Latest news with #GosfordHotel
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Jaw-dropping moment police boss defends officers who bungled the initial stages of Audrey Griffin's murder investigation - as the teenage victim's parents reveal how they were forced to do the detective work
The top cop in NSW has defended detectives after Audrey Griffin's mother revealed she pleaded with them to make her daughter's murder a priority in the days after her body was found in a NSW creek. The 19-year-old was found dead at Erina Creek on the Central Coast on March 22 following a night out celebrating with friends at Gosford Hotel. An initial autopsy indicated the talented athlete had drowned. The report found no evidence of trauma or sexual assault, so detectives deemed the death misadventure. But Audrey's parents Kathleen Kirby and Trevor Griffith pushed for further investigations. Ms Kirby begged to be shown CCTV from the area, and it was only when they were then going through the footage did they notice a man who appeared to be following Audrey as she walked home from the hotel. A CCTV image was then released more than three weeks after Audrey's body had been found, prompting a woman to contact police and tell them the man looked like her ex-husband who had threatened her on the night Audrey died. Adrian Noel Torrens, 53, was then arrested and charged with murder following police catching him confessing to the murder while under surveillance. Days later he took his own life in Silverwater jail. Commissioner Karen Webb said on 60 Minutes on Sunday night that initial confusion over the cause of the 19-year-old's death was because there was so little evidence. She acknowledged police had mistakenly ruled Ms Griffin's death as 'misadventure' before her mother pleaded with officers to review security footage. 'That was based on the medical advice,' Ms Webb said. Commisioner Webb claimed that all that police had to go on was the report from the postmortem. '[It] didn't suggest any foul play. There's no evidence that she was strangled, there's no evidence that she was sexually assaulted and there's no evidence of trauma. 'So they really didn't have a lot to go on other than a postmortem that said misadventure.' She claimed officers had a 'cop instinct' and doggedly kept pursuing the case despite no details getting released to the media and Ms Kirby having to go into the station and push for the CCTV to be reviewed. The state's Homicide Squad detectives also remained sidelined from the case for a number of weeks, despite consultation from local detectives. Asked whether the case could have been better handled, Ms Webb said: 'Could this be better, more perfect? Yes. 'But, did we catch a killer? Yes.' Officers only identified Torrens after circulating a CCTV image of him via the media. Ms Webb conceded officers had trawled the CCTV vision from Gosford on the night of March 22 only after Audrey's mother pleaded with local police to have a look at it herself. Ms Kirby also said a friend of hers had spotted a suspicious man poking around the spot where Audrey was found at Erina Creek five days after she died, well before police reviewed the CCTV. 'A girlfriend of mine was driving to work at 5 o'clock in the morning, heading towards Sydney at the entrance road and sees a man at 5 a.m. in the morning with a red singlet and white shorts and a white stick poking around,' she said. The description was a match for what Torrens had been wearing on the night of Audrey's death. She added that she also noticed mud underneath Audrey's fingernails when identifying her, which further fueled her belief it was not misadventure. 'Well, they were going back through the CCTV [because] the mum obviously wanted us to do as much as we can,' Ms Webb said. She said Torrens' ex-partner's call identifying him as the man in the video was 'gold' for detectives. Ex-partner Michelle told the program she would have called police sooner about the threats mae against her if she had more faith in their ability to respond. It previously took police months to find him after he breached an AVO for him only to then be let out by the courts on a Community Corrections Order. 'We wouldn't be in this position, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you, Audrey wouldn't be dead if he had have been held in custody,' Commissioner Webb said. 'He should have been locked up. A Community Corrections Order for someone who has a violent history is no answer.' She argued 'soft' sentences should be reviewed. 'I can say as the police commissioner, I'm certainly frustrated because a get out of jail free card is no the answer for people like Torrens,' Ms Webb said. When police brought Torrens into custody, they called Kathleen and Trevor into the station. 'That moment where police tell you that they've arrested a man over your daughter's death, it was like she died again,' Mr Griffith said. 