Police Warn of ‘Blessing Scam’ Targeting Elderly Chinese Women
New South Wales police and Scamwatch are warning of a fraud scheme which primarily targets elderly Chinese women, claiming they and their families are at risk from evil spirits before offering to ‘bless’ them in exchange for money or luxury...
The Offence of Causing Danger with a Firearm in New South Wales
A Sydney-based police officer has been handed a criminal conviction and placed on a good behaviour bond after pointing a loaded pistol at a junior colleague and threatening “I’ll shoot you”. 30-year old Constable Dominic Gaynor pointed his police-issued Glock...
Can a Person Be Charged with a Criminal Offence That Has Since Been Repealed?
The “Teacher’s Pet” story, involving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Chris Dawson’s wife in 1982 and his sexual relationship with one of his high school pupils, has gripped Australia for decades. Now, the story may be coming to an...
William Tyrell’s Disappearance: What Are the Proposed New Charges and Will the DPP Prosecute?
One of the many theories behind 3-year old William Tyrrell’s disappearance in 2014 could see his foster mother charged with fresh criminal offences. The investigation into the toddler’s disappearance is not Australia’s longest running investigation, but one of the country’s...
Airbags That Kill: Can Manufacturers Be Found Guilty of a Criminal Offence?
This article refers to a recent Australian announcement of yet another fatal airbag concern, and although the investigation is in its early stages, we shall explore the company involved and revisit the previous situation with the Japanese company Takata corporation,...
Psychic Scams Can Constitute the Criminal Offence of Fraud
ScamWatch, a division of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has announced that ‘psychic scams’ are on the rise, with a reported $555,240 extorted from Australians in 2022. Individuals purporting to be psychics or clairvoyants will often prey on...
What Amounts to a ‘Large Commercial Quantity’ of Prohibited Drugs in New South Wales?
Police have charged a 19-year old man with a serious drug offences after 120 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $60 million was allegedly discovered in a shipping container at Port Botany in Sydney. Manner of detection...
NSW Police Officer Found Guilty of Assault For Slamming Teen to the Ground
A New South Wales Police Officer has been found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after slamming a 16-year old Indigenous youth into the ground in Sydney’s inner suburbs. The defended hearing took place in Downing Centre Local Court...
The Criminal Offence of Treason: Definition, Evolution and Political Application
Treason has for hundreds of years been considered one of the most serious offences that a person can commit. Whilst the criminal offence of treason dates at least as far back as Roman times, the vagaries and inconsistencies in what...
Crimes That Cross State Borders: Where Will You Be Charged?
A person stands on one side of the New South Wales / Victoria border and discharges a firearm that fatally wounds a person on the other side. Will the shooter be charged by New South Wales or Victoria Police? Which...
