Latest news with #Cooma
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Taser cop Kristian White to learn fate after prosecutors' push for harsher sentence over Clare Nowland's manslaughter
A policeman who avoided jail after fatally tasering a nursing home resident could be handed a harsher sentence as soon as next week. Senior Constable Kristian White, now 35, was found guilty of manslaughter of 95-year-old Clare Nowland after he was called to Yallambee Lodge nursing home in Cooma in the state's south on May 17, 2023. White was sentenced to a two-year community order and 425 hours of community service, but the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing the sentence. The judgment will be given on July 30. Mrs Nowland was described as being a 'very aggressive' resident who was holding two knives by a nurse, but was holding only one knife and a penlight when White found her sitting in an office after 5am. He repeatedly told her to drop the blade during a confrontation that lasted less than three minutes. When she failed to drop it, White said 'bugger it' before tasering her: Ms Nowland died in hospital days later. White was found guilty of Mrs Nowland's manslaughter in November last year following a NSW Supreme Court trial. White is expected to learn whether prosecutors were successful in their bid to impose a harsher sentence on him, with the matter listed for judgment in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA). Cop didn't give Ms Nowland 'any real chance' The DPP's case hinges on four grounds of appeal, including the sentencing judge made several errors by assuming both parties agreed White honestly believed his conduct was necessary, in his assessment of objective seriousness, and in finding that general deterrence had 'little or no role' or only a 'minor' role to play in White's sentence. The sentence is 'manifestly inadequate', the final ground claims. Crown Prosecutor Sally Dowling SC last month argued White did not give Ms Nowland – clearly vulnerable and disoriented – any 'real chance to avoid being tasered'. Footage of the fatal incident made it clear Ms Nowland didn't understand or hear White's instructions, Ms Dowling told a CCA hearing. 'The respondent did not give her any real chance to avoid being tasered,' Ms Dowling said. '(There were) many alternate actions that he could have and should have taken.' Ms Nowland didn't advance towards White at any point, and needed to hold onto her walker with both hands, Ms Dowling said, which all fell under the Crown's appeal of objective seriousness. She told the court it took White less than three minutes after first seeing Mrs Nowland to deploy his taser, which caused her to immediately fall and hit her head. 'She never regained consciousness after that fall, and that injury caused her death seven days later,' Ms Dowling said. White's lawyer, Troy Edwards SC, rejected the Crown's claims that Mrs Nowland posed no threat, arguing it was inconsistent with observations of the sentencing judge and witnesses. He also urged the court not to place emphasis on footage from the incident, but to rely on the accounts of witnesses who he said felt frightened as the incident unfolded.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Update in bid to jail Taser cop
A policeman who avoided jail after fatally tasering a nursing home resident could be handed a harsher sentence as soon as next week. Senior Constable Kristian White, now 35, was found guilty of manslaughter of 95-year-old Clare Nowland after he was called to Yallambee Lodge nursing home in Cooma in the state's south on May 17, 2023. White was sentenced to a two-year community order and 425 hours of community service, but the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing the sentence. The judgment will be given on July 30. Mrs Nowland was described as being a 'very aggressive' resident who was holding two knives by a nurse, but was holding only one knife and a penlight when White found her sitting in an office after 5am. He repeatedly told her to drop the blade during a confrontation that lasted less than three minutes. When she failed to drop it, White said 'bugger it' before tasering her: Ms Nowland died in hospital days later. White was found guilty of Mrs Nowland's manslaughter in November last year following a NSW Supreme Court trial. White is expected to learn whether prosecutors were successful in their bid to impose a harsher sentence on him, with the matter listed for judgment in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA). Cop didn't give Ms Nowland 'any real chance' The DPP's case hinges on four grounds of appeal, including the sentencing judge made several errors by assuming both parties agreed White honestly believed his conduct was necessary, in his assessment of objective seriousness, and in finding that general deterrence had 'little or no role' or only a 'minor' role to play in White's sentence. The sentence is 'manifestly inadequate', the final ground claims. Crown Prosecutor Sally Dowling SC last month argued White did not give Ms Nowland – clearly vulnerable and disoriented – any 'real chance to avoid being tasered'. Footage of the fatal incident made it clear Ms Nowland didn't understand or hear White's instructions, Ms Dowling told a CCA hearing. 'The respondent did not give her any real chance to avoid being tasered,' Ms Dowling said. '(There were) many alternate actions that he could have and should have taken.' Ms Nowland didn't advance towards White at any point, and needed to hold onto her walker with both hands, Ms Dowling said, which all fell under the Crown's appeal of objective seriousness. She told the court it took White less than three minutes after first seeing Mrs Nowland to deploy his taser, which caused her to immediately fall and hit her head. 'She never regained consciousness after that fall, and that injury caused her death seven days later,' Ms Dowling said. White's lawyer, Troy Edwards SC, rejected the Crown's claims that Mrs Nowland posed no threat, arguing it was inconsistent with observations of the sentencing judge and witnesses. He also urged the court not to place emphasis on footage from the incident, but to rely on the accounts of witnesses who he said felt frightened as the incident unfolded.
