SA: Scientific witness first up in Snowtown committal

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2000
SA: Scientific witness first up in Snowtown committal

ADELAIDE, Dec 6 AAP - Three pathologists and a fingerprint expert will be among the
first witnesses called in the committal hearing of the Snowtown bodies-in-the-barrels
murder case set to begin next week.

Despite defence requests for more time to prepare, Magistrate David Gurry today ruled
that he would start taking evidence as scheduled in the Adelaide Magistrates Court next
Monday.

Mr Gurry said he believed the court could deal with witnesses whose testimony was unlikely
to be affected by new material just delivered by the prosecution.

Several police officers would also among the first group of witnesses.

But after that initial group it was expected the hearing would then be adjourned until
late in January.

Before the court today were Robert Joe Wagner, 28, John Justin Bunting, 34, Mark Ray
Haydon, 42 and James Spyridon Vlassakis, 20.

Wagner, Bunting and Haydon have all been charged with 10 counts of murder in relation
to the discovery of eight bodies in barrels in a disused bank vault at Snowtown in South
Australia's mid-north in May last year and two bodies buried in the backyard of a house
at suburban Salisbury.

Vlassakis has been charged with five counts of murder.

Defence counsel for all men asked this morning for the calling of witnesses to be delayed
until after Christmas to help them properly consider all the material and witness statements
from the Crown.

Counsel for Wagner, Stephen Apps, said preparations for his defence were harder because
every statement had to be dictated onto a tape because of Wagner's reading difficulties.

Mr Apps argued that a delay in calling witnesses until January would probably save
time in the long run with counsel better prepared for what might come out in court.

AAP tjd/mjm/br

KEYWORD: SNOWTOWN (CARRIED EARLIER)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Motorists urged to slow down on trip home

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2000
NSW: Motorists urged to slow down on trip home

SYDNEY, April 24 AAP - A 25-year-old man was clocked driving at 171 km/h in a 90-zone
three hours after receiving an earlier speeding ticket, police said.

The man was stopped on the M4 motorway at Homebush, Traffic Services Branch Commander
Superintendent Ron Sorrenson said.

"As police issued him with an infringement notice he produced another speeding ticket,
issued three hours earlier at Castle Hill," he said.

The man was one of 18,342 drivers caught speeding during the Easter road blitz, prompting
police to warn holiday-makers to slow down on their trip home.

Supt Sorrenson said speed had been a factor in a number of the fatalities on the state's
roads in recent days.

The New South Wales holiday road toll climbed to seven yesterday following the death
of a 19-year-old Dee Why woman at Peak Hill, in the state's central west.

Supt Sorrenson said the tragedy could have been avoided.

"This young girl was a provisional licence holder and all the physical evidence our
investigators can gather at the crash indicates that speed was a possible contributing
factor," he said in a statement.

"I urge people travelling home from their Easter break to take it easy on the road."

He said he was amazed by the actions of some drivers, including a 38-year-old man caught
at Botany weaving onto the wrong side of the road while driving at 70 km/h at night with
his headlights off.

"When stopped, the man told police he was testing his brakes and they should let him go.

"He was charged with high-range drink driving, driving in a manner dangerous and had
his licence cancelled."

A total of 61 people had been injured and seven killed in 478 road accidents over
the holiday, Supt Sorrenson said.

Police had conducted 100,454 breath tests, resulting in 535 drink driving charges.

AAP km/ps S

KEYWORD: EASTER ROADS NSW (CARRIED EARLIER)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Tax package the best the bush has ever seen: Costello

AAP General News (Australia)
02-08-2000
Fed: Tax package the best the bush has ever seen: Costello

CANBERRA, Feb 8 AAP - Federal Treasurer Peter Costello today defended his tax package
as the best arrangements rural and regional Australians had ever seen.

Government backbenchers representing the bush have warned of a backlash if the GST
resulted in higher petrol prices.

But Mr Costello said the benefits to the bush went way beyond fuel excise cuts, though
he refused to rule out possible increases when the GST came into effect.

"We've said what we intend to deliver on is the following: a 10 per cent for all …

NSW: Trucks and fridges worth $400,000 stolen

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-1999
NSW: Trucks and fridges worth $400,000 stolen

Trucks and whitegoods worth $400,000 have been stolen in Sydney's west.

Police say two semi-trailers containing white goods were stolen from Arndell Park near
Blacktown yesterday.

The value of the 1998 freighter and a pantechnion trailor containing about 110 fruidges
is estimated to be in excess of $400,000.

AAP RTV sal/rat

KEYWORD: TRUCKS (SYDNEY)

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Police seek help to identify body

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-1999
WA: Police seek help to identify body

PERTH, April 20 AAP - Police were seeking public help to identify the body of a young man
found in a laneway in the southern suburb of O'Connor this morning.

