Latest news with #BrisbaneDistrictCourt
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
Woman spared jail time over crash that injured MP
A woman will not spend any time behind bars after she sped through a red light while drunk before crashing into a then-Greens MP. Rani Paige Lowry, 27, was charged over the collision that seriously injured Amy MacMahon in Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024. Lowry was driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone around sunset on a Monday evening when she ran a red light at an intersection. As MacMahon started driving when the light turned green, Lowry ploughed into her car. CCTV showed the state MP's vehicle slide 180 degrees near where a pedestrian was about to cross the road, while Lowry's car skidded 60 metres south. Lowry watched the CCTV footage played to Brisbane District Court on Friday, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she broke down in tears. Data showed Lowry's car accelerated five seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes as she hit MacMahon's at 83km/h. Both were taken to the hospital, where MacMahon was in a coma for some time, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damage to her carotid artery.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Woman spared jail time over crash that injured MP
A woman will not spend any time behind bars after she sped through a red light while drunk before crashing into a then-Greens MP. Rani Paige Lowry, 27, was charged over the collision that seriously injured Amy MacMahon in Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024. Lowry was driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone around sunset on a Monday evening when she ran a red light at an intersection. As MacMahon started driving when the light turned green, Lowry ploughed into her car. CCTV showed the state MP's vehicle slide 180 degrees near where a pedestrian was about to cross the road, while Lowry's car skidded 60 metres south. Lowry watched the CCTV footage played to Brisbane District Court on Friday, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she broke down in tears. Data showed Lowry's car accelerated five seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes as she hit MacMahon's at 83km/h. Both were taken to the hospital, where MacMahon was in a coma for some time, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damage to her carotid artery.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Woman spared jail time over crash that injured MP
A woman will not spend any time behind bars after she sped through a red light while drunk before crashing into a then-Greens MP. Rani Paige Lowry, 27, was charged over the collision that seriously injured Amy MacMahon in Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024. Lowry was driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone around sunset on a Monday evening when she ran a red light at an intersection. As Dr MacMahon started driving when the light turned green, Lowry ploughed into her car. CCTV showed the state MP's vehicle slide 180 degrees near where a pedestrian was about to cross the road, while Lowry's car skidded 60 metres south. Lowry watched the CCTV footage played to Brisbane District Court on Friday, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she broke down in tears. Data showed Lowry's car accelerated five seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes as she hit Dr MacMahon's at 83km/h. Both were taken to the hospital, where Dr MacMahon was in a coma for some time, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damage to her carotid artery. Judge David Kent said it is a miracle of modern engineering that no one was killed. Lowry returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.186, which is more than three times the legal limit. Dr MacMahon was in hospital for two weeks and underwent treatment for six months. Despite the seriousness of her injuries, Dr MacMahon, who did not appear in court, asked in her victim impact statement for Lowry not to serve any time but to undergo rehabilitation to ensure this "never, ever happens again". She even offered to help Lowry find community work for her rehabilitation. Judge Kent commended the "compassion and emotional maturity" of Dr MacMahon's statement. The court was told Lowry's father had been killed in a car crash years earlier. Lowry had relapsed into her long-held alcohol dependency, caused by childhood trauma and the recent death of her brother, before the incident, her lawyer Jack Kennedy told the court. On the afternoon of the crash, Lowry had gone to a venue with friends for emotional support but drank excessively before leaving and causing the crash. She had expressed extreme remorse since the incident, suffering such shame and guilt that she considered ending her own life, Mr Kennedy said. Lowry wrote a letter to Dr MacMahon to apologise for the crash and wanted to see the former MP in person to express her remorse. Lowry pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance. She was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and was eligible for parole on Friday, meaning she would not spend any time in custody. Judge Kent said Lowry should never pick up another alcoholic drink in her life. "This is a serious example of dangerous operation while intoxicated which had serious consequences," he said. Dr MacMahon lost her South Brisbane seat in the October state election.