'So I said, "has he said that he's done anything to Audrey, and they said we haven't been able to speak to him yet because he's sleeping. But we have enough evidence",' Ms Kirby said. Both Mr Griffin and Ms Kirby said they had wanted more from the justice system. They couldn't believe Torrens – who has an extensive criminal history including theft, fraud, intimidation, drugs and AVO offences – had been in the community on a CCO. 'It's outrageous. It's outrageous that he can walk the streets after doing so many offences over the years,' Mr Kirby said. 'Why was he out? Why was he allowed out?' Ms Kirby asked. 'The government are too weak. And the justice system. It's as if they're breeding monsters,' Mr Griffin said.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Daily Mail
The full inside story of how teenage athlete Audrey Griffin's alleged killer Adrian Torres was spared jail months before she was murdered and he took his own life
The accused killer who allegedly murdered 19-year-old Audrey Griffin was spared jail for sinister offending just months before she was killed. The bombshell revelation came after Adrian Noel Torrens, 53, committed suicide while in custody three days after his arrest for allegedly murdering Ms Griffin. It can be revealed NSW Chief Magistrate Judge Michael Allen spared Torrens jail time when he pleaded guilty to domestic violence offending - instead imposing an 18-month community correction order. Judge Allen sentenced Torrens at Downing Centre Local Court on January 16 after he pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and contravening a domestic AVO in relation to his ex-partner. Torrens also had multiple listings before both Gosford Local Court and the Downing Centre for AVOs taken out to protect a woman believed to be his estranged wife. At the time of his death, Torrens was facing eleven charges other than murder. These included two counts of knowingly contravene an AVO for the third time in 28 days, knowingly contravene an AVO prohibition and eight charges of contravening an AVO. Torrens also had AVOs taken out against him by two different women, in 2018 and in 2014. NSW Chief Magistrate Judge Michael Allen (pictured) spared Torrens jail time in January for domestic violence offending Torrens was supposed to be serving Judge Allen's imposed court order when he allegedly murdered Ms Griffin on Sydney's Central Coast in March. Ms Griffin had spend a night celebrating with friends at the Gosford Hotel on the night of March 22. She left the pub at 2am and walked towards her father's house in Terrigal after unsuccessfully trying to get an Uber. Friends followed her movements via Snapchat's SnapMaps feature, a live tracker of a user's whereabouts, which can be seen by selected contacts. She also sent them two videos while walking home. Instead of arriving home, Ms Griffin crossed paths with Torrens. Police quietly investigated the alleged link between the pair in the weeks following Ms Griffin's death. They found Torrens' DNA under Ms Griffin's fingernails and discovered a mobile ping in the Erina Creek area on the same night from Torrens' phone. Torrens was found unresponsive in his cell at Silverwater Jail in Sydney 's west about 4.50pm on Thursday and couldn't be revived by paramedics and corrective services officers. Daily Mail Australia also revealed today the government department tasked with keeping Torrens alive so he can face trial for Ms Griffin's alleged murder sent condolences to people 'affected by his death'. A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said the death in custody had been reported to the state coroner and would be subject to a public inquest. 'Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police investigate all deaths in custody regardless of the circumstances,' she said in a statement. 'Corrective Services NSW extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Audrey Griffin at this distressing time. But in a statement, the department also stated it 'sends condolences to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by Mr Torrens' death. Daily Mail Australia understands that it is standard procedure for the department to send condolence messages whenever an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person dies in custody, despite the crimes they may have committed. The statement came just hours after Ms Griffin's family was advised of his death as hundreds attended a beach vigil in her memory on Thursday night. Torrens was arrested in Sydney on Monday – a month after Ms Griffin's body was found in Erina Creek on the NSW Central Coast. Her death was not initially deemed suspicious because a preliminary autopsy indicated she had drowned. Last week, detectives published Torrens' image in a public appeal to locate him. Torrens admitted killing the 19-year-old to an associate not long after in a phone call obtained by police. 