Latest news with #WestAustralian
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Dazzling new OTT exhibition launches at AGWA
Lilly Blue & Maxxi Minaxi May at the Maxxi Minaxi May exhibition opening at AGWA. Picture: Alan Chau / The West Australian Fun was the name of the game at the launch of Re-PLAY as everything from the colourful cake pop desserts, salt and vinegar potatoes with edible flowers and, of course, the vibrant Maxxi Minaxi May exhibition were created to surprise and delight. The launch was held in Gallery 09 inside The Art Gallery of Western Australia where guests were invited to explore while snacking on bites from Mi Scusi, and enjoying performances from the Perth Symphony Orchestra and acrobatics from Fliptease. In her speech, AGWA's Lilly Blue described Re-PLAY as a 'a delicious sensory and colour-rich playground, harnessing the arts of assemblage to examine consumerism, mass consumption and throwaway culture'.
7NEWS
7 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Virginia Giuffre: Epstein's most prominent Aussie accuser left her children four houses and a small fortune
Sex-trafficking survivor Virginia Giuffre died without a valid will, despite having amassed a small fortune which included civil lawsuit settlements and a multi-million dollar property portfolio in Australia. The Nightly can reveal that an application has been made to the Supreme Court of WA for Letters of Administration because the high-profile sexual abuse campaigner had not left a valid will or appointed an executor of her estate. The probate application is currently in the 'requisition' stage, which is where the court Registrar writes to the applicant to advise them of any problems with the application and tell them what they must do to remedy the issues. The West Australian has previously revealed that in early June, Giuffre's sons – Christian and Noah – had published a public notice in the WA Government Gazette calling for creditors. Giuffre, 41, is believed to have died from suicide at a rural property in Western Australia on April 25. Giuffre's step-brother Sky, who was visiting from the United States, reportedly found her unresponsive and performed CPR before emergency services arrived. At the time, WA Police said its major crime squad detectives were investigating the death but that it appeared non-suspicious. This week, the WA Coroner's office told The Nightly that Giuffre's death had since been referred to the Coroner's Court. 'The Court is investigating the circumstances surrounding Ms Giuffre's death,' a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. 'The Court does not make public those investigations but will inform the senior next of kin of those investigations.' Giuffre, who had recently reverted to her maiden name of Roberts, was one of the most prominent accusers of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The mother-of-three successfully sued Epstein in 2015, alleging that he and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, had sex-trafficked her when she was just 16 years old in 2000. She also accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. The Duke, who repeatedly denied the claims, paid Giuffre an estimated £7.3million ($15 million) in an out-of-court settlement in February 2022 without accepting any liability. The fierce advocate for abuse victims is believed to have amassed considerable wealth in recent years. Giuffre and her husband had paid cash for four properties in WA before they split. The couple had bought three properties, all within a few kilometres of each other, in Perth's northern suburbs. In mid-2020, they purchased a palatial six-bedroom home with stunning ocean views in the beachside suburb of Ocean Reef for $1.9 million. In August 2022 the couple purchased, in their company name, a six-bedroom house in Heathridge for $865,000. In October 2022 they paid $895,000 for a five-bedroom property in the nearby suburb of Connolly. And in July 2023, the couple paid $1.2 million for a 16.48ha rural retreat at Neergabby, about an hour north of Perth. The Neergabby property had been re-listed for sale in August, September and October 2022, which indicates the couple may have briefly tried to sell it – for the same price – before taking it off the market. Property records show all four of the couple's properties are 'owner-occupied' and mortgage-free. Following her marriage breakdown, the American-born activist moved into the couple's farmhouse at Neergabby, where she later died. This comes as President Donald Trump struggled on Wednesday to contain the fallout from his administration's decision not to release the Epstein files, as Republicans in the House went home for August instead of grappling with the issue and a Florida court declined to release grand jury testimony from the case. And a new report in the Wall Street Journal describes how Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy informed the President in May that his name appeared 'multiple times' in the files, along with those of 'many people' who socialised with Epstein. If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). Lifeline: 13 11 14. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636.
