Latest news with #SarahLinton
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Coronial inquest finds shark shield would not have saved Steven Payne from shark attack off WA coast
A shark deterrent device is "very unlikely" to have prevented a fatal great white attack off WA's south coast, a coronial inquest has found. Steven Jeffrey Payne, 37, owned a repellent device but was not wearing it when he was taken by a great white shark while surfing at Wharton Beach, around 80 kilometres east of Esperance, in March this year. In her findings, Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton said the device Mr Payne owned, Shark Banz, was not subsided by the WA government. "In the circumstances of this attack, where it appears the shark attacked at high speed from some distance (a natural predatory behaviour for great white sharks), I understand it is very unlikely any device would be effective to prevent the attack," she said. Mr Payne and his partner Catherine, who were from Victoria, were one month into a six-month caravan trip when the attack occurred. The couple had previously visited Granites Beach in South Australia where there was a fatal shark attack in January. Catherine told police she and Mr Payne had made a joint decision not to surf at that location but thought WA waters would be safer. 'The risk of surfing at Esperance was the same as at Granites Beach,' Coroner Linton said. 'The sharks that are seen at Granites are likely to be the same sharks that are seen in the waters off Esperance, where there had been a number of recent shark attacks before Steve's death.' Prior to Mr Payne's death, there had been three fatal shark attacks off Esperance since 2017. "I understand that Steve was aware generally that there is always a low risk of shark attack when out surfing in the ocean off the Australian coastline," Coroner Linton said. Mr Payne and two other surfers were sitting on their boards waiting for a wave, 60 metres from the shore, when the attack occurred around midday on March 10. "The water was clear and smooth and everything seemed calm when, without warning, a large great white shark appeared in the water behind Steve and attacked him," Coroner Linton said. Catherine, who was reading a book on the beach at the time, described trying to enter the water whilst yelling "shark" and warning people to move to the shore, without initially realising it was her partner who had been attacked. The two other surfers said Mr Payne did not not make a sound and would have died in seconds. Mr Payne's surfboard, which had visible shark bites, was recovered from the water, and after a two-day search, his surf hat, pieces of his wetsuit and a piece of his board were found on the shore. His remains were never recovered. Ms Linton said she hoped it was a "very small comfort to Catherine and Steve's family that he died almost instantaneously" as a result of his injuries. According to the Australian Shark Incident Database (ASID) there have been 1285 shark incidents recorded since 1791. ASID found just six of those attacked were wearing a shark deterrent device and in five out of the six incidences the shark was "provoked". The state government introduced the $200 subsidy scheme in 2017, and offers the money on purchases of three different shark deterrent devices. More than 9,400 have accessed the subsidy so far.
ABC News
05-08-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
WA government must ensure adequate funding improvements in domestic violence response
Lynn Cannon's murder at the hands of her estranged husband was among the most shocking instances of domestic violence in WA in recent years. The 51-year-old was stabbed to death nearly three years ago, after her former husband learned she had a new partner and "reacted aggressively". Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton yesterday found police had been too slow to act on information provided by Lynn's family, but acknowledged a range of systemic pressures working against them. Because, for all the ways Lynn was failed, Ms Linton made clear this was about more than one woman. The family and domestic violence (FDV) system in WA had let Lynn down in ways that could result in the deaths of more women, if changes were not made, she concluded. At the heart of it, she said, was how Western Australia, as a state, and each Western Australian, responds to domestic violence. "Every person in the community has a role to play in putting an end to family and domestic violence," she wrote. Ms Linton quoted three sentiments every citizen must "be able to say with confidence" to ensure they are playing their part: Those ideas came straight from the state's System Reform Plan — a map for how domestic violence experts and the government would like to see the sector change over the next four years. It is a bold plan that has been welcomed by those leading the sector. But Ms Linton has reminded the government that it is not only the community that needs to change in line with that plan — it is also those holding the state's purse strings. "I wish to add my support to the need for the implementation of the reform plan to be fully funded," she wrote. "And it must include ensuring that there is ongoing sustainable funding for the government and non-government specialist support services that not only provide crisis support to victim-survivors, but also ongoing support and advocacy. "They are often left at the end of the line when funding is allocated, as they do not have the same presence as the larger government agencies. "But their work on the ground, providing immediate assistance and an ongoing support network to victim-survivors, is vital." The coroner specifically threw her weight behind the calls of Alison Evans, the head of peak body Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing, for an "immediate significant funding uplift in frontline areas". "Along with analysis to determine the unmet demand in family and domestic violence crisis response, recovery, and healing with a view to developing a pathway to fund ongoing demand on a sustainable basis," she concluded. That focus on funding is important for a number of reasons. The first is that services are already struggling to cope with demand, at a time when we know domestic violence is severely under-reported. In a statement, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Jessica Stojkovski said the Labor government had invested more than $500 million in support and prevention efforts since 2017. She said the government had increased refuge capacity by 41 per cent, with more in the pipeline. Yet, support services remain overloaded. If wider efforts to