Yup, it's another ear-biting

A KALGOORLIE man is facing assault charges after biting off part of a security guard's ear during a brawl outside a pub.

The 28-year-old man got in to a fight with the bouncer outside the Kalgoorlie hotel just after 1am Saturday morning.

Police allege the man then bit part of the security guard's ear off.

The victim, a 31-year-old man, was treated and discharged from Kalgoorlie hospital but is likely to need surgery on his ear.

A South Kalgoorlie man was charged with Assault Occasioning Bodily Harm.
 

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Tourist critical after stair fall

A BELGIAN tourist is in a critical condition after falling seven metres down a set of stairs at a Fremantle hostel.

The 26-year-old man suffered serious injuries after falling down the stairs at the High St hostel just before 6am this morning.

He was taken by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

Police are investigating the circumstances around the incident but believe it was an accidental fall.

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Car rollover injures mum and kids

A CAR rollover in Two Rocks has left a woman and two children injured.

The accident happened around 1.30pm, leaving the woman with suspected spinal injuries.

Ambulances took the mother and her children to Joondalup Health Campus.

The children have minor injuries.

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No thank you for organ donor families

Derryn Hinch is shocked that few organ donor families receive thank you letters from the donor recipient. Picture: Supplied Source: PerthNow

DERRYN Hinch says he is shocked that most people will say thank you for a bottle of wine this Christmas - but fail to express the same level of gratitude to the families of organ donors who have saved their lives.

Speaking at the opening of the Donor Awareness Fountain in Geraldton today, the outspoken broadcaster said just 10 per cent of the state's donor families received a letter of thanks from transplant recipients.

``That's why I'm amazed when people won't, that donors don't get letters back from recipients saying: `Thank you,'' Mr Hinch told the crowd.

``Come Christmas later this month, you get a bottle of wine, you say: `Thank you'. I can't believe that people who get the gift of life are that ignorant or that rude.

``Some, I'll admit on their behalf, when I talk to them, (they say) they're scared - they don't know what to say. One man said: `I've tried writing four times, I just cry', and he can't do it.''

The fountain is the brainchild of Geraldton couple Bruce and Karen McDowell, who lost their daughter, Alysha, in a car accident four years ago. Alysha's wish to become a tissue donor was able to be honoured because the family had discussed the sensitive subject just two weeks before her death.

Mr McDowell said the fountain aimed to promote discussion about organ and tissue donation, offer a place of reflection for families, and honour those who have donated.

Mr Hinch said he travelled to Pittsburg after his life-saving liver transplant last year to personally thank Thomas Starzl, who performed the first human liver transplant fifty years ago.

``He said: `Derryn, it was an honour to meet you','' Mr Hinch recalled. ``And to see in you, in person, the international ripples of my crazy dream that I thought of 50 years ago.''
He said ``that man's dream is now with'' the McDowell family.

Mr Hinch urged West Australians to discuss organ and tissue donation with their families.

``The sad thing is even if you're on the donor list, more than 50 per cent of families will go against your wish,'' he said.

``I believe in the opt-out system, not the opt-in system... if the question was not: `Will you donate your organs?', but: `Will you accept one?', the answer would be about 95 per cent yes.''

Mr McDowell thanked the Combined Universities Centre for Rural Health, the WA Country Builders, the City of Greater Geraldton and Alysha's friend, Emma Fane, who donated their time and support to help raise money and make the fountain a reality.

Visit www.donatelife.gov.au for more information.
 

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Man dies after being hit by bus

A PEDESTRIAN has died after being hit by a bus in Cockburn Central.

The accident occurred around 2.15pm near the North Lake Rd and Beeliar Drive intersection.

The man was taken by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital where he died from his injuries.

Major Crash officers are investigating the incident.

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Unusual and early: WA parliament prorogued

'UNUSUAL MOVE': Premier Colin Barnett announced the termination of all business in the WA Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council for the year. Source: News Limited

WA parliament has been prorogued, bringing an end to parliamentary business almost three months ahead of the state election.

