Mayor fires up on Lansdown delays
Shock as court rules against cross-examining killer of two men
Never get in the way of a mother who is out to protect her young. She will cut you apart - Jenny Hill
MAYOR Jenny Hill has threatened to “cut” the federal Member for Herbert, Phillip Thompson, if he does not help secure funding for the Lansdown Eco-industrial Precinct.
“Never get in the way of a mother who is out to protect her young,” Cr Hill said. “She will cut you apart.”
With the project primed to support 160 construction jobs, 1600 ongoing jobs and 9100 indirect jobs, both Townsville City Council and the state government joined forces to put pressure on the federal government to fund early works for the precinct.
The council and state were looking for $50m under the Townsville City Deal to fund gas, water and train line connections to the site. But the Commonwealth says it has not received the right documentation to consider funding the project.
Mr Thompson said he and Cities Minister Paul Fletcher had never received a business case or supporting financial documentation.
Mr Thompson described a “one page” document that looked like a “glossy flyer” as the only piece of information received.
The minister’s office confirmed the department had no record of the detailed documentation.
However, Mayor Hill has firmly stated the council has provided these documents to the minister and relevant departments.
Speaking after the Townsville Bulletin Business Breakfast: Unlock the North, Cr Hill said she was “sick and tired” of listening to Mr Thompson say they hadn’t been provided the paperwork.
“The Prime Minister (Scott Morrison) has said he’s prepared to fund infrastructure where it leads to industry investment and job creation – well hello guys, we’ve got this project right here and now,” Cr Hill said.
Mr Thompson said the breakfast was “informative” with the three proponents Imperium3, Queensland Pacific Metals and Edify Energy detailing their plans for the precinct.
The federal MP added that the community had waited too long to hear what would be funded under the $195m.
“It should have already been rolled out, it should have already been done,” Mr Thompson said.
“I’m disappointed it’s taken so long, it does sit with me and the federal government and I take responsibility for that.”
Mr Thompson said he was in regular communication with Mr Fletcher and often spoke about the funding in the media to keep the pressure on the government to make an announcement.
“I expect these projects to be rolled out because it’s beneficial for the community,” he said.
“The handover from minister (Alan) Tudge to minister Fletcher could have been better. “I am hopefully going to be announcing some projects soon.”
THE family of one of two men stabbed to death in a mysterious altercation at Alva Beach in 2018 have expressed their disappointment that the man who killed them will not be required to give verbal evidence at an inquest into their deaths.
The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a coroner’s decision to excuse Dean Webber from giving oral evidence at the inquest into the deaths of Tom Davy and Corey Christensen at Alva Beach.
Mr Davy and Mr Christensen were stabbed after they went to the home of Mr Webber, then 19, looking for Tom’s girlfriend Candice Locke, who had arrived injured on the teenager’s doorstep.
The strange circumstances surrounding the stabbings at Mr Webber’s North Queensland home in 2018 are being examined as part of an ongoing inquest.
He was deemed by police to have acted in self defence when he picked up a knife to protect himself and Ms Locke, 30, when the men stormed his home.
Evidence was put before the coroner that Mr Davy and Mr Christensen were stabbed by a terrified Mr Webber when they tried to break into the home to get to Ms Locke.
In harrowing triple-0 calls played during the inquest, Mr Webber can be heard begging for police to come to his home because men were outside trying to break in and he feared for his life.
In the third of three emergency calls, a clearly distressed Mr Webber is heard telling the operator: “I need police right
now I’ve just stabbed a bloke who broke into my house.”
Sobbing he says: “They broke into my house. There’s blood everywhere. I think I killed him. I was scared for my life. The other two are going to kill me.”
Mr Webber has never been charged over the October 1, 2018 fatal stabbings and he has never made a written statement about it.
Mr Webber, who was only 19 at the time, had been excused from giving verbal evidence during the coronial
inquest after his lawyers argued he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
But the families of Mr Davy and Mr Christensen challenged the coroner’s decision, saying they desperately wanted answers about the circumstances of the tragedy.
After a hearing of the matter in February, Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony Rafter handed down his decision yesterday.
Mr Christensen’s wife, Jaye Christensen, said the decision was upsetting.
The mum-of-two said there were “clear inconsistencies” in Mr Webber’s story, and he needed to be cross examined.
“Myself and my legal team will be meeting next week to discuss our next steps,” she told the Townsville Bulletin.
Mr Davy’s tearful family expressed their disappointment at the judge’s decision outside court yesterday.
“It’s not the result we were after, we’re very disappointed,” Mr Davy’s mother Heather Davy said.
“Now it’s back to the cor
oner’s court and we’ll go from there I guess.
“We feel that the person who has taken those two lives should be questioned.”
Mrs Davy said there would be a “massive difference” in the evidence able to be gathered if Mr Webber is allowed to give evidence in writing instead of verbally.
“He will be questioned and not have to give answers as to how this came about,” the grieving mum said.
Mr Davy’s brother Josh said he was shocked such a decision could be made in this country in 2021.
“He was a beautiful young man in the prime of his life just discovering Australia on an adventure headed north and then his life has just been ended,” Mr Davy said of his brother.
“One human being has taken the life of two human beings.”
Mr Davy’s father Neil said the outcome was “not acceptable”.
“Our beautiful son Tom was a person Australia or the world cannot afford to lose,” he said.
At the Supreme Court hearing in February barrister Mark Plunkett said by being confined to written examination of the witness, lawyers for the next-of-kin were being denied the right to properly crossexamine him.
He submitted that the Deputy State Coroner did not have the power under the Coroners Act to make the order.
“It is impossible to test veracity or credit by means of sterile questions and answers in writing,’’ Mr Plunkett said.
