Latest news with #Purton
1News
01-07-2025
- 1News
Australian man who hit mother-of-four with car 'left her to die'
A mother-of-four was "left to die" after being hit by a car driven by her on-and-off partner who then lied to police to try to divert them from the scene. Jacqui Purton was killed in the early hours of March 13, 2023 on the gravel driveway of a rural property in southern Tasmania. She was struck by a Holden Commodore driven by James Kenneth Austin, who was initially charged with murder but recently pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. The pair had been in an on-and-off-again relationship, and 40-year-old Austin was the subject of a family violence order stipulating he not abuse, threaten or assault Purton. Purton, 37, was at the Campania property, belonging to Austin's parents, when an argument between the pair over accusations of infidelity broke out. ADVERTISEMENT Purton called triple zero and a non-emergency police number before walking down the property's 500m-long driveway to leave, the Supreme Court of Tasmania was told on Monday. Austin struck her with the car at a speed of 20-30km/h, got out of the vehicle and went back to the house. He then returned to the car and put Purton in the back seat before driving back up to the house. An autopsy revealed Purton suffered significant injuries consistent with being run over and that she would have died "rapidly" after being struck. Crown prosecutor Heather Denton said Purton would have seen and heard Austin coming. "He did aim at her with a view of scaring her. They both thought each other would move and then neither did in time," Denton said. Austin lied to police and paramedics, Denton said, initially telling them Purton had left the property and that another man had hit her. ADVERTISEMENT "[He] hit her and left her to die [and] tried to divert police away from the property," Denton said. Austin had amphetamines in his system at the time and had been drinking earlier in the night. He had previously threatened to kill Purton and had earlier driven a car at her when she tried to leave the property, Denton said. Purton's mother Leanne Walford said her family had been left devastated and with unanswered questions. "Jacqui died alone on a dark lonely road. Was she terrified? Why wasn't she able to leave like she planned?" Walford told the court. "My daughter was a crime scene and a case file. To me she was my everything." One of Purton's sisters Jenna said she was strong, loyal and protective. ADVERTISEMENT Her daughter Shakira said she was a beautiful, free spirit and the "glue" of the family. "She was the only parent we ever knew. The one person we knew would always show up," she said. Austin, who has been in jail since Purton's death, was expected to be sentenced on Thursday.
BBC News
21-06-2025
- BBC News
Man in his 60s dies in 'severe' house fire in Purton
A man in his 60s has died following a house fire in the early hours of Saturday, Wiltshire Police has force said it was called by the fire service after a blaze broke out at an address on The Pry, Purton, Wiltshire, just before 04:00 BST. Firefighters had removed the man from the house but despite medical attention, he was declared dead at the scene, police force says it is working with the fire service to investigate the incident and establish the cause of the fire. Specialist officers Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to a "severe fire in a house annexe".The service said six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used three hose reel jets and two main jets to extinguish the say the man's next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist with information is urged to get in contact with the force.
7NEWS
20-06-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Peter Moody and jockey Zac Purton to join greats in Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Legendary Black Caviar trainer Peter Moody is about to be inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Moody will be officially recognised in August for his feats with the sprint champion who famously went unbeaten from 25 starts and amassed $7,953,936 in prizemoney. But it's not just about Black Caviar, with Moody also having great success with Typhoon Tracy, Dissident and Incentivise. He will join other star trainers in the Hall of Fame such as contemporaries Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller, and legends from yesteryear such as Bart Cummings, Tommy TJ Smith and Arthur 'Scobie' Breasley. Needless to say, he will also join Black Caviar who had the rare honour of being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013 while still an 'active competitor'. 'It's an absolute honour when you look at the trainers who have come before me and no doubt those who will follow,'' Moody said. 'To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, to be recognised in this way is probably the highlight of my career, to be quite honest.'' NSW superstar and seven-time Hong Kong Jockeys' Champion, Zac Purton, will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame, as will former and highly respected broadcaster Johnny Tapp. Purton is a Caulfield Cup and Doncaster Handicap winner, but it's his work in Hong Kong that is truly remarkable. He has won all four of Hong Kong's major international races, and he has won the Hong Kong Derby twice. Throughout his career he has guided across the line 2800 winners with 47 of those at Group 1 level. He will join his father-in-law Jim Cassidy in the Jockey section of Hall of Fame, while Tapp — who has been in the racing game for more than six decades — enters the Hall of Fame in the Associate category. 'It means a lot to me to be recognised by my peers ... it is very humbling,'' Purton said. 'I've been away from Australia for so long but I have been flying the Aussie flag in Hong Kong. 'Most of the world's leading jockeys and trainers aspire to be successful in Hong Kong so being able to prove myself on the world stage was important to me. 'It would have been easier to stay in Australia but I felt it was more of a challenge for me take on the world, so to speak.'' The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in Queensland on August 31 as part of the Australian Racehorse of the Year awards. Champion horses Hydrogen (from the 1950s) and Mahogany (1990s) will also be given Hall of Fame status. Mahogany won the Victoria Derby, the AJC Derby and the Australian and Caulfield Guineas, while Hydrogen saluted in the Cox Plate in 1952 and 1953. ''The Australian Racing Hall Of Fame is a testament to those who achieved the pinnacle in the sport and the calibre of this year's inductees is nothing short of remarkable,' Australia's Hall Of Fame chair Jason Scott said.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Nine-week Thames Water leak is still not fixed - despite it losing '900 litres per hour'
