Court can witness the full range of human condition
TWO Far Northern teachers appeared in the Cairns Magistrates Court charged with possessing child pornography.
It is alleged that former acting principal of Bamaga’s Northern Peninsula Area College, Peter St James, was caught with child exploitation material over an 18 month period between January 2015 and June 2016 at Clifton Beach.
Former St Andrew’s Catholic College teacher South African national Johannes Lodevicus Van Zyl, who taught at the Redlynch school before leaving in April last year, was also charged with possessing child exploitation material.
The matters remain before the courts.
KIDNAPPING
FIVE people have appeared in court over the alleged drug-related abduction and assault of a man in February.
Maitland Chitty claims he was taken from a Bungalow business and was assaulted at multiple locations across the Cairns district over 42 hours.
Mr Chitty claims he was tied to a tree at Black Mountain where he untied himself and walked through bush to Hartleys Crocodile Farm.
Melchor Garcia and Aaron Lions were both charged with attempted murder, but this has since been dropped. Mr Lions, Mr Garcia, Kody Schieber and Jacob Butler are all charged with torture, deprivation of liberty and assault causing bodily harm. March Veronese is also accused of torture and deprivation of liberty.
Mr Chitty has also pleaded guilty to breaking into a business around the same time he was kidnapped.
FAKE NURSE
NICHOLAS William Crawford, a fake nurse who worked in the Aurukun community for about six weeks, was jailed for three and a half years after he pleaded guilty to fraud and forgery charges.
He obtained a position with Queensland Health as a clinical nurse. During that time Crawford had about 800 consultations with patients and, under a doctor’s authorisation, he administered drugs including injections.