improve the system and encourage more people to seek help are successful, demand will only grow. Secondly, the reforms require — and rely on — better information sharing between the variety of organisations involved in family and domestic violence. The information an individual organisation can provide might be useful, but it is exponentially more valuable when combined to create a full picture of the risks facing a victim-survivor. A similar finding was made as part of WA Police's review of the Floreat double murder-suicide. That information seemingly did not exist in Lynn's case because it does not appear she had reached out to any support services. Instead, police were relying on what they had heard from her family, which, as the coroner noted, may not be the complete picture because "a victim-survivor's support network may not know how to report incidents when they are not the victim". But that information is critical in allowing police to properly respond to the some 60,000 family and domestic violence calls they receive each year — a process they have improved, and have committed to improve further. "While [police] still believe they made the right choices on the night, based upon the information before them, they appeared to agree that more information may have led to different choices," Ms Linton wrote. An improved family and domestic violence system that better supports victim-survivors would attract more information, which could be useful for police in making better assessments. That information would be particularly valuable for making accurate risk assessments during what evidence shows is the highest-risk period for victim-survivors: after they have dared to leave their partner. But collecting and sharing that information takes time and resources, and so requires properly funded services. None of the work the government has promised to do, or which the FDV sector has called on them to do for a long time, is a mystery yet to be worked out. "Research indicates that intimate partner homicides are predictable and thereby, preventable, as very few happen without warning signs," Coroner Linton found. That point is a clear message that protecting victim-survivors from further harm is not some idealistic dream to be realised some day in the distant future. It is an aim within our reach. But realising it requires immediate, meaningful action, both from our governments and the community.
ABC News
05-08-2025
- ABC News
Coronial inquest findings handed down into murder of Perth woman Lynn Cannon
Police failed to act quickly enough on the escalating risk posed by an estranged husband to his wife Lynn Cannon, who he brutally stabbed to death after she went to his Perth home to sign some papers, a coronial inquest has found. Paul Cannon stabbed the mother-of-two to death in Landsdale, north of Perth, in December 2022, a day after he found out she had a new partner. A coronial inquest into the 51-year-old's death did not find any individual police officer's conduct caused or contributed directly to Ms Cannon's death, but rather that staff involved in the case failed to recognise the risk Cannon posed to her safety. If you need help immediately call emergency services on 000. "I acknowledge that the staff were working in a high pressure, stressful environment with many competing demands," Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton said. "There were key indicators that Lynn's safety was at imminent risk at the time leading up to her death, noting Paul Cannon's coercive and controlling behaviour was clearly escalating in the final days of Lynn's life. "There seems little doubt, with the benefit of hindsight, the individual officers involved would have reacted differently and made different decisions if they had fully understood the seriousness of the situation unfolding at Paul Cannon's house." Ms Cannon was murdered a day after celebrating her 51st birthday. She was visiting Cannon's home to drop off paperwork, but family became concerned when they couldn't contact her for hours. Ms Cannon's sister Christine Holmes alerted police at 7.30pm that night. By the time officers arrived more than an hour later, Ms Cannon had been stabbed several times with a kitchen knife and was unresponsive. Cannon is serving a term of life imprisonment for murder.
See - Sada Elbalad
27-06-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Natural Gas Prices Sink to One-month Low amid Strong Inventory Gains
Taarek Refaat U.S. natural gas futures tumbled on Thursday, slipping over 6% to their lowest levels since mid-May, as stronger-than-expected storage injections and growing output offset even record-setting heat across the Northeast. Storage Data Surprises to the Downside On its final day of trading, July natural gas futures fell by 6.1%, settling at $3.199 per mmBtu—marking the lowest close since May 19 and extending the losing streak to five consecutive sessions, the longest since August 2024. August contracts, soon to become the new front-month, also dropped by around 4% to $3.43 per mmBtu. The latest natural gas price recorded a drop of -4.26% to $3.261. The sharp pullback followed the latest EIA storage report, which showed a 96 billion cubic feet (bcf) build for the week ending June 20—outpacing analyst estimates of 88 bcf, and far exceeding both last year's 59 bcf build and the five-year average of 79 bcf. 'Supply is consistently outpacing demand, and traders are responding accordingly,' said Sarah Linton of CapitalEdge Analytics. Heat Fails to Lift Prices as Production Climbs Even with record heat waves pushing temperatures to 100°F (37.8°C) in cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, and electricity demand surging due to increased air conditioning use, the price support typically seen during such weather events has faltered. Analysts attribute this to robust production levels, which are helping replenish gas inventories faster than usual. 'We're seeing solid power demand, but output is simply too high,' said Tom Baker, a commodities expert at RigWatch. 'Storage continues to build, which keeps a lid on prices.' Analysts Say Summer Highs May Be Behind Us Natural gas prices have now retreated by 23% since peaking at $4.15/mmBtu on June 20, suggesting the market may have already passed its seasonal high. 'Unless the U.S. faces an extended, nationwide heatwave, it's likely that June 20 marked the high point for the summer,' Linton added. With August and July futures continuing to trade at a discount to recent levels, the market appears braced for a muted second half of summer, despite ongoing heat and demand for cooling. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
