Latest news with #BenCannon
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Victim's fury as teenagers who almost stabbed footy legend Toutai Kefu to death in savage home invasion have a HUGE win in court
A pair of teenagers who invaded the home of Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu and stabbed him and his wife have had a huge legal win after a court ruled they should not receive more jail time or have convictions recorded against them. In June last year the two teens - who cannot be named for legal reasons - were convicted of storming into Kefu's Brisbane home on August 16, 2021 in an attempt to steal cars. Kefu's wife Rachel disturbed them in the early hours of the morning. She and Toutai were both stabbed, as was their son Joshua and daughter Madison. The Wallabies legend suffered life-threatening injuries and his wife's arm was cut to the bone. The pair were jailed for seven and eight years with no convictions recorded, with Justice Peter Davis ruling the pair had to serve half of those sentences before they could be released. That meant one of the teens would have been eligible to be freed within six months of being convicted. The Queensland attorney-general lost an appeal against the sentences when three judges in the state's Court of Appeal made their ruling on Tuesday. The judges ruled the teens should not have convictions recorded and said the attorney-general had failed to prove the sentences were manifestly inadequate. One teen who only stabbed Mr Kefu served his sentence and is now free, while the other boy is due to be released on August 18. Ben Cannon - a neighbour of the Kefus who was assaulted by the teens when he came to the family's aid - lashed out at the appeal verdict on Tuesday. 'The news in a sad way, it's not unexpected,' he said. 'It seems like the system has more tolerance for injustice than it does for justice and it seems to always favour those who commit the crimes. 'This shows the system needs a total upheaval,' he said. 'We need a system that understands that unless we catch these kids earlier and we steer them in a different direction ... then we will end up with more and more victims.' Rachel Kefu disturbed the intruders at 3.10am, with her screams awakening her husband, who jumped over a banister from the upstairs bedroom to defend his wife. Both teenagers attacked him, but only one was found to have stabbed him in the chest. The knife penetrated 25mm into his liver. The other assailant attacked Rachel, cutting her with a sickle after they offered him their car keys, giving them the opportunity to leave the home. 'We want the keys to the car or we will hurt her,' the teens said at the time of the attack. The couple's son Joshua, who was 21 at the time, also suffered deep cuts to his back and arm, as well as a dislocated shoulder, where their 18-year-old daughter Madison's hand was cut. 'The sickle cut Mrs Kefu literally to the bone, so I mean quite apart from the fact that it looks like a fairly wicked weapon,' Justice Davis said, adding that the inside of the home looked like a 'war zone' with blood 'splashed and smeared' throughout the property. The pair of teens were initially charged with attempted murder but the charges were downgraded following a plea-deal. Both juveniles pleaded guilty to seven charges, including four counts of malicious act with intent, burglary and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. One of the teens pleaded guilty to two further charges, including the assault of Cannon. 'I constantly experience flashbacks of the crime and I am still plagued by the graphic memories of my family fighting for lives, to survive, that night,' Rachel Kefu told the court before the boys were sentenced.
West Australian
3 days ago
- West Australian
Anger over sentence appeal for sport star family attack
A neighbour who helped stop a horror attack on a former Wallabies star's family wants the justice system overhauled after an appeal over the teen offenders' "inadequate" sentence failed. Ben Cannon came to the aid of Toutai Kefu and his family when they were attacked by two 15-year-old boys in August 2021, in a Brisbane home invasion that resembled a "war zone". The former Australian and Queensland Reds rugby player suffered a "life threatening" 25mm liver wound, his wife Rachel remains partially disabled after being cut to the bone by a sickle and two of their children were injured. Mr Cannon tackled one teen and pinned him until police arrived. One boy was sentenced to eight years and the other seven after pleading guilty to charges including malicious act with intent. They were only required to serve 50 per cent of their sentences and did not have convictions recorded. Then attorney-general Yvette D'Ath launched an appeal in 2024 against the "manifestly inadequate" sentences. But the Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed it after the state failed to prove the sentences were inadequate. Mr Cannon said it was shocking, but not surprising. "The news in a sad way, it's not unexpected," he told AAP. "It seems like the system has more tolerance for injustice than it does for justice and it seems to always favour those who commit the crimes." The attorney-general needed to persuade the appeal judges the sentences were disproportionate to the offending. But counsel failed to put forward any comparable cases to provide a yardstick of the appropriate sentencing range, the appeal judges said. Broadly comparable cases show under 10 years imprisonment was "not out of the range" of sentences that could have been imposed, the appeal judges ruled. The state government had argued the period of detention ordered for the boys was also manifestly inadequate. The sentencing judge had said the teens' lack of criminal history, rehabilitation efforts and personal circumstances led him to reduce the period of detention from 70 