Dying well in WA: 10 on board Nitschke's nitrogen

Euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke will be speaking in Perth tomorrow. Source: The Australian

THE man dubbed Australia's 'Dr Death' will show people at a Perth workshop how to use a new euthanasia product that claims to be quick, legal and totally undetectable.

And Exit International founder Dr Philip Nitschke says around 10 people from WA have already pre-ordered the nitrogen-based product - and he expects more to follow suit.

Nitrogen, he said, would not show up in an autopsy and the system used to administer it meant an individual would not need help. However the equipment used would need to be removed afterwards.

Despite this, Dr Nitschke said it was still one of the better legal options available.

In WA, the maximum penalty for assisted suicide is life imprisonment - the toughest penalty in the country.

"You don't need any help and that is why this is legal. Your partner may wish to be with you but they don't have to do anything," he said.

"You can do it all yourself. Suicide itself is not a crime.

"But of course assisting is. And in WA it's a crime that can attract life imprisonment."

Dr Nitschke said he knew of five people in Australia who had used the nitrogen-based product, which starves the brain of oxygen. It has been available in Australia for the past six months.

He explained the nitrogen was "brewed" in a certain way to ensure a peaceful death.

And because the product can be used for other means, he claimed it was legal.

"We set up a brewing company to do this," Dr Nitschke said.

"There are legal questions around helping people die. Because this can be used in several ways it can't solely be argued that this just a system to help people die. It can be used for several reasons.

"It can provide people quite a quick, peaceful, totally legal and totally undetectable death. In that sense I will be explaining to that people tomorrow.

"This is the only option for un-detectability. If you die and someone takes away the equipment, no one will know you have died. Nitrogen is unique in that way. "

Anti-euthanasia groups say the product could be used with malicious intent and did require the involvement of a second party, which was illegal.

Around 60 people have pre-booked for Saturday's Dying Well in the West event at the Wembley Community Centre.

For those seeking support or for anyone feeling distressed, call Lifeline 131 114, Mensline 1300 789 978 or Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.

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Why you can't get that concert ticket

Want to go to the Pink concert? These tickets are harder to come by than you think, says the author of a new book. Picture: Supplied Source: news.com.au

• Tell us about your experiences buying tickets in the comments below

WE'VE all been there. It's 9am, you've logged onto Ticketmaster with all the hope in the world. Your dreams are pinned on getting those A-reserve seats for that concert, game, once-in-a-lifetime gig. You've got your credit card at the ready.

But by 9.02am your dreams are over - you can't even score a spot up in the nose-bleed section. The concert is SOLD OUT.

Wait, how did that happen? How did tens of thousands of tickets come and go within the blink of an eye? How did you end up empty handed when you've been staring at the screen for an hour?

It's an all too familiar scenario for Aussie music, sports and concert lovers. Just this week promoters announced that tickets to the sought-after Splendour in the Grass festival sold out in under an hour. Similarly all tickets to the up-coming British Lions rugby tour sold out in less than 15 minutes.

The fact is we're all getting scammed and it's out of hand, says Dean Budnick, co-author of Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped.

Budnick became so despondent with the sky-high prices of impossible-to-purchase tickets that he decided to investigate the inner workings of the ticketing industry, along with his Relix magazine colleague, Josh Baron.

Here, in a news.com.au exclusive, Budnick, who interviewed more than 100 people in the industry for the book, explains what's gone wrong and why it's almost impossible to get a ticket to anything anymore.

This man is ecstatic. Because it's extraordinarily hard to get your hands on a ticket these days. Picture: Jeff Herbert Source: news.com.au

How does an arena that seats 80,000 sell out in two minutes?

A very small percentage of seats are available to purchase during the initial general sale.

"Before that time a lot of artists have committed their ticket inventory to credit card companies they have alliances with, to their fan clubs for pre-sale, to the promoter who has a variety of opportunities, to sponsors and to the venue," explains Budnick. "Plus they also keep some inventory for themselves and the secondary market (more on this to come)."

At Justin Bieber's Nashville show in February, only seven per cent of tickets to the show were available to purchase at the general sale, meaning 93 per cent of tickets had already been set aside for other partners.

At Taylor Swift's US concerts, just 15 per cent of tickets were available at the advertised on-sale date. For Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana tour, the numbers were similar, about 15 to 20 per cent.

The moral of the story? "If you don't have a ticket before the general on-sale, you're going to find it extraordinarily challenging," says Budnick.

But Matthew Lazarus-Hall, CEO of Chugg Entertainment, disagrees and told news.com.au that this concept was a "very American thing".