Perth Now
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Servo sizzles for epic South African braai celebration
Aryana Eraman, Ashalia R. & Koshena Pillay. Picture: Alan Chau / The West Australian Leederville played host to a sold-out one-night-only South African braai celebratory feast. More than just a barbecue, the social and cultural event traditionally involves gathering with friends and family, usually outdoors, and cooking meat over an open fire. Foodies took over Servo for a night of lekker braai, packed with unmistakable Saffa flavours, offering a taste of home for people with South African heritage. The menu included Stirling Ranges house-dried biltong, Boerewors pot sticker with monkey gland sauce, Bunny chow, Wagyu beef sosaties and Oxtail potjiekos For dessert, a Rooibos fig crème brulee was served. The event was part of the Nom Nom festival, a six week celebration of food and wine in the Leederville precinct back for its third year. There is sure to be something on offer for every food lover alike among the more than 30 events and activations such as culinary adventures, boozy lunches, progressive lunches and gourmet plates.
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Perth Now
Indigenous teen's killer appeals verdicts and sentence
One of the men found guilty of killing an Indigenous teenager, who was chased into bushland and violently bashed, is appealing his convictions and sentence. Cassius Turvey, a Noongar Yamatji boy, died in hospital 10 days after he was deliberately struck to the head with a metal pole in Perth's eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022. Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 30, were sentenced to life behind bars for murdering the 15-year-old after a 12-week trial in the West Australian Supreme Court. Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, who was also accused of Cassius's murder, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to a total 12 years' imprisonment, eligible for parole after serving 10 years. He has since lodged legal challenges against his convictions and manslaughter sentence imposed by Chief Justice Peter Quinlan. The guilty verdicts were unreasonable and unsupported, and the nine-year sentence for manslaughter was excessive given the circumstances, court documents said. Forth, who was convicted of six offences, was also given cumulative terms of one year and two years for two counts of deprivation of liberty committed on October 9 against two other youths. Forth will be eligible for parole in January 2033 after his sentence was backdated to January 2023. His other convictions for two counts of assault and stealing are for offences committed on October 9 and 13, for which he was handed concurrent sentences totalling five years and two months. Brearley delivered the fatal blows on Cassius while "hunting for kids" because somebody had smashed his car windows. He chased Cassius into bushland and knocked the teen to the ground and hit him in the head with a metal pole, causing bleeding in his brain that led to his death. When delivering the sentences for the three men in June, Justice Quinlan said the trio had cut Cassius's life short in a horrendous and vengeful act of aggression, violence and brutality. He said Forth was never the main offender in the shameful course of events but always there in the background. "You were just following along in the excitement of trying to be a tough guy," the judge said. "And you followed Mr Brearley all the way to a conviction for manslaughter." Brearley will be eligible for parole after serving 22 years and Palmer after serving 18 years. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Accused heroin-smuggling grandad refused bail again
A grandfather accused of smuggling heroin worth more than $2 million in a camp stretcher has failed to win bail after accusing federal police of withholding vital information in his case. Barry James Calverley, a mining safety officer from Perth, was arrested at Sydney Airport after he arrived on a flight from Vietnam in January 2024. Australian Border Force officers allegedly found 5kg of heroin, worth $2.25 million, concealed in his camp stretcher. Calverley, who is in his early 70s and appeared via a video link from custody wearing his green prison uniform, was denied bail in the NSW District Court on Thursday. It was the second refusal after the NSW Supreme Court in mid-2024 decided to keep him in custody. A trial is set for March 2026 where Calverley will face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if found guilty. "This is hardly a rare trial. You see these kind of trials throughout our system - for better or for worse," Judge John Pickering said on Thursday. Calverley's lawyer Justine Hopper strongly argued the Australian Federal Police had withheld crucial information until the eve of his original trial date scheduled for later this year, but which was pushed back to early 2026. "He said to them (AFP officers), straight up, 'I've got information for you. I can tell you who's involved'," she said. "There's nothing at all that shows that any federal agent has followed up any information that this man has told them when they pulled him up at the airport at the time." "Their lack of due diligence means that this man sits in custody," she said. The judge acknowledged the late disclosure but was unconvinced Calverley should be released to stay with his daughters in Sydney before the trial. Judge Pickering referred to incriminating Whatsapp text messages that Calverley allegedly sent to his criminal syndicate handlers which were revealed in court in August 2024. He had allegedly told law enforcement officers that he was duped by an international criminal organisation. Upon his arrest, the AFP said the quantity of heroin the West Australian man was accused of importing would have been enough for 25,000 street deals. However, the crown prosecutor argued there was a clear financial incentive involved for the West Australian man by importing the drugs. "There was a substantial amount of money that he was hoping to collect," the court was told. Ms Hopper said a jury could read the messages from "two sides" to which the judge agreed but noted "still probably the odds are against him". The judge said the WhatsApp messages showed that Calverley "knew the very risk he was taking ... and believed he could use the excuse of being scammed as a way out". "There is no question in my mind that this is still and remains a very strong case against the accused." A grandfather accused of smuggling heroin worth more than $2 million in a camp stretcher has failed to win bail after accusing federal police of withholding vital information in his case. Barry James Calverley, a mining safety officer from Perth, was arrested at Sydney Airport after he arrived on a flight from Vietnam in January 2024. Australian Border Force officers allegedly found 5kg of heroin, worth $2.25 million, concealed in his camp stretcher. Calverley, who is in his early 70s and appeared via a video link from custody wearing his green prison uniform, was denied bail in the NSW District Court on Thursday. It was the second refusal after the NSW Supreme Court in mid-2024 decided to keep him in custody. A trial is set for March 2026 where Calverley will face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if found guilty. "This is hardly a rare trial. You see these kind of trials throughout our system - for better or for worse," Judge John Pickering said on Thursday. Calverley's lawyer Justine Hopper strongly argued the Australian Federal Police had withheld crucial information until the eve of his original trial date scheduled for later this year, but which was pushed back to early 2026. "He said to them (AFP officers), straight up, 'I've got information for you. I can tell you who's involved'," she said. "There's nothing at all that shows that any federal agent has followed up any information that this man has told them when they pulled him up at the airport at the time." "Their lack of due diligence means that this man sits in custody," she said. The judge acknowledged the late disclosure but was unconvinced Calverley should be released to stay with his daughters in Sydney before the trial. Judge Pickering referred to incriminating Whatsapp text messages that Calverley allegedly sent to his criminal syndicate handlers which were revealed in court in August 2024. He had allegedly told law enforcement officers that he was duped by an international criminal organisation. Upon his arrest, the AFP said the quantity of heroin the West Australian man was accused of importing would have been enough for 25,000 street deals. However, the crown prosecutor argued there was a clear financial incentive involved for the West Australian man by importing the drugs. "There was a substantial amount of money that he was hoping to collect," the court was told. Ms Hopper said a jury could read the messages from "two sides" to which the judge agreed but noted "still probably the odds are against him". The judge said the WhatsApp messages showed that Calverley "knew the very risk he was taking ... and believed he could use the excuse of being scammed as a way out". "There is no question in my mind that this is still and remains a very strong case against the accused." A grandfather accused of smuggling heroin worth more than $2 million in a camp stretcher has failed to win bail after accusing federal police of withholding vital information in his case. Barry James Calverley, a mining safety officer from Perth, was arrested at Sydney Airport after he arrived on a flight from Vietnam in January 2024. Australian Border Force officers allegedly found 5kg of heroin, worth $2.25 million, concealed in his camp stretcher. Calverley, who is in his early 70s and appeared via a video link from custody wearing his green prison uniform, was denied bail in the NSW District Court on Thursday. It