'Why did I do it? I don't know, I do not, I just f***ing clicked and I have no reason for my actions, I just did it man,' Torrens said in the call, according to the Daily Telegraph. 'I was so f***ed up, you know I was awake for four or five f***ing days, and I just did it.' In another call, Torrens said: 'I killed someone about a month ago and now they're looking for me'. Another witness told police they recognised Torrens in the CCTV, and that he had told them 'he left her body in the mangroves'. Following this week's arrest, detectives were set to allege Torrens assaulted Ms Griffin - with blows to the face - and knocked her unconscious in the shallow creek; or that he held her underwater to kill her. Many Australians were outraged by the police force's initial suggestion that Ms Griffin's death was 'not suspicious.' On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Brisbane Water Police District said investigators wanted to provide answers for the family and the community following the four week investigation. 'This has not sat well with us as investigators from the outset and that's why we stood up the strike-force,' the spokesperson said. 'There has been a number of lines of inquiry leading up to the arrest yesterday but, significantly, on Friday morning, we received information which transferred the case to a homicide investigation.' Ms Griffin's mother Kathleen Kirby told Daily Mail Australia this week that she 'just wanted justice' for her young daughter. She said her daughter was a fit, intelligent and beautiful young woman who 'had the world at her feet'. Ms Kirby said the pair exchanged messages while she was in Gosford, and she told daughter she was proud of her and loved her very much. News of Torrens' death came just hours after hundreds of mourners gathered to celebrate Ms Griffin's life at Terrigal Beach near her home. In the evening, loved ones, strangers, teammates and detectives flooded the beach dressed in white. Ms Kirby told the crowd sunset was Ms Griffin's favourite time of day. 'My heart is full. As full as it can be right now,' she told Nine News. 'We need change, we need a lot of change.' Her daughter's friend Anna Jenkins added: 'Anyone should be able to walk home at night and not be worried when they do that.' At twilight, the gathering paused in silence to remember the 19-year-old. Family and friends described Ms Griffin was a 'determined athlete, talented student and well-liked teenager'. A fortnight before her death, the popular and sporty teenager had travelled to New Zealand to compete in the gruelling ANZCO half-ironman event, which she completed in just over six-and-a-half hours. She was also preparing to begin a 10-week officer training course in April with the Royal Australian Navy after visiting Japan earlier this year. Ms Griffin was visiting the Central Coast - where she grew up - to see her grandparents and invite her friends to a farewell party in Sydney the next weekend. 'She was the kindest soul to walk this earth and will always be in our hearts,' a GoFundMe for her family said. Anti-violence against women campaigner Sherele Moody posted on social media 'there'll be no justice for Audrey Griffin' after Torrens' death. 'Like every single woman, 19-year-old Audrey had had every right to walk the street at anytime of day or night without some thug killing her,' Ms Moody posted. 'She had every right to live a long life full of peace and happiness.' 'She had every right to not be a victim of femicide. Male violence is an epidemic in Australia - we can't even have a night out without being killed.' A spokesman for NSW Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said thoughts were with those who knew Ms Griffin. 'The minister for corrections acknowledges this very difficult time for the family and loved ones of Audrey Griffin, noting this case will now not be able to be prosecuted through the courts,' he said. For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Outrage as government department sends out tone-deaf sympathy message for alleged killer who died in custody days after teen's murder
The government department tasked with keeping the accused killer of a 19-year-old woman alive so he can face trial for her alleged murder has sent condolences to people 'affected by his death'. The disgraceful message from Corrective Services NSW came after Adrian Noel Torrens, 53, died in custody three days after his arrest for allegedly murdering 19-year-old Audrey Griffin. Torrens was found unresponsive in his cell at Silverwater Jail in Sydney 's west about 4.50pm on Thursday and couldn't be revived by paramedics and corrective services officers. Police are not treating his death as suspicious. A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said the death in custody had been reported to the state coroner and would be subject to a public inquest. 'Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police investigate all deaths in custody regardless of the circumstances,' she said in a statement. 