All is quiet as media pack leaves town following Erin Patterson's guilty verdict
The Erin Patterson triple murder case has captured the imagination of people the world over with every little detail poured over by international and local media. The place at the centre of the action these past ten weeks is the courthouse in the regional Victorian town of Morwell. The quiet town has been the backdrop for this real-life courtroom drama that has captured national and international attention. So how has the community processed the verdict and having the world's gaze on their usually quiet corner of the world. Reporter: Jospeh Dunstan (Morwell)
The Northern Territory's Police Commissioner has acknowledged "all forms of racism" have existed in the Police Force in the wake of the coroner's findings into the fatal police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker. The coroner yesterday found NT Police bore the hallmarks of institutional racism. Acting Police Commissioner Martin Dole says the force will take time to consider the coroner's 18 recommendations around policing and said the force is committed to stamping out racism.
Rates of illiteracy among adult Indigenous Australians is estimated at 40 to 70 per cent, rising to 90 per cent in some remote communities. Literacy for Life has now helped more than 500 adults nationwide become functionally literate. The program has received funding to expand to three more communities in Queensland, but more long-term funding is needed. Reporter: Christopher Testa (Cairns)
It's regarded as one of the most extreme survival stories of all time - when, in 1999, a young American disappeared into the Great Sandy Desert in remote northern Western Australia, surviving for six weeks before being discovered in what became known as 'The Miracle in the Desert'. The actions of Alaskan Firefighter, Robert Bogucki triggered a media storm and one of the biggest searches Australia had ever seen but questions have always lingered around why he did it, how he survived, and why people continue to set off into the wilderness to try to find fulfilment. National Regional reporter Erin Parke's spent the last three years investigating the strange saga, which she's now brought to life in the new ABC podcast Expanse: Nowhere Man. Reporter: Erin Parke (Broome)
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News.com.au
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Father and son's final moments have been captured on CCTV before they are killed by an alleged drink driver
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The Australian
17 minutes ago
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Balaclava-clad jet ski gang terrorise Gold Coast paddleboarders
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ABC News
41 minutes ago
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Magistrate condemns 'terribly frightening' death threat to Senator Fatima Payman
A western Victorian man has been released on bail after threatening to kill Independent senator Fatima Payman via email. WARNING: This article includes racist, violent and offensive language. Sean David Sharman, 51, of Ballarat, faced court after pleading guilty to using a carriage service to make a threat to kill. Sharman emailed Senator Payman twice in March in a communication the judge condemned as "disgraceful, racist and xenophobic". Sharman appeared in the Ballarat Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, supported by his wife. In one email, Sharman allegedly called Senator Payman "a domestic terrorist" and said she should not hold office in Australia. "Call me Racist all you want c**t. But there is a 38Cal with your name on it coming for your muslim hateful waste of oxygen c**t head VERY SOON," Sharman wrote in the email. "You and your muslim lot should go back to the desert, you lot have destroyed Australia." Mr Sharman then signed off "Best Wishes, Sean". It's understood "38Cal" refers to a .38 calibre bullet. Sharman pleaded guilty to the charge on June 24. The court heard Sharman sent his full name and address in another email in an attempt to "show I was a real person and not some bot." In a written victim impact statement from Senator Payman read to court, she said the "threats and vile language" had a significant impact on her physical, emotional and mental health. She said she felt "scared and deeply unsettled" after receiving the emails and was afraid to travel to Victoria as a result. In her statement, Senator Payman said the email was a personal attack on her and other Muslim women. "Actions have consequences and this behaviour should not be minimised," Senator Payman said. Police searched Sharman's home and arrested him in April. The court heard Sharman was compliant with police requests, allowed officers to enter the premises and provided the password to his laptop and email. His lawyer told the court her client was unemployed and suffered from various medical issues, including alcoholism. She said Sharman was "very embarrassed" by his behaviour, which the defence lawyer categorised as serious. The court heard he had no prior convictions and that he was trying to avoiod news or political views that reinforced his previous behaviour. The court heard he did not recall sending the emails due to his alcohol use at the time. Sharman was on a waitlist for detox services at Ballarat Community Health, his lawyer told the court. Magistrate Julia Barling said Sharman's email was "disgraceful, racist, xenophobic, [and contained] terribly frightening comments". "It is very concerning to me that someone with no prior history lashes out to the point they are behaving in this way," the judge said. Sharman's sentencing was deferred to allow him to attend detox. He was released on bail under the condition he had no contact or communication with Senator Payman or anyone from her office. A pre-sentencing report and broader assessment report were requested. Sharman is scheduled to return to court in November.