per cent to 50 per cent. But the appeal judges found the attorney-general failed to establish the sentencing judge made an error in his decision-making. In not recording a conviction, the sentencing judge used his discretion to consider the nature of the offence, the teen's age, previous convictions and whether it would impact the chance of rehabilitation or employment. The attorney-general needed to establish that the judge was unreasonable and had argued that convictions should have been recorded to reflect the gravity of the offending. Again, the appeal judges dismissed this, standing by the principle that children are entitled to the benefit of not having a conviction recorded to assist with their rehabilitation. Mr Cannon said the decision had put a fire in his belly and would inspire him to do more with his advocacy group, Voice for Victims. "This shows the system needs a total upheaval," he said. "We need a system that understands that unless we catch these kids earlier and we steer them in a different direction ... then we will end up with more and more victims." Asked whether there would have been different sentences if the Liberal National government's landmark "adult crime, adult time" laws introduced last year had been in effect, Mr Cannon was sceptical. He said many legal experts - including judges - seemed to be lost in what the "adult crime, adult time" sentencing provisions actually mean. "Justice shouldn't be grey. It should be black and white," he said.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Anger over sentence appeal for sport star family attack
A neighbour who helped stop a horror attack on a former Wallabies star's family wants the justice system overhauled after an appeal over the teen offenders' "inadequate" sentence failed. Ben Cannon came to the aid of Toutai Kefu and his family when they were attacked by two 15-year-old boys in August 2021, in a Brisbane home invasion that resembled a "war zone". The former Australian and Queensland Reds rugby player suffered a "life threatening" 25mm liver wound, his wife Rachel remains partially disabled after being cut to the bone by a sickle and two of their children were injured. Mr Cannon tackled one teen and pinned him until police arrived. One boy was sentenced to eight years and the other seven after pleading guilty to charges including malicious act with intent. They were only required to serve 50 per cent of their sentences and did not have convictions recorded. Then attorney-general Yvette D'Ath launched an appeal in 2024 against the "manifestly inadequate" sentences. But the Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed it after the state failed to prove the sentences were inadequate. Mr Cannon said it was shocking, but not surprising. "The news in a sad way, it's not unexpected," he told AAP. "It seems like the system has more tolerance for injustice than it does for justice and it seems to always favour those who commit the crimes." The attorney-general needed to persuade the appeal judges the sentences were disproportionate to the offending. But counsel failed to put forward any comparable cases to provide a yardstick of the appropriate sentencing range, the appeal judges said. Broadly comparable cases show under 10 years imprisonment was "not out of the range" of sentences that could have been imposed, the appeal judges ruled. The state government had argued the period of detention ordered for the boys was also manifestly inadequate. The sentencing judge had said the teens' lack of criminal history, rehabilitation efforts and personal circumstances led him to reduce the period of detention from 70 per cent to 50 per cent. But the appeal judges found the attorney-general failed to establish the sentencing judge made an error in his decision-making. In not recording a conviction, the sentencing judge used his discretion to consider the nature of the offence, the teen's age, previous convictions and whether it would impact the chance of rehabilitation or employment. The attorney-general needed to establish that the judge was unreasonable and had argued that convictions should have been recorded to reflect the gravity of the offending. Again, the appeal judges dismissed this, standing by the principle that children are entitled to the benefit of not having a conviction recorded to assist with their rehabilitation. Mr Cannon said the decision had put a fire in his belly and would inspire him to do more with his advocacy group, Voice for Victims. "This shows the system needs a total upheaval," he said. "We need a system that understands that unless we catch these kids earlier and we steer them in a different direction ... then we will end up with more and more victims." Asked whether there would have been different sentences if the Liberal National government's landmark "adult crime, adult time" laws introduced last year had been in effect, Mr Cannon was sceptical. He said many legal experts - including judges - seemed to be lost in what the "adult crime, adult time" sentencing provisions actually mean. "Justice shouldn't be grey. It should be black and white," he said.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Anger over sentence appeal for sport star family attack