"I wouldn't say it's prevalent in Australia at all," he said. "I can't speak for everyone else, but I would say for Chugg Entertainment, it's always greater than 55-60 per cent in all price categories."

Just seven per cent of Justin Bieber's concert tickets went on sale to the public during the general sale. Picture: AP Source: news.com.au

What is a "secondary market"?

The "secondary market" is a term given to the online re-sale platforms such as eBay, Gumtree and StubHub in the US which allow people (or scalpers) to re-sell tickets they have already purchased.

"Because of these secondary markets there are so many people who are aggressively competing online for tickets," says Budnick. "Some are professional ticket brokers and scalpers who know how much tickets to the really hot shows are worth. Others are mums, dads or uni students trying to make a bit of extra money."

Budnick says artists are now even scalping their own tickets by keeping a number and re-selling them to these online platforms for inflated prices.

Artists now realise the profit that can be made on places like eBay and so as a result, they demand a certain allotment of tickets in their riders which they are then able to directly on-sell on the secondary market.

"Katy Perry is known to do this," says Budnick. "Let's say her tickets go on sale for $100 and then two hours later they sell for $200 - that gets pretty frustrating for the artists' manager and to the artist, so they want a taste, too.

"The way one of the managers described it to me was 'look, somebody is sitting in front of this computer, smoking a cigar who is not involved at all in this show, he's just sitting there making all this money off us, we deserve a little bit of that money."

It's a full house at the A League Grand Final - but how many people managed to buy their tickets during the general on-sale? Picture: Taylor Adam Source: news.com.au

How do scalpers get so many tickets?

Aside from everyday people buying and re-selling tickets there are professional ticket brokers and scalpers making a really good living out of writing computer programs which utilise "bots".

"I know one individual and his team who got 700,000 tickets in 2007 through mechanisation and computer programs," says Budnick. "There are these computer programs that are working simultaneously to try to get in and get tickets.

"They flood the website with hundreds of thousands of attempts so that even if their program fails to interpret the security captcha code, it's all the more challenging for other people to get in and get tickets. It's a real problem."

AFL and NRL Grandfinal tickets go on sale, Ticketek is down. Again. Picture: Supplied Source: news.com.au

Why are tickets so expensive in the first place?

Forking out $150 for a One Direction concert ticket is a big ask for a 14-year old, and Budnick says most of the blame lies with the artist.

"The price is controlled by an artist who asks for a guaranteed percentage of the ticket price, this can be as high as 100 per cent," says Budnick.

This is why many venues add their own additional charges onto tickets and charge a fortune for parking, alcohol and food.

"A lot of people assume it's the cost of delivering the ticket, but service fees are a profit centre for the promoter and the venues and quite frankly they're also an additional profit centre for the artists who will not only take the money that they're getting from the ticket, but they'll also take a little bit of the money from that service fee as well," says Budnick.

In October last year, Choice magazine named Ticketmaster and Ticketek in its annual "Shonky" awards for shoddy services. They cited a November Elton John concert sold by Ticketmaster and held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. The ticket price was $119.90, but after adding the credit card surcharge of $2.64 and a handling fee of $9.50, consumers were up for $132.04.

In response, Ticketek Australia managing director Cameron Hoy said consumers often did not understand the real costs that underpinned the company's charges, adding "our fees include labour, dispatch, handling and the cost of technology that supports the scanning of these tickets".

Some fans have become so frustrated trying to buy tickets online, they now camp overnight in the hope of buying a ticket from an outlet. Picture: Mark Evans Source: news.com.au

So, how can you increase your chances of getting a ticket at face value price?

• Establish a relationship and a loyalty with the promoter, so you can sign up early to pre-sales and fan clubs
• See if your credit card company, such as Visa, has pre-sale tickets available
• If you're buying online on the day of general sale, log on early and be in the system before 9am
• Follow the promoters, the venue, the fan clubs and the artists on social media to pick up on special offers
• If you are looking for a ticket in the "secondary market" – wait. As it gets closer to the show, some get nervous and drop the price. "I have a friend who went to 18 concerts in a row and he actually paid less than the ticket price because he waited and scalped the scalpers," Budnick says.
• Consider buying on your mobile rather than your desktop, says Lazarus-Hall, as the "bots" can't work on mobiles.
• Read the frequently asked questions on the promoter or ticket-sellers website before you buy so you understand how the sale process works

Dean Budnick and Josh Baron's book, Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped is available through Penguin Books.

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Tech-savvy kids can't push a pencil

Using both a blackboard and a tablet at home in Adelaide, Jack Loy has the write stuff. Picture: Calum Robertson Source: News Limited

PRIMARY school children are losing their handwriting skills, as touch-screen pinching, swiping and typing and a lack of physical exercise leaves them with underdeveloped arm and hand muscles.