West Australian
26-05-2025
- West Australian
‘Judicial corruption': Ex-law lecturer accused of posing as Justin Bieber to solicit explicit images makes sensational claim in court
A former law lecturer accused of posing as pop icon Justin Bieber to convince children to send him explicit images over Facebook and Skype has dropped his legal team and bizarrely claimed his case involves 'cover-ups and judicial corruption'. Gordon Douglas Chalmers was scheduled to be arraigned at Brisbane District Court on Monday on more than 200 charges, including child grooming and making child exploitation material. Chalmers, a former lecturer at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), instead went on a tangent trying to address the court, claiming there were 'exceptional circumstances' that warranted his matter being treated differently. After a brief adjournment, his legal team returned to the bar table and told Judge Deborah Richards they were withdrawing from the matter due to Mr Chalmers' grant of legal aid being terminated. Mr Chalmers claimed in court that he did not terminate the arrangement before claiming his relationship with his lawyers was not 'absolute'. He then went on a tangent, claiming the matter ended up before Judge Richards because of 'the worst case of judicial corruption' and 'cover-ups' during pre-trial proceedings. Mr Chalmers requested an adjournment so 'a fair and just consideration' could be made on how his matter would proceed. A Legal Aid representative told the court that it would take up to eight weeks for another grant of aid to be assessed. Mr Chalmers continued by claiming barristers would be 'disbarred' if they raised the matters he alleged in court, asserting his matter was considered 'career-destroying' by lawyers. 'They are more concerned about their future job prospects than standing up for not just their clients' rights but also about their duties and obligations to the court,' Mr Chalmers claimed. After Mr Chalmers claimed that Judge Richards had been handed a poisoned chalice, she wryly replied: 'That's OK, I'm used to poisoned chalices. 'So presuming there will be an application, likely a rejection, then possibly an appeal – that will be the process, won't it?' Judge Richards asked the Commonwealth Chalmers' matter was adjourned to July 21 to allow his legal aid grant to be assessed. He was remanded in custody. Mr Chalmers no longer holds a position at QUT, according to the university's website. He has been in custody on remand since 2017 following his arrest. Police allege Mr Chalmers used online platforms including Facebook and Skype to communicate with his victims, allegedly posing as Bieber while contacting children. Mr Chalmers initially faced 900 charges, but the bulk were dropped upon his committal in 2017.
Perth Now
26-05-2025
- Perth Now
‘Corruption': Alleged Bieber poser's rant
A former law lecturer accused of posing as pop icon Justin Bieber to convince children to send him explicit images over Facebook and Skype has dropped his legal team and bizarrely claimed his case involves 'cover-ups and judicial corruption'. Gordon Douglas Chalmers was scheduled to be arraigned at Brisbane District Court on Monday on more than 200 charges, including child grooming and making child exploitation material. Chalmers, a former lecturer at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), instead went on a tangent trying to address the court, claiming there were 'exceptional circumstances' that warranted his matter being treated differently. After a brief adjournment, his legal team returned to the bar table and told Judge Deborah Richards they were withdrawing from the matter due to Mr Chalmers' grant of legal aid being terminated. Former QUT law lecturer Gordon Douglas Chalmers is alleged to have convinced children to send him explicit images over platforms like Skype and Facebook. Supplied Credit: Supplied Mr Chalmers claimed in court that he did not terminate the arrangement before claiming his relationship with his lawyers was not 'absolute'. He then went on a tangent, claiming the matter ended up before Judge Richards because of 'the worst case of judicial corruption' and 'cover-ups' during pre-trial proceedings. Mr Chalmers requested an adjournment so 'a fair and just consideration' could be made on how his matter would proceed. A Legal Aid representative told the court that it would take up to eight weeks for another grant of aid to be assessed. Mr Chalmers continued by claiming barristers would be 'disbarred' if they raised the matters he alleged in court, asserting his matter was considered 'career-destroying' by lawyers. 'They are more concerned about their future job prospects than standing up for not just their clients' rights but also about their duties and obligations to the court,' Mr Chalmers claimed. During his appearance at Brisbane District Court (pictured), Mr Chalmers claimed his matter involved 'judicial corruption' and dropped his legal team. NewsWire/ Glenn Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia After Mr Chalmers claimed that Judge Richards had been handed a poisoned chalice, she wryly replied: 'That's OK, I'm used to poisoned chalices. 'So presuming there will be an application, likely a rejection, then possibly an appeal – that will be the process, won't it?' Judge Richards asked the Commonwealth Chalmers' matter was adjourned to July 21 to allow his legal aid grant to be assessed. He was remanded in custody. Mr Chalmers no longer holds a position at QUT, according to the university's website. He has been in custody on remand since 2017 following his arrest. Police allege Mr Chalmers used online platforms including Facebook and Skype to communicate with his victims, allegedly posing as Bieber while contacting children. Mr Chalmers initially faced 900 charges, but the bulk were dropped upon his committal in 2017.