A neighbour who helped stop a horror attack on a former Wallabies star's family wants the justice system overhauled after an appeal over the teen offenders' "inadequate" sentence failed. Ben Cannon came to the aid of Toutai Kefu and his family when they were attacked by two 15-year-old boys in August 2021, in a Brisbane home invasion that resembled a "war zone". The former Australian and Queensland Reds rugby player suffered a "life threatening" 25mm liver wound, his wife Rachel remains partially disabled after being cut to the bone by a sickle and two of their children were injured. Mr Cannon tackled one teen and pinned him until police arrived. One boy was sentenced to eight years and the other seven after pleading guilty to charges including malicious act with intent. They were only required to serve 50 per cent of their sentences and did not have convictions recorded. Then attorney-general Yvette D'Ath launched an appeal in 2024 against the "manifestly inadequate" sentences. But the Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed it after the state failed to prove the sentences were inadequate. Mr Cannon said it was shocking, but not surprising. "The news in a sad way, it's not unexpected," he told AAP. "It seems like the system has more tolerance for injustice than it does for justice and it seems to always favour those who commit the crimes." The attorney-general needed to persuade the appeal judges the sentences were disproportionate to the offending. But counsel failed to put forward any comparable cases to provide a yardstick of the appropriate sentencing range, the appeal judges said. Broadly comparable cases show under 10 years imprisonment was "not out of the range" of sentences that could have been imposed, the appeal judges ruled. The state government had argued the period of detention ordered for the boys was also manifestly inadequate. The sentencing judge had said the teens' lack of criminal history, rehabilitation efforts and personal circumstances led him to reduce the period of detention from 70 per cent to 50 per cent. But the appeal judges found the attorney-general failed to establish the sentencing judge made an error in his decision-making. In not recording a conviction, the sentencing judge used his discretion to consider the nature of the offence, the teen's age, previous convictions and whether it would impact the chance of rehabilitation or employment. The attorney-general needed to establish that the judge was unreasonable and had argued that convictions should have been recorded to reflect the gravity of the offending. Again, the appeal judges dismissed this, standing by the principle that children are entitled to the benefit of not having a conviction recorded to assist with their rehabilitation. Mr Cannon said the decision had put a fire in his belly and would inspire him to do more with his advocacy group, Voice for Victims. "This shows the system needs a total upheaval," he said. "We need a system that understands that unless we catch these kids earlier and we steer them in a different direction ... then we will end up with more and more victims." Asked whether there would have been different sentences if the Liberal National government's landmark "adult crime, adult time" laws introduced last year had been in effect, Mr Cannon was sceptical. He said many legal experts - including judges - seemed to be lost in what the "adult crime, adult time" sentencing provisions actually mean. "Justice shouldn't be grey. It should be black and white," he said. A neighbour who helped stop a horror attack on a former Wallabies star's family wants the justice system overhauled after an appeal over the teen offenders' "inadequate" sentence failed. Ben Cannon came to the aid of Toutai Kefu and his family when they were attacked by two 15-year-old boys in August 2021, in a Brisbane home invasion that resembled a "war zone". The former Australian and Queensland Reds rugby player suffered a "life threatening" 25mm liver wound, his wife Rachel remains partially disabled after being cut to the bone by a sickle and two of their children were injured. Mr Cannon tackled one teen and pinned him until police arrived. One boy was sentenced to eight years and the other seven after pleading guilty to charges including malicious act with intent. They were only required to serve 50 per cent of their sentences and did not have convictions recorded. Then attorney-general Yvette D'Ath launched an appeal in 2024 against the "manifestly inadequate" sentences. But the Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed it after the state failed to prove the sentences were inadequate. Mr Cannon said it was shocking, but not surprising. "The news in a sad way, it's not unexpected," he told AAP. "It seems like the system has more tolerance for injustice than it does for justice and it seems to always favour those who commit the crimes." The attorney-general needed to persuade the appeal judges the sentences were disproportionate to the offending. But counsel failed to put forward any comparable cases to provide a yardstick of the appropriate sentencing range, the appeal judges said. Broadly comparable cases show under 10 years imprisonment was "not out of the range" of sentences that could have been imposed, the appeal judges ruled. The state government had argued the period of detention ordered for the boys was also manifestly inadequate. The sentencing judge had said the teens' lack of criminal history, rehabilitation efforts and personal circumstances led him to reduce the period of detention from 70 per cent to 50 per cent. But the appeal judges found the attorney-general failed to establish the sentencing judge made an error in his decision-making. In not recording a conviction, the sentencing judge used his discretion to consider the nature of the offence, the teen's age, previous convictions and whether it would impact the chance of rehabilitation or employment. The attorney-general needed to establish that the judge was unreasonable and had argued that convictions should have been recorded to reflect the gravity of the offending. Again, the appeal judges dismissed this, standing by the principle that children are entitled to the benefit of not having a conviction recorded to assist with their rehabilitation. Mr Cannon said the decision had put a fire in his belly and would inspire him to do more with his advocacy group, Voice for Victims. "This shows the system needs a total upheaval," he said. "We need a system that