Teachers have warned a growing number of children will perform poorly in the upcoming May 14 NAPLAN tests, because their reliance on technology and sedentary lifestyles mean they lack the arm strength and skills to write answers quickly and concisely.

Educators have also taken a swipe at the tests themselves, saying the national curriculum is being forced on children too early and the pressure to achieve key National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy goals leaves teachers with no time to engage children in play-based learning.

The warning from teachers and early education specialists comes as schools launch their own programs to develop students' motor skills and parents seek outside support from occupational therapists.

But a spokesperson from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, which sets the curriculum and the NAPLAN tests, denied students were being restricted in play-based learning, saying "creativity" is "to be taught explicitly across all learning areas as part of the general capability of critical and creative thinking".

The spokesperson said handwriting was included in the curriculum from Prep to Year 7, but if students' handwriting continued to deteriorate, ACARA "might entertain" the idea of introducing the subject to the high school curriculum.

"The curriculum is a living document and is always subject to being looked at and altered as circumstances change, so if (handwriting) continues to be an issue we might entertain that down the road," the spokesperson said.

Sonja Walker, an English teacher of more than 25 years, has about 30 children, some as young as four, receiving weekly handwriting tuition and fine motor skills support at her occupational therapy centre, Kids First Children's Services, in Sydney's northern beaches area.

Ms Walker said 90 per cent of her students, most of them aged under nine, have handwriting problems as a result of the over use of technology.

"Children's inability to write at length and to have stamina to be able to express their ideas clearly and concisely ... has deteriorated, particularly over the past five years with the growing use of keyboards and other technical devices," she said.

"But the impact of technology isn't just that kids are typing, it's the fact that they are more sedentary in their lifestyle.

"For kids to have good handwriting they need ... strong muscles through the trunk of their body so their arms and hands and fingers are developed well enough to be able to write clearly and legibly and at length."

Queensland Teachers' Union President Kevin Bates said the number of children entering school without knowing how to hold a pencil properly was "alarming", with many so lacking in basic motor skills they are even stumped by scissors.

"The sorts of things that many of us would look at as being simply childish activities like working with playdough or dressing dolls or putting blocks together, those sorts of things are actually critical in developing those fine motor skills and actually lead to the task of writing," he said.

"Now students are being engaged in the traditional curriculum much earlier on. By moving more quickly to this formalised curriculum we're in fact robbing those kids of the opportunity to develop those skills."

Mr Bates said the pressure on teachers to have children ready for NAPLAN tests by Year 3 meant some were cutting "less important" subjects such as arts to make time to teach motor skills.

Occupational therapist Kimberley Strahan, of Adapt Healthcare in Maroochydore, Queensland, said there had been a noticeable increase in the number of children being referred by schools for fine motor skills therapy since the introduction of the iPad.

"Kids use the iPad to colour in, they use it to write, to learn to spell, and parents think they're a one-stop shop and that the iPad is going to fix their child," she said.

Ms Walker said handwriting was also a problem among teenagers, with her occupational therapists increasingly being asked to provide reports for high school students wanting to avoid handwriting in exam situations.

"(They) are being called upon to ... provide reports for schools for children who need special provisions in examination situations because they just can't write," she said.

"They can't spend two hours writing, or in the case of the HSC or the VCE they're doing a three hour examination where they have to write four essays and they can't do it."

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Hung jury in ex-cop pepper spray case

Former police officer Laurie Jim Bruni is accused of assaulting a man in 2010 by pepper spraying him in the face for no reason. Picture: Bohdan Warchomij Source: PerthNow

FOR the second time, a District Court jury has failed to reach a verdict in the case of a former police officer facing assault and corruption charges.

Laurie Jim Bruni, 56, was on trial this week over allegations he assaulted Robert O'Neill in 2010 by pepper spraying him in the face and pouring beer over him when he was found drunk and asleep in a car in Redcliffe.

Mr Bruni was also charged with corruptly making a false entry on the WA Police internal computer system to cover up the assault.

A trial over the same matter last year also resulted in a hung jury.

On October 23, 2010, Mr O'Neill, then aged 20, had been at a Curtin University party with friends.

Later that night he ended up alone in a car on Dunreath Drive near the Perth Airport's domestic terminal.

He said he got out of the car to urinate, and while doing so, he fell into a drain system near the road, covering himself in dirty water and mud.

Mr O'Neill then went back to the car and fell asleep.

The same night, officers from the Belmont police station were called to Dunreath Drive over reports of a dark-coloured utility driving recklessly.

Mr Bruni and his then-colleague Constable Kristy Stephen responded but did not see any vehicles as they drove the stretch of road.