'Corrective Services NSW extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Audrey Griffin at this distressing time. But in a tone-deaf statement, the department also stated it 'sends condolences to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by Mr Torrens' death.' The statement came just hours after Ms Griffin's family was advised of his death as hundreds attended a beach vigil in her memory on Thursday night. Torrens was arrested in Sydney on Monday – a month after Ms Griffin's body was found in Erina Creek on the NSW Central Coast. Her death was not initially deemed suspicious because a preliminary autopsy indicated she had drowned. Last week, detectives published Torrens' image in a public appeal to locate him. Torrens admitted killing the 19-year-old to an associate not long after in a phone call obtained by police. Another witness told police they recognised Torrens in the CCTV, and that he had told them 'he left her body in the mangroves'. Torrens was on a court order when he allegedly murdered Ms Griffin on Sydney's Central Coast in March. Ms Griffin had spend a night celebrating with friends at the Gosford Hotel on the night of March 22. She left the pub at 2am and walked towards her father's house in Terrigal after unsuccessfully trying to get an Uber. Friends followed her movements via Snapchat's SnapMaps feature, a live tracker of a user's whereabouts, which can be seen by selected contacts. She also sent them two videos while walking home. Instead of arriving home, Ms Griffin crossed paths with Torrens. Police quietly investigated the alleged link between the pair in the weeks following Ms Griffin's death. They found Torrens' DNA under Ms Griffin's fingernails and discovered a mobile ping in the Erina Creek area on the same night from Torrens' phone. Following this week's arrest, detectives were set to allege Torrens attacked Ms Griffin in the face and knocked her unconscious in the shallow creek – or that he held her underwater to kill her. Many Australians were outraged by police's initial ruling that Ms Griffin's death was 'not suspicious.' On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Brisbane Water Police District said investigators wanted to provide answers for the family and the community following the four week investigation. 'This has not sat well with us as investigators from the outset and that's why we stood up the strike-force,' the spokesperson said. 'There has been a number of lines of inquiry leading up to the arrest yesterday but, significantly, on Friday morning, we received information which transferred the case to a homicide investigation.' Ms Griffin's mother Kathleen Kirby told Daily Mail Australia this week that she 'just wanted justice' for her young daughter. She said her daughter was a fit, intelligent and beautiful young woman who 'had the world at her feet'. Ms Kirby said the pair exchanged messages while she was in Gosford, and she told daughter she was proud of her and loved her very much. News of Torrens' death came just hours after hundreds of mourners gathered to celebrate Ms Griffin's life at Terrigal Beach near her home. In the evening, loved ones, strangers, teammates and detectives flooded the beach dressed in white. Ms Kirby told the crowd sunset was Ms Griffin's favourite time of day. 'My heart is full. As full as it can be right now,' she told 9News. 'We need change, we need a lot of change.' Her daughter's friend Anna Jenkins added: 'Anyone should be able to walk home at night and not be worried when they do that.' At twilight, the gathering paused in silence to remember the 19-year-old. Family and friends described Ms Griffin was a 'determined athlete, talented student and well-liked teenager'. A fortnight before her death, the popular and sporty teenager had travelled to New Zealand to compete in the gruelling ANZCO half-ironman event, which she completed in just over six-and-a-half hours. She was also preparing to begin a 10-week officer training course in April with the Royal Australian Navy after visiting Japan earlier this year. Ms Griffin was visiting the Central Coast - where she grew up - to see her grandparents and invite her friends to a farewell party in Sydney the next weekend. 'She was the kindest soul to walk this earth and will always be in our hearts,' a GoFundMe for her family said. Anti-violence against women campaigner Sherele Moody posted on social media 'there'll be no justice for Audrey Griffin' after Torrens' death. 'Like every single woman, 19-year-old Audrey had had every right to walk the street at anytime of day or night without some thug killing her,' Ms Moody posted. 'She had every right to live a long life full of peace and happiness.' 'She had every right to not be a victim of femicide. Male violence is an epidemic in Australia - we can't even have a night out without being killed.' A spokesman for NSW Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said thoughts were with those who knew Ms Griffin. 'The minister for corrections acknowledges this very difficult time for the family and loved ones of Audrey Griffin, noting this case will now not be able to be prosecuted through the courts,' he said. For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