ABC News
16-07-2025
- ABC News
Inmate Dillon Mitcherson charged with escaping from Cooma Correctional Centre
An inmate has been charged with escaping from a correctional facility in southern New South Wales on Tuesday afternoon. Police were called to Cooma Correctional Centre about 4:30pm on Tuesday to investigate reports of an escapee. A manhunt to locate prisoner Dillon Mitcherson began that afternoon, with assistance from the police dog unit. The 28-year-old was arrested less than 1 kilometre away at a service station on Sharp Street in Cooma in the early hours of Wednesday morning, following an eight-hour search. The Western Sydney man was charged with an inmate escaping or attempting to escape from lawful custody and having goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen. He is due to face court on Wednesday. Cooma Correctional Centre is a minimum and medium-security prison located in the Snowy Monaro region of southern NSW.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Watch: Aussie tradie lucky to survive as ute hit by lightning while driving on rural road
Michael Sier is thanking his lucky stars that he's still alive today. The Aussie tradesman found himself stuck in the middle of a lightning storm as he drove home from a job on Sunday afternoon. Speaking to Yahoo News about potentially life-altering moment, he recalled how he'd just remarked to himself at how bad the weather conditions were on the rural road when he felt a thunderous bang inside his ute. "It just whacked the roof of the car, and I thought all four tires blew up, or an elephant landed on me," he said. Instead, the 57-year-old had just been struck by a bolt of lightning. Thankfully, Michael felt no electric shock, but he did start to smell smoke. His car horn started blaring, and all of the car's lights were now flashing. He dashed out of the ute, and the doors automatically locked as he stood outside in the elements. With all of his tools inside, he quickly smashed a window and frantically grabbed the equipment as smoke filled the car. "I then saw flames coming from the dash, and it was then that I started to panic a bit," he said. "It was just unbelievable." Within minutes, his ute was engulfed in flames. Michael watched on with his tools by his side, phoning the fire and rescue services in nearby Cooma, in New South Wales, for assistance. Standing on the rural road, Michael captured a video from his phone as his ute sat in flames nearby, sending thick, black smoke into the air. "Here's me old ute, struck by lightning", he can be heard saying in the footage. "She's about buggered." The NSW Rural Fire Service told Yahoo News eight firefighters and four firetrucks attended the scene, with the cause of the fire confirmed to be a lightning strike. "It was definitely lightning," Michel said. "Can't say I had any bombs on me at the time," he joked. 😲 Major weather event sees Aussie town overrun by 'rarely observed' phenomenon 🍻 Town longing for weekend sunshine after pub's campground forced to close ⚠️ Drivers warned of hidden killer on winter roads after horror crash Michael bought a lottery ticket the following morning, and is hoping to continue his lucky streak — since the odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 12,000, according to Australia Wide First Aid. "My wallet burned to cinder, that was still in the ute," he explained. "I never have cash in my wallet as well... there was at least a couple of hundred [dollars] in there." But overall, he is beyond relieved to have lived to tell the tale, confessing to Yahoo that the magnitude of the incident still hasn't sunk in yet. "Guess I've got to buy another bloody ute now," he joked. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Tradie's ute bursts into flames after lightning strike
Tradie Michael Sier is lucky to be alive after his ute was struck by a lightning in Cooma on Sunday. Oh, frighten the shit out of me. but she's about buggers.
