Sydney Grandmother Faces Execution
Mrs Nguyen Thi Huong looked anguished as the court in Ho Chi Minh City read its verdict recently. The 73-year-old Vietnamese-Australian woman has been sentenced to death for heroin trafficking. It sounds implausible … incongruous, but Vietnamese community leaders in...
Crime and Corruption in the Prison System
A guard in Western Australia’s Casuarina Prison faces a string of criminal charges for allegedly smuggling drugs and other contraband into the prison. 32-year-old Scott Craig Berridge is alleged to have smuggled drugs, mobile phones and alcohol to inmates at...
‘N-Bomb’ Linked to Deaths of Young Australians
On June 8, the body of Rye Hunt was found washed up on a beach in Marcia, just outside Rio. Tasmanian-born and bred, Rye was backpacking overseas with a mate. They’d been travelling for seven weeks and were amiable travelling...
Drug Testing of Police Officers: Police Policing Themselves
South Australian police officers will soon face the possibility of being drug and alcohol tested after ‘critical incidents’, such as when they use firearms or engage in high-speed pursuits. But there’s a catch: their police colleagues will need to suspect...
Skewed Priorities: NSW Government Spends Big on Prisons
The NSW government has vowed to install almost 3,000 new prison beds to meet the state’s growing prison population; which has increased by 12% in the past year alone to reach an all-time high of nearly 12,000. Premier Mike Baird...
Bad Batch of Heroin Kills 13 in Sydney
NSW State Coroner Michael Barnes has issued an urgent warning after 13 deaths in one month have been attributed to a tainted batch of heroin circulating around Sydney. All cases occurred between May 2 and June 3, with many of...
“Serial Killer with a Badge” Finally Convicted of Murder
Jamie Gao had two friends already serving time for drug offences. He was constantly talking about dropping out of University, about not wanting to get a ‘9-5 job’ and an upcoming deal that would make him rich. The 20-year-old was...
Getting a Reduced Sentence for Providing Assistance
Where appropriate, criminal lawyers are required to advise clients that helping police with their inquiries may result in a reduced sentence. That said, lawyers are certainly permitted to explain the potential risks and requirements associated with giving assistance. For example,...
Examples of Why Crime Doesn’t Pay
Just for laughs, we’ve rounded up some of the funniest (attempted) offences from around the globe. 1. A low high A trio of thieves breaking into a home discovered three jars of cocaine, and couldn’t believe their luck! They took...
Judge’s Associate Allegedly Dupes Judge into Providing Reference
Media sources have reported that ‘Sydney lawyer’ James Cowled, 31, is under investigation after allegedly procuring a character reference from recently retired Federal Court Judge Michael Lloyd-James under false pretences, and using it during his sentencing proceedings to avoid a...