A police spokeswoman said the man, who died of a suspected drug overdose, was believed to
be between 16 and 19 years, 179cm tall and with brown dreadlocks.

She said he was found in an industrial area and had no identification on him.

His most distinguishing feature was a large tattoo on his left shoulder reading "West Side"
in block letters.

Anyone with information on the man is asked to call the police coronial inquiry section.

AAP alm/was

KEYWORD: LANEWAY

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: Main stories in today s Courier Mail

AAP General News (Australia)
01-13-1999
QLD: Main stories in today s Courier Mail

BRISBANE, Jan 13 AAP - The main stories in today's Courier-Mail are:

P1: Qld likely to have cheaper power within three years after three key developments in the
state's electricity industry; SOCOG director Phil Coles said he would not have accepted
$20,000 offered to him by the owners of a Sydney hotel; Girl spends five nights in Qld
watchhouse; Rafter out of first round of International to Lleyton Hewitt (cont sports pages).

P2: Ipswich counts cost of storms (local); Imran Khan accuses Pakistani govt of
victimisation after customs officials charge …

FED:News Diary for Tuesday, Dec 19

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2011
FED:News Diary for Tuesday, Dec 19

Good evening news editors and chiefs of staff. Here is AAP's preliminary news diary
for Tuesday (not for publication). This is a guide only and stories, local times and locations
are subject to change. In some cases times and locations may not be available. Story coverage
is subject to staffing.

TOP STORIES
INDON SHIP - Fallout from sinking of an asylum seeker boat off Indonesia.

COURTS
ADELAIDE
- A former bus driver charged with abusing two intellectually disabled children to appear
in the Christies Beach Magistrates Courts (eds note: the charges are expected to be dropped).

- A husband and wife to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with the murder
of their 27-year-old intellectually disabled daughter.

MELBOURNE
- Judgment in an appeal by a man jailed for kidnapping his girlfriend while they were
on a romantic picnic. He then fled Australia while awaiting sentencing, Court of Appeal,
10.15am (Buchwald)
- Change of plea application continues for Tony Mokbel, Supreme Court, 10.30am (Mokbel)
- Judgment in an appeal by a man who killed his roommate before chopping him up, Court
of Appeal, 10am (Butler)
- Committal mention for a man charged with attempted murder after allegedly being involved
in a carjacking where a woman was stabbed, Melbourne Magistrates Court, from 9.30am (Yammouni)

SYDNEY
1000 - Inquest continuing into death of Sarah Waugh, who died in horse riding accident
while during a jillaroo course in western NSW. Glebe Coroners Court.

OTHER STORIES


BRISBANE
- VNE Aviation launches plans to build an airport in the Lockyer Valley


MELBOURNE
- Outwatching Molly Meldrum's condition



FINANCE

ECONOMY

Sydney - Minutes of Reserve Bank of Australia December board meeting published

Sydney - Commonwealth Bank business sales indicator for November



EQUITIES

Melbourne - Incitec Pivot Ltd annual general meeting

Adelaide - Elders Ltd annual general meeting: off speeches



SPORT
CRICKET

CANBERRA - Day two of three-day game between India and the Chairman's XI.

MELBOURNE - Australian head coach Mickey Arthur speaks at start of Australian batting
camp ahead of first Test against India, 1430.

BRISBANE - Cover of BBL match between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars.

HOBART - Preview of BBL match between Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers.



SOCCER

MELBOURNE - Media conference with Melbourne Heart striker Mate Dugandzic ahead of Friday's
derby against the Victory, 1200 Latrobe Uni.



TENNIS

GOLD COAST - Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic trains with the Gold Coast Titans
ahead of summer season, 1030AEDT Robina.



AFL

MELBOURNE - Media conference with St Kilda coach Scott Watters and Saints player Jason
Blake, 0915 Moorabbin.

MELBOURNE - Media conference with Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury, 1400 Royal Childrens
Hospital.



RUGBY LEAGUE

MELBOURNE - Media conference with Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy, 1515 Goschs Paddock.



GOLF

NEWCASTLE - Wrap of news from Jack Newton Celebrity Classic.



RACING

SYDNEY - Weights for Saturday's Christmas Eve meeting at Canterbury.

MELBOURNE - Weights for Saturday's Sandown meeting.

MELBOURNE - Previewing Wednesday's Sandown meeting.

BRISBANE - Weights for Saturday's Lough Neagh Stakes meeting at Doomben

BRISBANE - Previewing Wednesday's midweek meeting at Eagle Farm.


AAP was/de

KEYWORD: DIARY NEWS TUESDAY

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.