A water leak at a man's garden has not been fixed for nine weeks, despite pumping out '900 litres an hour', the resident has claimed. Lawrence Walker, 69, said the leak in his garden comes from the neighbouring property and has wasted thousands of litres of water since it started. Mr Walker claims that Thames Water sent out an employee to check the leak and they found that it was gushing out '900 litres of water per hour'. This means that since the leak began, it can be estimated around 13,600 litres of water have already been wasted. Mr Walker, of Purton, Wiltshire, said: 'The issue is we own our property, which is where the water is coming down to, but the issue originates in our neighbour's property, which is owned by Green Square. 'Because of this, Thames Water are unable to do anything as they need permission from the neighbours and Green Square. 'It has been nine weeks since this started, and I just want it to get sorted. I will even pay for it!' He went on: 'The neighbours are completely fine with work being done, but Green Square and Thames Water just aren't doing anything. 'The worker who came out said that they cannot just turn the water off as it is on a three-house supply, and it is illegal to just cut off water to someone's property. 'Thames Water said they will contact Green Square, but we have not heard anything since.' Water from the patio doors trickles all the way down to the far end of the garden. To manage the flow, bricks have been removed to direct the water onto the lawn, which is now turning muddy and difficult to walk across. Mr Walker mentioned that although he's eager to have the leak repaired, he's currently making use of the excess water to keep his plant pots well watered. Since retiring, Lawrence and his wife have carefully cultivated their garden into a relaxing summer haven, featuring a wooden pergola, vibrant flowerbeds, two bird-filled aviaries, and a bespoke bar area. A spokesperson from GreenSquareAccord said: 'We are aware of a water leak affecting one of our customers and their neighbour at Reids Place, Purton. 'On Friday 25 April, we arranged for a contractor to visit our customer's home and investigate the source of the leak, which it was determined had originated outside of our customer's home. 'We are working with our customer to arrange a convenient appointment to investigate this further and we're committed to working with Thames Water to resolve this.' Thames Water has just finished dealing with another major leak in the Swindon area, which lasted for four days, causing many homes and businesses to be without water. Thames Water was approached by MailOnline for comment.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Zac Purton ‘excited' about potential world series, but HKJC not keen to play host
Zac Purton hopes the potential formation of a global competition for elite jockeys will bring the sport in front of a new audience and drive the industry forward, however the Hong Kong Jockey Club has confirmed it does not intend to host a leg of the proposed 'world series'. The most successful jockey Hong Kong has seen, Purton is in line to be one of the stars of the global competition, which could also feature the likes of James McDonald, Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and Yutaka Take. Hong Kong-based Vincent Ho Chak-yiu is also on the list alongside Irad Ortiz Jnr, Joao Moreira, William Buick, Christophe Lemaire, Mickael Barzalona and Flavien Prat. Devised by former Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson and ex-Entain Australia deputy chief Lachlan Fitt, the series could have events in the United States, the Middle East, Asia and the United Kingdom, but it's unlikely to be seen in Hong Kong. 'The club is aware of the proposal. It is not our intention to participate as a host of a race meeting,' the Jockey Club said in a statement. It's been touted the series will have a prize pool of US$15 million and jockeys will operate their own franchises as team principals. Whether Purton gets the all-clear to take part as a jockey remains to be seen, but he is excited by the concept nonetheless. 'To be honest, it's probably hit the press a bit sooner than we'd have liked,' said Purton. 'Everything is still in its infancy but it's very exciting – it's a strong list of jockeys from all corners of the world. 'We're going to need the support of the jockey clubs and we'll need to find some sponsors. Ultimately, we're hoping we can help grow and drive the industry while bringing in a new audience. 'For me personally, it's going to be up to the Hong Kong Jockey Club as to whether I can ride in it or not. At the end of the day, I'm contracted to them and whatever decision they come to I'll accept. 'If I can't ride in it, I can still be team principal in it and that puts me in a position where I can choose another jockey to compete. 'I think racing has done a pretty poor job in many respects about promoting the sport and getting a new, younger audience into it. 'I think it will be exciting to be able to be like Formula One and LIV Golf, and take teams around the globe to new locations and build the brand. 'There's still a lot of water to flow under the bridge and some things to iron out, but we're all passionate about it and excited to try and drive it forward and make it happen. I think it's good for the sport but time will tell.' Racing has hit the mainstream again in recent weeks with the new Netflix show Race For The Crown, which is centred around some of the participants of last year's US Triple Crown, proving very popular. Irad Ortiz Jnr, who is touted for the new jockey series, features in the Netflix documentary and Purton thinks something similar could work in Hong Kong. 'I've always thought Hong Kong would be a great place to do a series because we have a set amount of jockeys, trainers, horses and tracks – plus we all live next to the track,' said Purton. 'It would be so easy to get a lot of content, but it hasn't happened until now with this new racing series on Netflix. We'd be able to take some cameras around with us and create a series for TV as we went. 'I know all the jockeys from Asia, Australia and the UK, but I'm not familiar with US racing at all really so it'll be good to meet and get to know Irad. 'It would be good to see all the personalities over there and they've just had the Netflix series come out and I found that really interesting.'
