Merit Program: The NSW Courts Diversionary Pathway for Drug & Alcohol Addicts
What is the MERIT program? The MERIT program is an opportunity for those who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction, who end up going to court to face criminal charges in the Local Court to assist in rehabilitation. ‘MERIT’ is an abbreviation for ‘Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment’. A plea of ‘guilty’ or ‘not ...continue reading
The NSW Police’s Suspect Targeting Management Plan (STMP) to Effectively Reduce Crime
Poppy Morandin. A report by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has defended the controversial proactive policing initiatives by the NSW Police within the Suspect Target Management Plan (STMP) by contending it effectively reduces crime. The STMP was designed to identify, assess, and target individuals who are suspected of being repeat offenders. The ...continue reading
Former Stock Trader Admits to Getting Boozed at Lunch Before Committing Armed Robberies is Sentenced
Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. Umm, well, this is awkward. A former stock trader has admitted to police, some 40 years later, that he would “get boozed at lunch time”, and carrying a water pistol and wearing disguises including fake moustaches and sunglasses, would drunkenly rob Sydney banks. Ross McCarty, now aged 71, last ...continue reading
Queensland Mum Charged with Fraud Over Misusing Public Donations for Her Son’s Funeral
Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. A mother from Townsville in Queensland’s north whose son died in a car crash has been charged with fraud after it was discovered she allegedly misused the public funds raised for his funeral on gambling and a shopping spree. On June 18 2020, Lesley-Lee Hill attended the funeral of ...continue reading
Sydney’s Inner West Community Band Together to Help Find “Jake the Jack Russell” After He Was Stolen Outside Supermarket
Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It’s a tale of tenacity and treasured community spirit, which, if Jake the Jack Russell could speak, would say had an excellent ending for his owner. In the afternoon of Saturday 30 August 2020, Jake the Jack Russell and his owner, 51-year-old Gerard Murphy, went for a stroll to ...continue reading
Brave Little Boy Endures 12-Hour Joyride Hiding in Stolen Vehicle Until Safe to Get Help
Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. A brave seven-year-old boy from Perth has endured a horror joyride that lasted almost 12 hours after a stranger stole a family vehicle inside which the young boy had fallen asleep. It is reported that around 8:40pm on Saturday 10 October 2020, a white Mitsubishi Pajero Sports four-wheel drive ...continue reading
Man Commits a Break & Enter in a Sydney CBD Woolworths Store Stealing $2 Bag of Nuts
Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It was the bizarre craving that saw a man break and enter into a Woolworths store in Sydney’s CBD, cause $750 worth of damage in the process, then go on to steal a packet of mixed nuts worth about $2. Indeed, one may surmise that if you were going ...continue reading
Chinese Drug Trafficker on Death Row Escapes Lawful Custody by Tunnelling Through Sewers to Road Outside
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It’s the kind of plot you’d only ever see play out in a movie, except of course this was real life – in mid-September 2020, a man facing the death sentence in Indonesia for drug trafficking managed to escape from jail by tunnelling through the sewage system, and ...continue reading
NSW Police Commissioner Defends Officers Who Performed ‘Unlawful’ Arrest on Curtis Scott
By Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has sought to defend the actions of police officers involved in the wrongful arrest of NRL player Curtis Scott. The bodycam footage of the arrest shown in court sparked outrage, with it depicting Scott, who was passed out drunk at the foot of ...continue reading
Can Police Search You Using a Drug Detection Dog in NSW?
By Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. Sniffer dog operations have reportedly returned following their apparent suspension due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sniff Off, a Greens campaign for police accountability, drug law reform and civil liberties, regularly reports on sightings of drug dog operations in order to raise the public awareness. They ...continue reading