They turned around and drove another length of Dunreath Drive, finding Mr O'Neill asleep in a car parked on the nature strip.

Const Stephen and Mr O'Neill alleged that while the officers dealt with him Mr Bruni pepper sprayed Mr O'Neill in the face and eyes for no reason.

When Mr O'Neill's mother came from Stoneville to pick him up, the young man complained of sore eyes, which he said were still sore and puffy the next day.

Const Stephen said she did not report the incident at first because she was intimidated by Mr Bruni's seniority and he told her to pretend it never happened.

However, Mr Bruni maintained that he never sprayed Mr O'Neill.

He says the young man complained to police of painful eyes which the then-officer told him was because Mr O'Neill was rubbing them with his hands that were covered in dirt from the fall in the drain.

Mr Bruni said he tried washing the 20-year-old's face with a bottle of water and a bottle of beer because they were the only fluids nearby.

He said he never used his pepper spray on Mr O'Neill, but at one stage he did reach for it because Mr O'Neill began behaving erratically and he accidentally discharged the spray while it was still in its holster on to his shirt and utility belt.

He said after the incident was over, he and Const Stephen went back to the station.

There he updated her entries about the incident on the internal computer system because he thought they did not have enough detail.

He said he did not include a mention about the pepper spray because he never intentionally fired it at Mr O'Neill so he did not have to file it.

During the course of the trial, the jury was told Mr Bruni's pepper spray can weighed 46.12g after the October 23 incident.

A full can weigh anywhere from 66g to 75g and an empty can weighs 32g.

The jury was also told WA Police have had to send pepper spray cans to the ChemCentre for testing after they discovered in November 2012 that 14 cans that had never been used were found to vary in weight from 60g to 75g, potentially leaving some officers short of pepper spray fluid if they needed to use it.

It is also protocol for officers to hand in their spray cans after any use to ensure they always have full cans on them.

Today, the jury deliberated for more than six hours before it was discharged.

Mr Bruni will next face a trial listing hearing on June 28. His bail was renewed.

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Tour Australia's most expensive home

Australia's most expensive home: 43 Saunders Street, Mosman Park WA $57.5m. Picture: Google Maps Source: Supplied

HITHERTO hidden behind high gates and security walls, the most expensive homes in Australia are now viewable via Google Maps and Street View for all to see.

Almost everyone enjoys secretly checking out that house down the street when it goes on the market: ultimately we're all nosy parkers.

But until recently, the lifestyles of the richest Australians stayed behind closed doors. Now, thanks to the web, anyone selling their multimillion dollar mansion is inviting 23m Australians in for a viewing, even though only the top one per cent can afford to buy.

Australia's most expensive home is a sprawling $57.5m Mosman Park property beside the Swan River in Perth. Bought by mining magnate Chris Ellison from heiress Angela Bennett in 2009, the home sold well below its original asking price of $70m.

Made up of three self-contained buildings, the vast 7567 square metre riverside mansion has its own private jetty, boathouse, tennis court, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, gym and cinema.

Australia's most expensive homes: 43 Saunders Street, Mosman Park WA $57.5m. Picture: Google Maps

Huge floor to ceiling windows offer spectacular views from the luxurious oak panelled rooms.

With a booming market swollen by mining wealth, it's no surprise that the priciest property in Australia is found in Western Australia.

Australia's most expensive homes: Altona, 54-56 Wunulla Road, Point Piper, NSW $54.5m. Picture: Google Maps

Historically, the most expensive homes in the nation have been found in the Sydney harbourside eastern suburbs of Vaucluse and Point Piper.

As Sydney starts to move after several years of flatness, industry insiders believe NSW may reclaim the top spot from WA.

Australia's most expensive homes: Coolong, 23-25 Coolong Road, Vaucluse, NSW $47m. Picture: Google Maps

This week, after years on the market, one of Sydney's most prestigious waterfront mansions, Altona in Point Piper, finally sold for $53m.

The Sydney record deal secured the property for a little-known Melbourne-based, Chinese-born businessman.

Australia's most expensive homes: Villa Veneto, 98 Wolseley Road, Point Piper, NSW $44m. Picture: Google Maps

With iconic Harbour Bridge views, Altona boats a glorious private pool deck built over the water, and a pool cabana bigger than many homes.

Expertly designed by Dods & Zuccon Architects, the eight-bedroom ivy covered Italianate residence over multiple levels boats a luxurious home theatre and rooftop entertaining deck with jacuzzi.