He said it was very unusual that a person who admitted to killing two men was not going to be cross-examined.
At the hearing, counsel for the Attorney-general Matthew Hickey said the question was whether the Deputy State Coroner had the power to make the decision.
He said a coroner had broad power under the Coroners Act to give directions or make orders, including about the mode of cross-examination.
Mr Hickey said it was the first time the Supreme Court was being called upon to consider the scope of a coroner’s power and the court should be hesitant to interfere with the decision.
ONE of the state’s most experienced police officers is heading back to his North Queensland roots after being trusted to lead the region as the new top cop.
Freshly-minted Assistant Commissioner Mark Wheeler will trade in his life at the Gold Coast for Townsville, where he has been promoted as the new head of the Northern Region.
Mr Wheeler distinguished himself leading the police response to Queensland’s border closures through COVID-19, where he oversaw the closure of multiple border crossings last year.
The mammoth operation saw more than one million cars processed through the Gold Coast’s checkpoints, with almost 30,000 people refused entry.
Mr Wheeler said he was humbled by the promotion, and was eager to start in the North in about a month.
“I feel privileged and humbled by the role and I am grateful for the trust that the commissioner has in me for a really challenging region,” Mr Wheeler said.
Mr Wheeler knew the issues plaguing North Queensland too well, after growing up in Bowen and working in the Far North for almost a decade earlier in his service.
“There are unique complexities for every region across the state, but I know a lot of what’s concerning the community in the North.”
Mr Wheeler replaces Assistant Commissioner Brett Schafferius, who is headed to Cairns to lead the new Far Northern Region, which will officially be operational by July 1.
The massive task to split the region was announced by Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll in February last year to take the pressure off police after youth crime hit highest ever rates. Mr Wheeler was eager to get his boots on the ground and spend time listening to the police teams, community and partner agencies on the issues surrounding the city’s youth crime crisis.
Getting a proper grip on the city’s issues was a fundamental first step for Mr Wheeler before any changes were made.
Mr Wheeler said he was keen to work with Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon, who has been promoted as the head of the newly-appointed Youth Justice Taskforce.
“I’ve already had conversations with her … I’ll be working very closely with Cheryl who will no doubt be in the region regularly.”
Mr Wheeler assured the community he would be transparent, and keep it informed on the work police were doing.
A REGISTERED nurse will be the first person in Townsville to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
Today, the Townsville University Hospital Pfizer Hub will get up and running with nurse Rebecca Dejong the first to be inoculated.
This comes as Townsville nears the 12-month anniversary of its first COVID-19 case on March 14 last year.
The Townsville hub is the last of six across the state to become operational.
Ms Dejong said she was proud to be the first person in Townsville to receive the vaccination.
“I’ve worked in the testing clinics since June last year and I am so relieved the vaccine is here,” she told the Bulletin.
“I was born in the Netherlands and have a lot of family in Europe, which has been worrying because it has been much worse there with over one million cases and 15,000 deaths.
“In Townsville we have been fortunate to not have had significant numbers of COVID-19 but it doesn’t underestimate the importance of being vaccinated.”
Health and Ambulance Services Minister Yvette D’ath will be in Townsville to launch the vaccination hub.
Frontline workers will be the first Townsville residents to receive the vaccine. “Getting them vaccinated early on is a crucial part of our fight against COVID-19,” Ms D’ath said.
“I cannot overstate how proud I am of our hardworking staff in Townsville for getting this vaccination hub up and running.”
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said that a year ago, she did not expect the state would have reached this milestone by this stage.
“I am excited for Townsville. I am excited for everyone getting the vaccine today and I am excited for Queensland,” she said.
“I am encouraging everyone to get vaccinated when it is their turn in the queue. I certainly know I will be.”
Townsville Hospital and Health Service chief executive Kieran Keyes said this was a critical step for the Townsville community.
“We’ve spent the past 12 months putting health workers on the frontline in our ED, COVID-19 isolation ward and at our numerous drivethrough testing clinics and this vaccine offers an essential safeguard for these people,” Mr Keyes said.
The Astrazeneca vaccine will soon be distributed to Queensland by the federal government, which will allow for broader distribution.
>>More information about the vaccine rollout is available on the Queensland Health website.
A POLICE manhunt was launched in the Cranbrook area yesterday afternoon after a carjacking was thwarted by a bystander at the Healthlink Family Medical Centre.
A 55-year-old woman was assaulted in the car park by would-be thieves who tried to steal her car.
District duty officer Senior Sergeant Robert Dusha said multiple crews rushed to the scene about 3.45pm.
“Initial reports were that a male person had unlawfully entered a vehicle and assaulted a female at that location,” Senior Sergeant Dusha said.
“It appears that a bystander has intervened and attempted to stop the offender from stealing the car and in the process she has
also been assaulted,” the policeman said.
It appears the female bystander jumped into the back seat of the vehicle and immobilised it, forcing the two would-be thieves to flee on foot.
Police established a cordon around nearby parkland opposite KFC Cranbrook.
An adult male suspect was taken into custody at 4.05pm, with police continuing to
search for a female suspect in the long grass.
Police found a knife but it was unclear if it was used during the robbery.
The dog squad arrived and flushed out the juvenile female suspect who surrendered to police at 4.35pm.
“We have an operation running at the moment in relation to property crime so we had a large number of staff available to respond to these
types of incidents,” Sergeant Dusha said.
“As a result, we had about 30 staff who were able to come straight in and set up a cordon around part of the grassland.”
While the robbery attempt seemed random, police had been searching for the male suspect in relation to other matters. The female carjacking victim was hospitalised with unknown injuries.
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