was the second refusal after the NSW Supreme Court in mid-2024 decided to keep him in custody. A trial is set for March 2026 where Calverley will face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if found guilty. "This is hardly a rare trial. You see these kind of trials throughout our system - for better or for worse," Judge John Pickering said on Thursday. Calverley's lawyer Justine Hopper strongly argued the Australian Federal Police had withheld crucial information until the eve of his original trial date scheduled for later this year, but which was pushed back to early 2026. "He said to them (AFP officers), straight up, 'I've got information for you. I can tell you who's involved'," she said. "There's nothing at all that shows that any federal agent has followed up any information that this man has told them when they pulled him up at the airport at the time." "Their lack of due diligence means that this man sits in custody," she said. The judge acknowledged the late disclosure but was unconvinced Calverley should be released to stay with his daughters in Sydney before the trial. Judge Pickering referred to incriminating Whatsapp text messages that Calverley allegedly sent to his criminal syndicate handlers which were revealed in court in August 2024. He had allegedly told law enforcement officers that he was duped by an international criminal organisation. Upon his arrest, the AFP said the quantity of heroin the West Australian man was accused of importing would have been enough for 25,000 street deals. However, the crown prosecutor argued there was a clear financial incentive involved for the West Australian man by importing the drugs. "There was a substantial amount of money that he was hoping to collect," the court was told. Ms Hopper said a jury could read the messages from "two sides" to which the judge agreed but noted "still probably the odds are against him". The judge said the WhatsApp messages showed that Calverley "knew the very risk he was taking ... and believed he could use the excuse of being scammed as a way out". "There is no question in my mind that this is still and remains a very strong case against the accused." A grandfather accused of smuggling heroin worth more than $2 million in a camp stretcher has failed to win bail after accusing federal police of withholding vital information in his case. Barry James Calverley, a mining safety officer from Perth, was arrested at Sydney Airport after he arrived on a flight from Vietnam in January 2024. Australian Border Force officers allegedly found 5kg of heroin, worth $2.25 million, concealed in his camp stretcher. Calverley, who is in his early 70s and appeared via a video link from custody wearing his green prison uniform, was denied bail in the NSW District Court on Thursday. It was the second refusal after the NSW Supreme Court in mid-2024 decided to keep him in custody. A trial is set for March 2026 where Calverley will face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if found guilty. "This is hardly a rare trial. You see these kind of trials throughout our system - for better or for worse," Judge John Pickering said on Thursday. Calverley's lawyer Justine Hopper strongly argued the Australian Federal Police had withheld crucial information until the eve of his original trial date scheduled for later this year, but which was pushed back to early 2026. "He said to them (AFP officers), straight up, 'I've got information for you. I can tell you who's involved'," she said. "There's nothing at all that shows that any federal agent has followed up any information that this man has told them when they pulled him up at the airport at the time." "Their lack of due diligence means that this man sits in custody," she said. The judge acknowledged the late disclosure but was unconvinced Calverley should be released to stay with his daughters in Sydney before the trial. Judge Pickering referred to incriminating Whatsapp text messages that Calverley allegedly sent to his criminal syndicate handlers which were revealed in court in August 2024. He had allegedly told law enforcement officers that he was duped by an international criminal organisation. Upon his arrest, the AFP said the quantity of heroin the West Australian man was accused of importing would have been enough for 25,000 street deals. However, the crown prosecutor argued there was a clear financial incentive involved for the West Australian man by importing the drugs. "There was a substantial amount of money that he was hoping to collect," the court was told. Ms Hopper said a jury could read the messages from "two sides" to which the judge agreed but noted "still probably the odds are against him". The judge said the WhatsApp messages showed that Calverley "knew the very risk he was taking ... and believed he could use the excuse of being scammed as a way out". "There is no question in my mind that this is still and remains a very strong case against the accused."