News.com.au
22-04-2025
- News.com.au
‘Devastated': Horrific details, photos emerge in athlete's murder case
Police have revealed horrific new details surrounding the alleged murder of much-loved teen athlete Audrey Griffin. The local NSW Central Coast community has been rocked by the tragic case since the 19-year-old's body was found partially submerged in the Erina Creek near The Entrance Rd, Erina, on The Central Coast at about 3.45pm on Monday, March 24. The investigation into her death took a dramatic turn over Easter with NSW police arresting 53-year-old Adrian Noel Torrens in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Surry Hills at about 12.20pm on Monday. He has been charged with her murder and 11 other unrelated domestic violence matters. Griffin had been reported missing only a few hours before her body was found with her friends last seeing the 19-year-old at about 2am on a night out at the Gosford Hotel. Initial inquiries led police to believe the death wasn't suspicious. Police will now allege Torrens had a physical altercation with the teenager. Extraordinary details of the allegations police are set to make emerged on Tuesday with The Daily Telegraph first reporting bombshell details about the 48-hour period that broke the investigation wide open, including: — Police believe Griffin did not know Torrens before her death. — Police will allege Griffin tried to fight Torrens off after he followed her as she was walking home from a night out with friends. — Police will allege Griffin scratched Torrens during the alleged incident, collecting some of his DNA under her fingernails. — Police will allege Torrens struck the left side of Griffin's face and knocked her unconscious, causing her to drown, or held her underwater. — A witness living near Erina Creek told investigators she heard a high-pitched scream around 3am the night of Griffin's death. The witness is reported to have dismissed the noise under the assumption it was a fox. — Police will allege Torrens' phone 'pinged' at 2.43am that morning near where Griffin's body was discovered. Police have released footage of Torrens' arrest. Torrens is from the glamorous harbour-side Sydney suburb of Milson's Point. Court documents revealed he had been charged with several counts of contravening an AVO over the past month that is unrelated to Griffin's death. He was refused bail and his matter was briefly heard in the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday. He will remain in custody until his next court date on May 6. Police on Thursday, April 17, first released a photo of a man they believed may have had information to assist with their inquiries. The man was seen in the area at the time of Griffin's death. Police said the man is not thought to have had any involvement in Griffin's death, but may have been able to provide new information. Police now allege they received 'significant information' the day after the photo was released. According to Brisbane Water police commander superintendent Darryl Jobson — who spoke with reporters on Tuesday — the information 'changed the nature of the investigation from a coronial matter to a homicide'. Jobson said he could not confirm where the new information had come from other than to say it was provided by 'other sources' following the public appeal. Jobson told reporters: 'This is a matter that has not sat well with us from the very start. 'For a 19-year old woman to meet her death in a creek was very unsettling for us, because we want the answers. 'These are the types of cases where police want answers, because families want answers. 'There is a ripple effect that goes through [the] community, [the] community are feeling it, and I must say first responders also feel it.' He said his heart 'goes out' to Griffin's family. He went on to say the family is 'understandably devastated'. Her death rocked the local community, who remembered her as a 'beautiful girl' who was 'treasured by a lot of people'. 'She touched the hearts of so many people and always had a smile,' a friend penned on social media. 'Her laugh was contagious and her goofy self always made us laugh. 'I'm sure many of you have so many beautiful memories, photos and videos of her, I would love to eventually see them all. 'Audrey you are truly loved by so many people.' The teenager was a gifted triathlete, taking part in the ANZCO Foods half Ironman competition in New Zealand a few weeks before her death, finishing 23rd in her age group classification. She was a member of the Terrigal Sharks Rugby League Club and Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club, and was a former vice-captain of Central Coast Sports College.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Albanese leads Pope Francis tributes, 12-year-old girl dies riding e-scooter, Russia question Labor won't answer