Australia's most expensive homes: 90 Wolseley Crescent, Point Piper, NSW $33m. Picture: Google Maps

Altona pips Coolong ($47m) in Vaucluse and Villa Veneto ($44m) and Craig-y-mor ($32.4m) in Point Piper for the top spot in Sydney.

The latter two properties are on Wolseley Road, at an average $20,500 a square metre the nation's priciest address.

Australia's most expensive homes: 19-20 Shakespeare Grove, Hawthorn, VIC, $25m. Picture: Google Maps

Wolseley Road is the ninth most expensive street on the planet according to the Wall Street Journal, some way behind Severn Road in Hong Kong, the Billionaire's Row with the world's most expensive real estate at $80,000 a square metre.

Melbourne's most pricey home is a $25m mansion on Shakespeare Grove in Hawthorn that boasts two swimming pools, basement parking for 10 cars, a massive gym and seven kitchens. How many ways are there to boil an egg?

Australia's most expensive homes: 213 Hedges Avenue, Gold Coast, QLD $11.5m. Picture: Google Maps

Queensland's most expensive home is an ocean-front $11.3m property on the Gold Coast's Hedges Avenue, which just pips the majestic $11.2m Farsley mansion in Hamilton Hill, Brisbane.

Perhaps surprisingly, an $8.5m home in Sandy Bay, Hobart sold to Tasmanian-born former Macquarie banker Greg Woolley is more pricey than the most expensive homes in the ACT (Mugga Way, Red Hill, $7.3m) South Australia (South Esplanade, Glenelg, $7m) and the resource-rich NT (Fannie Bay, Darwin $4.7m).

Australia's most expensive homes
$57.5m 43 Saunders Street, Mosman Park WA
$54.5 Altona, 54-56 Wunulla Road, Point Piper, NSW
$47m Coolong, 23-25 Coolong Road, Vaucluse, NSW
$44m Villa Veneto, 98 Wolseley Road, Point Piper, NSW
$33m 90 Wolseley Crescent, Point Piper, NSW
$32.4m Craig-y-mor, 73 Wolseley Road, Point Piper, NSW
$25m 19-20 Shakespeare Grove, Hawthorn, VIC
$11.5m 213 Hedges Avenue, Gold Coast, QLD
$11.2m 39 Eldernell Terrace, Brisbane, QLD
$8.5m 44 Waimea Avenue, Sandy Bay, TAS
$7.3m 27 Mugga Way, Red Hill, ACT
$7m 14 South Esplanade, Glenelg, SA
$4.7m 94 East Point Road, Fannie Bay, NT

Simon Crerar is News Limited's Visual Story Editor. Follow him at twitter.com/simoncrerar

Australia's most expensive homes: 39 Eldernell Terrace, Brisbane, QLD $11.2m. Picture: Google Maps

Australia's most expensive homes: 44 Waimea Avenue, Sandy Bay, TAS $8.5m. Picture: Google Maps

Australia's most expensive homes: 27 Mugga Way, Red Hill, ACT $7.3m. Picture: Google Maps

Australia's most expensive homes: 14 South Esplanade, Glenelg, SA, $7m. Picture: Google Maps

Australia's most expensive homes: 94 East Point Road, Fannie Bay, NT $4.7m. Picture: Google Maps

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Did you have a 'real' childhood?

Did you play in the rain as a child? Source: Supplied

That does look like fun. Picture: Kit Wise

FROM rolling down hills to birdwatching, these are the 50 activities every child should do before they turn 11 3/4. How many did you grow up doing?

More than four in five adults say their children spend less time playing outside than they did at their age, according to research by the UK's National Trust.

So, in an effort to entice youngsters away from their TV screens, the charity asked children to name their favourite outdoor activities. As a result, 15 fresh ideas - including running barefoot in the grass, star-gazing and exploring a cave - have been added to last year's list of '50 things to do before you're 11 3/4'.

The initiative followed a study that found if children do not form a connection with the great outdoors before they are 12, they are far less likely to later in life.

"In Australia, we are so lucky to have so many opportunities to get outside that are right on our doorstep" says Kidspot's mum of three Ella Walsh. "My family are so fortunate to live in an area where we are close to the beach as well as big open spaces where my kids can happily play for hours. They have grown up clambering over rocks, trawling for shells, and hunting for crabs. They learnt to ride their bikes on the coastal walkways and to kick a ball in the parks near our home."

Almost a third of the 1,700 youngsters who took part in the research said going on a long bike ride was their favourite outdoor pursuit.

Interestingly, another popular addition was bird watching, with one in ten children listing it in their top three outdoor activities. 

"Star gazing is a great one as well," Margaret Rafferty from Kidspot's Parent Exchange told news.com.au. "Last December I got my nine-year-old up at 1am so we could go and look at the Geminids meteor shower. It was such a special experience." 

