Pilot case collapses
‘White flag’ raised in aircraft tampering prosecution
A NORTH Queensland pilot accused of tampering with rival aircraft has had the charges against him sensationally dropped just days into his trial.
The Crown prosecution in the case against Josh Hoch declared at the Supreme Court sitting in Mount Isa on Monday that they would not be continuing with the seven charges, which related to interfering with planes.
Justice James Henry said the Crown’s case had limited hard evidence and was a theory based on assumptions.
Mr Hoch, then 31, was charged with 342 offences in January 2017 following a multi-agency investigation into the alleged tampering of aircraft at Mount Isa Airport.
Police also alleged that Mr Hoch flew members of Katter’s Australian Party around North Queensland without the proper licensing between 2012 and 2016.
Mr Hoch’s trial had been expected to run for three weeks but came to an abrupt end on its sixth day when Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate entered a nolle prosequi, which meant they were not proceeding with the charges, which related to interfering with planes and associated sabotage.
Justice Henry told the jury that he was visited by the prosecution on Monday morning and had been told that information had emerged explaining “innocent circumstances”.
Justice Henry said the prosecution’s “real challenge” was to prove motive and opportunity, and that
Mr Hoch had knowledge only the offender would know.
“So that, against background, it’s perhaps unsurprising then that the prosecution put up a white flag and have dropped the case,” Justice Henry said.
The initial charges arose in October 2016, when another pilot reported damage to his plane for the second time in a year.
The other pilot, from Macquarie Pilot Centre, claimed three of his planes had been tampered with by having a contaminant poured into the fuel tanks of the aircraft.
When the engines fired, the contaminant caused catastrophic damage to the aircraft, grounding the planes for months.
Justice Henry said the evidence pinning Mr Hoch to the alleged crimes was lacking.
“There was no sighting of him in the relevant area at the relevant time to the exclusion of other possible contenders to say he must have done it,” Justice Henry said.
“The closest we got was that he watched his competition from time to time.
“That was never going to be enough, either, members of the jury.
“It has been officially concluded, it was not sufficient to pursue a case.”
Justice Henry said he did not know why the prosecution only realised part-way through the trial that there was not enough evidence.
The Townsville Bulletin understands the remaining charges against Mr Hoch are still progressing through the district and magistrates courts, but it is not known if this move will affect those charges.
A PRIME mover carrying an Australian Defence Force armoured vehicle burst into flames, causing thousands of dollars of damage and shutting a major road.
Emergency services were called to Hervey R Range Road just before 1pm on Sunday. The M113 ar armoured logistics vehicle was damaged beyond re repair, with images showing molten metal dr dripping off the incinerated vehicles.
It is understood the vehicle had been in se service with the Townsville-based 2nd Cavalry Re Regiment for several years and was to be retired.
A Queensland Police spokesman said fuel lea leaked on to the bed of the truck and ignited the fir fire, which damaged both vehicles and the road, ne near the intersection of Hervey Range Road and Ell Elliott Road. No ADF personnel or civilians were injured in the incident.
The fire caused significant delays on the road, which was closed for about eight hours, with a single lane reopening about 8.15pm on Sunday.
Brigadier Kahlil Fegan, Commander of 3rd Brigade, said the reason two military vehicles caught fire en route to the Townsville Field Training Area for an exercise was “unknown”.
“After identifying the fire, the two soldiers in the vehicle were able to quickly detach the trailer, contact emergency services, attempt to fight the fire and facilitate traffic control,” he said.
“Their quick actions ensured the safety of all personnel and minimised damage to the equipment and environment where possible.”
THE Townsville property market recovered in 2020 and has entered 2021 rising strongly, according to the Hotspotting report.
The report, released by property commentator Terry Ryder, says the Townsville market has been helped by the diversity of the local economy, the level of infrastructure spending and the $25,000 Homebuilder grant.
“Numerous large projects supported by public and private investment of around $11bn are either under way or in the pipeline,” the report says.
“These include projects in defence, transport, tourism, energy and education which would create 1500 jobs.”
The report says the development of Adani’s Carmichael coal project is also spurring the economy with contracts worth in excess of $500m awarded from the company’s quarters in Townsville.
The report says the city’s new sports stadium opened in February 2020 and numerous upgrades to road and rail transport, costing close to $1bn, are being carried out.
“Unemployment continues to trend downwards while the housing market has seen good price growth in the last year, supported by tight vacancy rates,” the report says.
The Hotspotting report forecasts continuing substantial price growth for the region.
According to the REIQ Quarterly Market Monitor for the September Quarter, Townsville recorded the second highest price growth in the state – 3.1 per cent, just behind Noosa at 3.6 per cent and ahead of the Sunshine Coast at 1.8 per cent.
In the same quarter, data from property firm Herron Todd White showed house sales were trending around head260 per month, level since 2009.
This was 37 per cent above the level of September 2019 and was likely boosted by the federal government’s HomeBuilder grants scheme.
According to the report, the biggest uplift in prices in Townsville over the past 12 months was recorded at Hermit Park where the median house price is $340,000 following a 23 per cent increase.
Mt Louisa recorded an per cent rise, producing house median of $375,000.
It says housing affordability is a key attraction of the Townsville market.
Six suburbs have median house prices of $350,000 or under, while Cranbrook, Gulliver and Kelso have median prices in the $200,000s.
The prestige market in Townsville is also gaining momentum with an increase in sales volume of houses priced over $1.5m. the highest 11 a
A CORONER has detailed the next steps in the Alva Beach double stabbing inquest just days after her decision to allow key witness Dean Webber to give evidence in writing was upheld.
Deputy state coroner Jane Bentley ordered Mr Webber be given designated questions from the lawyers involved in the inquest by the end of the month, with his evidence likely to be on her desk by April.
Ms Bentley ordered the 21year-old be excused from giving evidence in person at the highly anticipated inquest at Cairns in October, which is investigating the deaths of Thomas Davy and Corey Christensen.
Mr Webber stabbed Mr Davy and Mr Christensen on the 2018 NRL grand final night when they came into his Alva Beach home looking for Mr Davy’s girlfriend, Candice Locke.
Ms Locke was inside Mr Webber’s Topton Street home after she arrived at his doorstep with an injured shoulder after falling off a buggy.
Mr Davy, a lover of the outdoors, and Mr Christensen, a father of two, died outside the home.
Mr Webber has never been charged after police deemed early in the investigation that he was acting in self-defence.
The five-day inquest last year heard from multiple witnesses, including police, ambulance operators, friends and Ms Locke, probing the lead-up to the deaths and the emergency response issued.
Mr Webber was set to also give evidence at the inquest but was excused from giving verbal evidence after his lawyers argued he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and would not be able to handle being cross-examined. Ms Bentley agreed and ordered he give evidence in writing.
The families of Mr Davy and Mr Christensen challenged this decision in the Supreme Court but Acting Justice Anthony Rafter handed down his decision to dismiss the review on March 4.
The Townsville Bulletin can confirm that lawyers will have up until March 19 to submit their questions to Mr Webber, with a seven-day consult period to allow the parties to see each other’s questions and add any extras.
The final questions are expected to be provided to the coroner by March 26.
A spokesman for the Coroners Court of Queensland said “sometime” after this date, Ms Bentley would forward the questions to Mr Webber.
He would have 72 hours to respond.
No further inquest have been scheduled.
Mr Christensen’s wife Jaye said she was disappointed with the ruling when the decision was handed down, and she would be meeting with her lawyers to determine the next step. dates