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Tuesday. Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led tributes for the leader of the Catholic Church, saying he was "close to the people of Australia". A 12-year-old girl has died while riding an e-scooter. Police believe she fell into the road before colliding with a passing car. Labor continues to dodge questions on whether Russia did in fact request to base military aircraft in Indonesia. Defence Minister Richard Marles refused to declare if the Albanese government has been informed of such a development after the prime minister did the same earlier on Monday. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. A man has been charged with the murder of beloved 19-year-old Audrey Griffin a month after her remains were discovered in a NSW Central Coast creek. The body of the teenager was found partially submerged in the Erina Creek near The Entrance Rd, Erina, on the Central Coast at about 3.45pm on Monday, March 24. She had been reported missing only a few hours earlier, with her friends last seeing the 19-year-old at about 2am on a night out at the Gosford Hotel. Initial inquiries led police to believe the death wasn't suspicious. However after further investigation, police arrested a 53-year-old man in Surry Hills at about 12.20pm on Monday. He has been charged with murder and 11 other unrelated domestic violence matters. Police will allege the man had a physical altercation with the teenager. He was refused bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday. Ms Griffin's death rocked the local community, who remembered her as a 'beautiful girl' who was 'treasured by a lot of people'. 'She touched the hearts of so many people and always had a smile,' a friend penned on social media. - NCA NewsWire It's the simple question Labor is refusing to answer. Did Russia make a request to position military aircraft in Indonesia? Prime Minister Anthony Albanese repeatedly dodged that question on Monday morning and now Defence Minister Richard Marles has followed his lead, saying he wouldn't "get into it". It is of course the possibility that Labor doesn't actually know the answer to that question but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says if that's the case, it should just simply be said. Marles argued however it was not Labor's position to be declaring such information. "What we know about that is not something I'm going to ventilate in the public domain, nor am I going to comment on it," he told Sky News. 'What matters is the assurance that Indonesia has provided to us, which they did, with great speed when we reached out and that was to assure us that there was no prospect of Russian aircraft operating from their soil.' High school student Summah Richards has been remembered for having a smile that could light up a room. Summah, 12, was riding her e-scooter in the quiet town of Laidley in rural Queensland before a tragic collision took her life about 3pm on Saturday. According to police, initial investigations indicated that both vehicles were travelling south on Vaux Street and around 3pm the rider of the scooter fell into the path of a grey Holden Barina on Vaux Street. Police said Summah was declared dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the Holden Barina were not injured. Investigations are ongoing. Stacey Ardrey, the best friend of Summah's mother, has remembered Summah as 'a remarkable young girl with such a vibrant spirit'. Read more from NCA NewsWire here. Pope Francis has been remembered as a leader who was determined to be with the people until the end as millions of Australian Catholics mourn the pontiff's passing. The 88-year-old's death on Monday after a recent serious battle with double pneumonia was marked by tolling church bells and preparations for scores of memorial masses for the Catholic leader. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president and Perth archbishop Tim Costelloe reflected on images taken just hours before the Pope's death, when Francis made a public appearance at St Peter's Square. "Even though he was so sick, and so weak, he was determined to be with his people," Archbishop Costelloe told ABC Radio National on Tuesday. "And I think being with his people, being present to his people, was probably the great gift that he brought to the church and to the world." Many mourners attended early masses at local cathedrals following the Pope's passing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is Catholic, said the major party leaders had agreed to dial back election campaigning on Tuesday as a sign of respect. He attended mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne on a rainy Tuesday morning, when he was greeted by the cathedral's dean, Monsignor Stuart Hall. The Pope's death could also prove a turning point in Australia's relationship with the Vatican after Francis overlooked local archbishops when selecting the nation's sole cardinal in December. Cardinal Mykola Bychok said he was filled with sadness for the loss of a "pope of peace" and a man of simple piety. Read more here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A man has been charged with the murder of beloved 19-year-old Audrey Griffin a month after her remains were discovered in a NSW Central Coast creek. The body of the teenager was found partially submerged in the Erina Creek near The Entrance Rd, Erina, on the Central Coast at about 3.45pm on Monday, March 24. She had been reported missing only a few hours earlier, with her friends last seeing the 19-year-old at about 2am on a night out at the Gosford Hotel. Initial inquiries led police to believe the death wasn't suspicious. However after further investigation, police arrested a 53-year-old man in Surry Hills at about 12.20pm on Monday. He has been charged with murder and 11 other unrelated domestic violence matters. Police will allege the man had a physical altercation with the teenager. He was refused bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday. Ms Griffin's death rocked the local community, who remembered her as a 'beautiful girl' who was 'treasured by a lot of people'. 'She touched the hearts of so many people and always had a smile,' a friend penned on social media. - NCA NewsWire It's the simple question Labor is refusing to answer. Did Russia make a request to position military aircraft in Indonesia? Prime Minister Anthony Albanese repeatedly dodged that question on Monday morning and now Defence Minister Richard Marles has followed his lead, saying he wouldn't "get into it". It is of course the possibility that Labor doesn't actually know the answer to that question but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says if that's the case, it should just simply be said. Marles argued however it was not Labor's position to be declaring such information. "What we know about that is not something I'm going to ventilate in the public domain, nor am I going to comment on it," he told Sky News. 'What matters is the assurance that Indonesia has provided to us, which they did, with great speed when we reached out and that was to assure us that there was no prospect of Russian aircraft operating from their soil.' High school student Summah Richards has been remembered for having a smile that could light up a room. Summah, 12, was riding her e-scooter in the quiet town of Laidley in rural Queensland before a tragic collision took her life about 3pm on Saturday. According to police, initial investigations indicated that both vehicles were travelling south on Vaux Street and around 3pm the rider of the scooter fell into the path of a grey Holden Barina on Vaux Street. Police said Summah was declared dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the Holden Barina were not injured. Investigations are ongoing. Stacey Ardrey, the best friend of Summah's mother, has remembered Summah as 'a remarkable young girl with such a vibrant spirit'. Read more from NCA NewsWire here. Pope Francis has been remembered as a leader who was determined to be with the people until the end as millions of Australian Catholics mourn the pontiff's passing. The 88-year-old's death on Monday after a recent serious battle with double pneumonia was marked by tolling church bells and preparations for scores of memorial masses for the Catholic leader. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president and Perth archbishop Tim Costelloe reflected on images taken just hours before the Pope's death, when Francis made a public appearance at St Peter's Square. "Even though he was so sick, and so weak, he was determined to be with his people," Archbishop Costelloe told ABC Radio National on Tuesday. "And I think being with his people, being present to his people, was probably the great gift that he brought to the church and to the world." Many mourners attended early masses at local cathedrals following the Pope's passing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is Catholic, said the major party leaders had agreed to dial back election campaigning on Tuesday as a sign of respect. He attended mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne on a rainy Tuesday morning, when he was greeted by the cathedral's dean, Monsignor Stuart Hall. The Pope's death could also prove a turning point in Australia's relationship with the Vatican after Francis overlooked local archbishops when selecting the nation's sole cardinal in December. Cardinal Mykola Bychok said he was filled with sadness for the loss of a "pope of peace" and a man of simple piety. Read more here.