And while it's puzzling to some, Kidspot's Ruth Devine loves the inclusion of conkers on the list. "Playing conkers was a rite of passage in our house growing up," she said. "We'd spend hours baking them in the oven or soaking them on vinegar to harden. Now I love doing this with my own kids. Gathering conkers is a favourite way to spend a blustery autumn day. And as for playing Pooh sticks, I cannot walk across a bridge without having a go and nor can my kids."

Here's the list - what are your favourites?

ADVENTURER

1. Climb a tree

2. Roll down a really big hill

3. Camp out in the wild 

4. Build a den 

5. Skim a stone 

6. Run around in the rain 

7. Fly a kite 

8. Catch a fish with a net

9. Eat an apple straight from a tree 

10. Play conkers (a game played using the seeds of horse-chestnut trees)

DISCOVERER

11. Go on a really long bike ride 

12. Make a trail with sticks 

13. Make a mud pie 

14. Dam a stream 

15. Play in the snow 

16. Make a daisy chain 

17. Set up a snail race 

18. Create some wild art 

19. Play Pooh sticks (A game played in Winnie the Pooh, where you drop a stick off the upstream side of a bridge to see whose comes out first downstream)

20. Jump over waves 

RANGER

21. Pick blackberries growing in the wild

22. Explore inside a tree 

23. Visit a farm

24. Go on a walk barefoot 

25. Make a grass trumpet 

26. Hunt for fossils and bones 

27. Go star gazing 

28. Climb a huge hill 

29. Explore a cave 

30. Hold a scary beast 

TRACKER

31. Hunt for bugs

32. Find some frogspawn 

33. Catch a falling leaf 

34. Track wild animals 

35. Discover what's in a pond 

36. Make a home for a wild animal 

37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool 

38. Bring up a butterfly 

39. Catch a crab 

40. Go on a nature walk at night

EXPLORER

41. Plant it, grow it, eat it 

42. Go swimming in the sea 

43. Build a raft 

44. Go bird watching 

45. Find your way with a map and compass 

46. Try rock climbing 

47. Cook on a campfire 

48. Learn to ride a horse 

49. Find a geocache 

50. Canoe down a river 

 - With Nick McDermott and Kate Midena

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Mother claims son tortured in Saudi

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says Australia must do all it can to help two WA brothers in Saudi Arabia.

The mother of Shayden Thorne, who is in a Saudi Arabian jail, with a picture of Shayden. Picture: Colin Murty Source: PerthNow

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says his department is working to secure the release of WA man Shayden Thorne, who is held in  a Saudi jail. Source: The Australian

Former Perth man Shayden Jamil Thorne, who is being held in custody awaiting trial in Saudi Arabia on suspected terrorism offences. Source: PerthNow

THE mother of a Perth man imprisoned in Saudi Arabia accused of terrorism-related activities says her son is being tortured as badly as a Guantanamo Bay inmate.

The woman said she only learnt overnight that Shayden Thorne, 25, was being tortured in the prison where he has been held for 18 months.

"According to the documents that I've received from the lawyer, I now know that he has been physically tortured,'' she told reporters in Perth today.

"He's been tied, hands and wrists behind his back, he's been punched in his genitals and he's passed out from that.

"His tying up has been for two weeks straight, as well as the sleep deprivation, bright lights and everything.

'It's like Guantanamo.''

The woman doubted Foreign Minister Bob Carr's claim the federal government had made 50 representations to Saudi Arabian authorities on Shayden's behalf and sent consular officials to visit him six times over the past 18 months.

"That's a stretch - not possible,'' she said.

"More like 15, not 50.''

She said Saudi authorities had linked her son to funding terrorism activities.

But not only did she not believe he was capable of supporting terrorists, he and his brother Junaid, 23, were both always short of money, like normal men of that age.

Junaid is now in hiding in Saudi Arabia after being arrested and detained for two months for protesting about his brother's imprisonment.

The men's mother said while it had been alleged Shayden had terrorist material on a laptop, the computer had been borrowed from a mosque or a friend to watch movies, and it had not been produced in the three court hearings that had been held so far.

A final hearing is expected late next month or early in June, when Shayden will learn his fate.

Responding to suggestions that Shayden could face the death penalty, she said, ``I haven't thought about that yet.''

"I guess he's going to be in prison for a long time.''

She feared the boys were "disadvantaged'' for being Aboriginal and Muslim - ironically in a Muslim country.

"Shame on them,'' she said of the Saudi government, ``that they're treating Muslims like that''.

The boys' aunt, Stephanie Riley, said the family was worried the Saudi secret service would make them "disappear''.

