can into a blue bucket and grabbed a lighter from inside the house. Lee went into the backyard, climbed a fence and poured the petrol over Mr Bainbridge before setting him on fire. Mr Bainbridge's son Joshua, who was working nearby, rushed over and helped put out the flames with a hose. He was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with burns to 81 per cent of his body and died later that evening. In sentencing Lee on Thursday, Justice Tinney accepted the 65-year-old had a personality disorder which made him inexplicably suspicious of his neighbours. That disorder explained Lee's thinking but the judge rejected defence claims Lee was genuinely frightened of Mr Bainbridge. "I do not accept that you were ever in fear," Justice Tinney said. "Your indignant anger overcame your clear understanding of the wrongfulness of your actions and you committed murder." Lee claimed to a psychiatrist that Mr Bainbridge had threatened him with a chainsaw after he was caught trespassing on Lee's property. But Justice Tinney determined that story was entirely fabricated to either make Lee's conduct sound more understandable or to make the killer feel better. It was more likely that Lee was frustrated with the noise the Bainbridges were making felling trees and he reacted in anger, the judge said. "You had ample opportunity to reflect upon your intended course," Justice Tinney said. "You chose not to do so." Justice Tinney found Lee's moral culpability was high despite his personality disorder because he was not psychotic and he knew the consequences of his action. Deterrence was key in sentencing because Lee had previously been charged with threatening to kill a neighbour by setting him on fire, Justice Tinney said. Lee's prospects of rehabilitation were also very poor given his lack of remorse and inability to feel empathy as a result of his personality disorder, the judge said. If Lee had not pleaded guilty before trial, Justice Tinney said he would have sentenced the 65-year-old to life behind bars.