Premier Colin Barnett announced today that Governor Malcolm McCusker had made the proclamation on the advice of Executive Council, terminating all business in the WA Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council for the year.

It means bills not passed by both houses must be reintroduced in the next session.

Mr Barnett said the State Government would probably go into caretaker mode in early February.

The WA election is scheduled for March 9.

Political commentator Peter Kennedy said the move was unusual.

"It's very early to do that. That is very unusual," he told AAP.

"Normally ... the election has been called four or five weeks out, and then parliament is prorogued.

"If there's an emergency situation, I think it prevents parliament from being reformed between now and March 9, unless there's some sort of constitutional matter between the government and the Governor."

While standing committees appointed by either house still exist, they may not meet and do business. Select committees cease to exist.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said the decision had been made "far too early ... especially while some key contentious public issues still need to be fully investigated".

"Investigations into the Peel Health Campus, the real cost of major infrastructure projects and the true state of Western Australia's finances are all matters that need to be completed and put into the public arena," Mr McGowan said.

"This cynical ploy by the premier will prevent proper scrutiny and demonstrates his priorities are not in the best interests of Western Australians."

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Tough WA party laws take effect Saturday

NEW LAWS: Tougher laws to combat unruly parties, such as the out-of-control party in Piara Waters where 500 drunken youths went on a rampage, come into effect this weekend. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

NEW WA laws combating out-of-control parties will come into effect on Saturday, just in time for the Christmas-New Year party blitz.

The laws, passed through parliament in late November, give police greater powers to deal with unruly gatherings and provide them with the ability to prosecute irresponsible party hosts.

Organisers face a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail and a fine of $12,000.

A party can be deemed to be out of control if there are 12 or more people attending and at least two people are engaging in criminal conduct, including disorderly behaviour and behaviour that causes fear or alarm to neighbours.

And police have the power to order the immediate dispersal of offenders and can arrest anyone who fails to comply.

WA Police recently spent $1.3 million acquiring two new 14-berth buses described as ``prison on wheels'', which will be used to house drunken and loutish revellers if they refuse to move on.

The buses come equipped with CCTV to record any criminal behaviour inside the bus.

``The message to partygoers over summer is simple: if police order you to disperse or to stop engaging in unlawful behaviour, and you don't, you can expect to be arrested, and find yourself in a cell on these buses,'' Police Minister Liza Harvey said.

The legislation followed a spate of out-of-control parties in Perth, usually brought about by the posting of event plans on social media.

In September, a teenager was stabbed, bricks were hurled at police and an ambulance was smashed up when about 500 youths, mainly juveniles, gathered at a party in Piara Waters in Perth's south-eastern suburbs.

``The community is sick to death of this sort of unruly, criminal behaviour, and the government supports police taking a robust stance when dealing with troublemakers,'' Ms Harvey said.
 

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No parking: Just 1000 car bays at new footy stadium

NO PARKING: The new 60,000-seat stadium will have just 1000 car parking bays, with fans expected to use public transport. Source: PerthNow

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Fans heading to the news Burswood Football stadium need to leave the car at home, with just 1000 bays available. Source: PerthNow

Master plan of the new Perth Stadium to be located at Burswood. Source: PerthNow

SPACES for just 1000 cars will be made available at Perth's new $1 billion stadium, as the state government revealed their vision for how Western Australia's football fans will travel to Australia's newest megastructure.

The transport plan for the replacement for Subiaco Oval on the Burswood Peninsula will feature a new $55 million footbridge sweeping across the iconic Swan River, and a purpose-built $150 million rail link to the new 60,000 seater stadium, which is due to start construction next year and be completed by 2018.

And with Perth's transport bosses insistent that over 80 per cent of a capacity crowd will arrive by foot or by public transport, Premier Colin Barnett insisted he would change Perth's "car culture'' by making it almost impossible to park at the new ground.

"This will be a cultural change for Perth,'' Mr Barnett said.