"We don't know what can happen,'' Ms Riley said.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr later disputed the claims of torture.

He said there had been more than 50 representations and six visits by embassy officials over 18 months to Mr Thorne, but his mother's claims were the first embassy staff had heard of torture complaints.

"On the contrary, I'm advised by our embassy that Mr Thorne has not informed them of any torture in prison - he's complained about a lack of sunlight, exercise and variations in food,'' he told Sky News.

"So, that's advice from my embassy. I have to rely on that ... that he has not made complaints to them in the contact they've had with him about torture.''

Senator Carr said he understood Mr Thorne's mother's distress.

"I just point out to her very politely, very respectfully, I do not have the capacity to bring them home,'' he said.

Carr defends department

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says the government is doing all it can to help the young West Australian.

Senator Carr has defended his department against claims it's done nothing to help Thorne, pointing to more than 50 representations and six visits by embassy officials over 18 months.

``We do our best for Australians who are in trouble overseas,'' he told reporters in Sydney.

``But if you're in trouble overseas, you're in trouble in a different jurisdiction, and Australian law does not apply.

``Shayden Thorne has chosen to live in Saudi Arabia. He's lived there for 12 years and the laws of Saudi Arabia apply to him.''

Thorne has been in custody since November 2011. His younger brother Junaid is in hiding in the country, apparently wanted by authorities for questioning after having previously been detained for two months.

The boys are Aboriginal and are Australian citizens but moved to Saudi Arabia with their father.

Thorne's mother,  from the south-eastern Perth suburb of Thornlie, who has asked not to be named, says her boys are innocent.

She says authorities found terrorist material on a laptop Shayden borrowed from a mosque but he knew nothing about it.

She raised his case in the media after becoming frustrated with the lack of progress on Shayden's case.

She claims Shayden has been tortured by Saudi authorities in the prison outside the capital Riyadh. She says both her boys want to come back to Perth.

The Thornlie woman described her 23 and 25 year-old sons as normal young boys.

"Carefree and easy going. I know they don't drink, they don't smoke or anything like that and they are into fitness and hanging out with their friends - that kind of stuff," she told Sky News in Perth.
 
"I couldn't travel over to Saudi Arabia even if I wanted to because I don't have the funds to do that."

"The day before yesterday Junaid contacted me and voiced his concerns about what was going to happen when they caught him."

She said Junaid was more confident now that they have gone to the media and he hopes something can now be done to help them.

She also questioned the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's handling of the case.

``I just think that they're not doing as much as what they should be doing to get my boys home.''

Senator Carr said he sympathised with the family but said the government was limited in what it could do.``We can't run a trial, we can't mount their defence for them,'' he said, adding he was concerned about the torture allegations.

Senator Carr again rejected calls for a new levy to help fund DFAT's consular activities.

Should know fate by June

The man's mother said Shayden should learn his fate by June.
 

She spoke with Shayden's lawyer on Wednesday night and was advised he should learn his fate in coming weeks.

``He told me that he's just spoken to the judge and the judge is going to convene the last hearing some time in May or June,'' she told 6PR's Fairfax radio today.

``And he did tell me that even after this hearing, if he is found innocent, that they are still going to keep him in prison for a month or two afterwards because that's just how slow the government are over there with the paperwork and everything.''

She said the lawyer advised her to ``put pressure on the government ... because he can come home sooner than that''.

Her other son Junaid is in hiding in Saudi Arabia because of fears he too will be arrested.

While Shayden came to the attention of authorities in late 2011, Junaid kept that information from his mother for some time, worried about the shock it would cause her.

She said she decided to inform the media on Wednesday as that was the best way to apply pressure in Saudi Arabia.

``Saudi authorities don't work well under pressure and as long we keep applying the pressure, he (the lawyer) said the boys will come home soon because there is no case.''

Junaid, 23, was previously detained for two months after taking part in a protest demanding Shayden's release.

Authorities have taken his passport and told him they want to speak with him again, but haven't said why.

``He's just afraid that they're going to arrest him again,'' his mother said.

``He doesn't want to go back to that prison.''

She insisted both sons were innocent and said there was "no evidence'' to back up the charges Shayden faced.

They moved to Saudi Arabia 18 years ago when their Muslim father, who is now divorced from their mother, was offered a job there.

Both sons studied finance at university, but Shayden had quit in the third year and started working, while Junaid had his name struck off the graduation list and now can't study.

They are Aboriginal, Australian citizens and had western tastes, but firstly identified as Muslims, she said.

They want to come back to Perth, where their mother returned after living in Saudi Arabia for about a year.