understands that unless we catch these kids earlier and we steer them in a different direction ... then we will end up with more and more victims." Asked whether there would have been different sentences if the Liberal National government's landmark "adult crime, adult time" laws introduced last year had been in effect, Mr Cannon was sceptical. He said many legal experts - including judges - seemed to be lost in what the "adult crime, adult time" sentencing provisions actually mean. "Justice shouldn't be grey. It should be black and white," he said. A neighbour who helped stop a horror attack on a former Wallabies star's family wants the justice system overhauled after an appeal over the teen offenders' "inadequate" sentence failed. Ben Cannon came to the aid of Toutai Kefu and his family when they were attacked by two 15-year-old boys in August 2021, in a Brisbane home invasion that resembled a "war zone". The former Australian and Queensland Reds rugby player suffered a "life threatening" 25mm liver wound, his wife Rachel remains partially disabled after being cut to the bone by a sickle and two of their children were injured. Mr Cannon tackled one teen and pinned him until police arrived. One boy was sentenced to eight years and the other seven after pleading guilty to charges including malicious act with intent. They were only required to serve 50 per cent of their sentences and did not have convictions recorded. Then attorney-general Yvette D'Ath launched an appeal in 2024 against the "manifestly inadequate" sentences. But the Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed it after the state failed to prove the sentences were inadequate. Mr Cannon said it was shocking, but not surprising. "The news in a sad way, it's not unexpected," he told AAP. "It seems like the system has more tolerance for injustice than it does for justice and it seems to always favour those who commit the crimes." The attorney-general needed to persuade the appeal judges the sentences were disproportionate to the offending. But counsel failed to put forward any comparable cases to provide a yardstick of the appropriate sentencing range, the appeal judges said. Broadly comparable cases show under 10 years imprisonment was "not out of the range" of sentences that could have been imposed, the appeal judges ruled. The state government had argued the period of detention ordered for the boys was also manifestly inadequate. The sentencing judge had said the teens' lack of criminal history, rehabilitation efforts and personal circumstances led him to reduce the period of detention from 70 per cent to 50 per cent. But the appeal judges found the attorney-general failed to establish the sentencing judge made an error in his decision-making. In not recording a conviction, the sentencing judge used his discretion to consider the nature of the offence, the teen's age, previous convictions and whether it would impact the chance of rehabilitation or employment. The attorney-general needed to establish that the judge was unreasonable and had argued that convictions should have been recorded to reflect the gravity of the offending. Again, the appeal judges dismissed this, standing by the principle that children are entitled to the benefit of not having a conviction recorded to assist with their rehabilitation. Mr Cannon said the decision had put a fire in his belly and would inspire him to do more with his advocacy group, Voice for Victims. "This shows the system needs a total upheaval," he said. "We need a system that understands that unless we catch these kids earlier and we steer them in a different direction ... then we will end up with more and more victims." Asked whether there would have been different sentences if the Liberal National government's landmark "adult crime, adult time" laws introduced last year had been in effect, Mr Cannon was sceptical. He said many legal experts - including judges - seemed to be lost in what the "adult crime, adult time" sentencing provisions actually mean. "Justice shouldn't be grey. It should be black and white," he said. A neighbour who helped stop a horror attack on a former Wallabies star's family wants the justice system overhauled after an appeal over the teen offenders' "inadequate" sentence failed. Ben Cannon came to the aid of Toutai Kefu and his family when they were attacked by two 15-year-old boys in August 2021, in a Brisbane home invasion that resembled a "war zone". The former Australian and Queensland Reds rugby player suffered a "life threatening" 25mm liver wound, his wife Rachel remains partially disabled after being cut to the bone by a sickle and two of their children were injured. Mr Cannon tackled one teen and pinned him until police arrived. One boy was sentenced to eight years and the other seven after pleading guilty to charges including malicious act with intent. They were only required to serve 50 per cent of their sentences and did not have convictions recorded. Then attorney-general Yvette D'Ath launched an appeal in 2024 against the "manifestly inadequate" sentences. But the Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed it after the state failed to prove the sentences were inadequate. Mr Cannon said it was shocking, but not surprising. "The news in a sad way, it's not unexpected," he told AAP. "It seems like the system has more tolerance for injustice than it does for justice and it seems to always favour those who commit the crimes." The attorney-general needed to persuade the appeal judges the sentences were disproportionate to the offending. But counsel failed to put forward any comparable cases to provide a yardstick of the appropriate sentencing range, the appeal judges said. Broadly comparable cases show under 10 years imprisonment was "not out of the range" of sentences that could have been imposed, the appeal judges ruled. The state government