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Lotto frenzy for $60m jackpot prize

LOTTO FRENZY: WA players are queueing for tickets for tonight's $60 million jackpot draw. Source: Supplied

WA Lotto players have gone into a buying frenzy to get a ticket in tonight's $60 million jackpot draw.

Retailers are reporting long queues around WA as punters dare to dream about winning one of the biggest jackpots in WA Lotto history.

For only the second time in Powerball's history, the draw has jackpotted to $60 million.

The jackpot has grown because no winner has taken out Powerball's Division 1 prize for the past seven weeks.

WA has been no stranger to Powerball luck this year. Two months ago a Noranda family picked up Powerball's entire $20 million Division 1 prize pool after purchasing their ticket from The Lucky Charm in Noranda.

Lotterywest spokesperson Jodi Eastman said if tonight's Division 1 prize of $60 million is won by a Western Australian player, it would make local history as the largest Lotto prize ever won in our State.

"The largest prize ever won by a Western Australian Lotto player is $30 million but that could all change in an instant if one lucky local lines up their numbers tonight," she said.

The record $30 million Lotto prize has been won twice in Western Australia - in 2001 by a Perth southern suburbs couple and again in 2007 by a university student in his 20s.

Lotterywest also broke records last year after delivering a record $258 million to the Western Australian community in 2011/12.

Tickets for Powerball's $60 million jackpot are available until 6pm tonight from Lotterywest retailers across WA or from Play Online at www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au.

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Shower death boys' mum 'depressed'

An inquest is being held at the Perth Coroners Court in relation to the deaths of Miranda Hebble's two sons, who died after she put them in the shower and fell asleep at her Ellenbrook home in 2008. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

CARDBOARD was found inside a shower drain where two young boys died when they were left alone for 10 hours, an inquest in Perth has heard.

The West Australian coroner is examining the deaths of Lochlan James Stevens, aged two, and Malachi Isaac Stevens, 10 months.

They died in November 2008 after their mother, Miranda Hebble, left them in the shower and fell asleep or passed out for 10 hours.

A police video was shown in court today, revealing a hair dryer plugged in and numerous items in the shower, including cardboard in the drain.

There were also clothes and towels blocking the door, and magazines and nappies scattered.

Another video showed police re-enacting the flooding and measuring the depth of the water in which the boys would have been sitting.

Psychiatrist Felice Watt testified that although she could not diagnose Ms Hebble because she was not her patient, she displayed symptoms of post-natal depression.

Referring to notes made during a stint at Graylands Hospital after the deaths, Dr Watt said Ms Hebble exhibited symptoms including sleeplessness, anxiety, appetite loss, isolation, weight loss and a lack of energy.

Dr Watt said each factor alone could not determine a diagnosis, but together provided a "snapshot'' into Ms Hebble's state.

However, she added she did not have the "whole picture'' about what Ms Hebble was thinking or feeling at the time.

Despite having no history of depression, Ms Hebble could have experienced mental illness, due to the "psychiatric pressures'' of raising two children, that went untreated.

Ms Hebble's history indicated she suffered from migraines and iron deficiency, Dr Watt said.

She also told medical staff she had a ``weak body'', became tired easily and often wanted to be alone so she would push people away.

Dr Watt said mothers often felt shame about admitting they were struggling to cope, which was why child health nurses were important, but Ms Hebble was not seeing her nurse regularly.

Coroner Alistair Hope commented that Dr Watt's evidence highlighted the danger that existed for some women who were alone, isolated and not in much contact with the outside world when they were "stuck'' at home raising children.

Dr Watt said those mothers were most at risk of post-natal depression.

Ms Hebble will testify next week.

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RSPCA investigates horse shooting

The RSPCA is investigating the shooting of a horse in Anketell. Picture: Supplied. Source: PerthNow

THE RSPCA is seeking witnesses after a horse was repeatedly shot in Anketell last week.

Veterinary surgeons removed 23 pellets from the horse's head and torso after it was rushed to Baldivis Veterinary Hospital for emergency treatment.

It is believed the shooting occurred on Wednesday 24th of April near Treeby Road.

A group of horses escaped from their owner's property after 9.30am that morning and were found at about 1pm.

The horse's owner contacted the RSPCA Cruelty hotline on ANZAC Day.

He said the horse was bleeding with what appeared to be wounds inflicted from a shotgun.

The horse is still being treated for severe injuries and may lose its right eye.

RSPCA chief inspector Simon Eager said shooting a tame horse was "an appalling act of cruelty."

"The public are reminded that such acts of animal cruelty can attract up to a $50,000 fine and five years imprisonment," Mr Eager said.

If anyone has any information about the incident they are urged to call the RSPCA Cruelty hotline on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 3589).

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