had argued the period of detention ordered for the boys was also manifestly inadequate. The sentencing judge had said the teens' lack of criminal history, rehabilitation efforts and personal circumstances led him to reduce the period of detention from 70 per cent to 50 per cent. But the appeal judges found the attorney-general failed to establish the sentencing judge made an error in his decision-making. In not recording a conviction, the sentencing judge used his discretion to consider the nature of the offence, the teen's age, previous convictions and whether it would impact the chance of rehabilitation or employment. The attorney-general needed to establish that the judge was unreasonable and had argued that convictions should have been recorded to reflect the gravity of the offending. Again, the appeal judges dismissed this, standing by the principle that children are entitled to the benefit of not having a conviction recorded to assist with their rehabilitation. Mr Cannon said the decision had put a fire in his belly and would inspire him to do more with his advocacy group, Voice for Victims. "This shows the system needs a total upheaval," he said. "We need a system that understands that unless we catch these kids earlier and we steer them in a different direction ... then we will end up with more and more victims." Asked whether there would have been different sentences if the Liberal National government's landmark "adult crime, adult time" laws introduced last year had been in effect, Mr Cannon was sceptical. He said many legal experts - including judges - seemed to be lost in what the "adult crime, adult time" sentencing provisions actually mean. "Justice shouldn't be grey. It should be black and white," he said.
Int'l Business Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Undergraduate Tuition at Oregon's Public Universities to Rise Again, Up Nearly 30% from a Decade Ago
EUGENE, Ore. – Students at Oregon's seven public universities will face another round of tuition hikes for the 2025-26 academic year, with increases ranging from 2% to 5%, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle. This marks a continuation of a decade-long trend where average tuition at these institutions has surged nearly 30% since 2015, outpacing inflation and placing Oregon among the highest-cost public university systems in the West. The state's Higher Education Coordinating Commission reports that Oregon ranks 44th nationally in public higher education funding, a key driver behind the persistent tuition increases. "Oregon public universities have some of the highest tuition and fee rates among Western states," said Ben Cannon, executive director of the commission, in an interview with the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Universities cite rising inflation, higher staff costs—particularly contributions to the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)—and capital investments as additional pressures. At institutions like Oregon State University (OSU) and the University of Oregon (UO), tuition and fees now account for over half of revenue, one of the highest proportions in the nation. For the upcoming academic year, OSU's Board of Trustees approved a 4.91% tuition increase for resident undergraduates at its Corvallis campus and 4.7% at OSU-Cascades in Bend, translating to an additional $11-$12 per credit hour. Portland State University (PSU) will raise resident undergraduate tuition by 4.8%, while UO approved a 3% hike for new undergraduates. Eastern Oregon University (EOU) is expected to finalize a tuition increase within the 3-5% range by mid-May. Any increase above 5% requires approval from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. The financial burden falls heavily on students. Resident undergraduates currently pay around $15,320 at UO and $14,400 at OSU, while out-of-state students face significantly higher costs—$42,516 at UO and $38,190 at OSU. Over the past six years, tuition for UO's freshman class has risen by more than 25%, with current students paying over $15,600 annually compared to $12,400 in 2019. Despite these increases, enrollment has declined, with full-time enrollment at Oregon's public universities dropping by approximately 3,000 students since 2014, and total class enrollment falling by 4,000. Last fall, nearly 80,000 students were enrolled across the seven universities. Students and advocacy groups have expressed frustration over the rising costs as universities are attempting to offset the hikes with increased financial aid. OSU plans to provide over $100 million in institutional aid, while UO will offer $125 million, nearly triple the amount provided five years ago. Additionally, UO locks in tuition for five years for each incoming freshman class, providing some predictability. However, the rising cost of living, particularly housing near campuses, exacerbates affordability concerns. The reliance on tuition revenue stems from a significant decline in state support. Twenty-five years ago, Oregon covered up to 75% of the cost of each full-time university employee; today, it funds 50% or less. Oregon's per-pupil funding of $8,400 annually lags behind the national average of $11,000, and the state's overall investment in higher education remains below most states. This underfunding has economic implications, with reports indicating Oregon struggles to produce enough graduates in fields like STEM, healthcare, and technology to meet workforce demands. With no significant increase in state funding on the horizon, Oregon's public universities face a challenging balancing act: maintaining quality and accessibility while covering rising costs. For students, the dream of higher education comes with an ever-higher price tag, prompting calls for reform to restore the "public" in public higher education. Originally published on University Herald