"This stadium is going to be superb, and will have the best facilities compared to any other stadium in Australia. People are going to come to games early and stay after the games.

"Transport to major stadiums throughout the world is by public transport, so Perth is going to have to make that change and I think people will endorse that.''

Only stadium workers and VIPs are expected to be given access to the stadium's car park.

But the enormity of persuading Perth's football crowds to take the train, bus or walk was laid out in the recent State of the Cities report, which highlighted that almost 80 per cent of people travel to work by car and only 12 per cent by public transport.

Only 2.6 per cent of people in Perth walk to work - the lowest of any capital city in the country.

Mr Barnett and transport bosses also admitted they would be urging the AFL not to schedule more Friday night games at the new stadium - regardless of the success of the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers - because of the logistical problems it could present.

"A game starting here (on Friday) is going to clash with normal commuter traffic,'' he said.

The transport plan for the new stadium has been costed at $298 million, with the aim of 50,000 people to be transported from the stadium precinct by public transport networks within an hour of a final siren.

Perth's Public Transport Authority expects 35,500 people to depart by train, with 28,000 to use a new, six-platform stadium station and 7500 to walk across the existing Windan Bridge to an upgraded East Perth Station.

A further 14,300 people are expected to travel by bus - 8100 from a new stadium bus facility and 6200 from a new shuttle service next to Gloucester Park.

This will be accessible from the new pedestrian bridge linking the stadium precinct to East Perth.

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McMahon inquiry wraps up

Murder suspect Donald Morey claims Sarah McMahon (pictured) is living in Canada. She was last seen in November 2000. Source: PerthNow

THE West Australian coroner has been urged to find that a man serving 13 years in jail for the attempted murder of a Perth prostitute is the most likely person to have killed Sarah McMahon, who disappeared in 2000.

Ms McMahon was 20 when she went missing in November 2000.

Three police investigations into her disappearance have failed to uncover her whereabouts.

An inquest into the matter wound up late on Friday, with Coroner Alastair Hope saying there was no reason to suggest Ms McMahon died of natural causes, suicide or a drug overdose.

The evidence that she had died of homicide appeared overwhelming, Mr Hope said.

He also said evidence pointed to one of her acquaintances, Donald Morey, 57, who was the last person to have spoken with her, as the prime suspect.

Her car and mobile phone had been abandoned in Midland, where evidence showed she and Morey were around the time she disappeared.

Mr Hope also described as ``sinister'' evidence presented by several witnesses about a bag owned by Morey, containing ropes, knives, gaffer tape and extreme pornography.

Several witnesses also suggested Morey was attracted to Ms McMahon and that she did not return his feelings.

There was also evidence of their relationship changing, with Ms McMahon possibly having broken ``a code of silence'' about drug dealing two days before she went missing.

Morey testified at the inquest on Friday, saying Ms McMahon was alive and living overseas.

Philip Urquhart, counsel assisting the coroner, said the claim that Ms McMahon disappeared voluntarily was "patent nonsense'' as she seemingly had a strong relationship with her family and friends.

Morey had contradicted his claim that she didn't want to be found, by appearing in two TV interviews in 2001 appealing to the public to help locate her.

Mr Urquhart also said the credibility of several witnesses this week was lacking.

In particular, key witness Natasha Tracy-Ann Kendrick recanted a November 2011 statement to police in which she said she had seen Ms McMahon's naked body on Morey's bed, with rope looped around her neck and congealed blood on her face at a Marangaroo house he shared with trucking colleague Gareth Allen and his wife Marta Margaret Allen.

She said in the statement she and Ms Allen helped clean up the grisly aftermath on Mr Allen's request, and saw the body being removed from the house, wrapped in Morey's quilt and placed in Mr Allen's ute.

But on Thursday, Ms Kendrick denied any knowledge or involvement in the matter, saying she was "messed up'' on drugs and alcohol when she made the statement.

"In my submission, she's a thoroughly discreditable witness,'' Mr Urquhart said.

Ms Kendrick's assertion that she didn't say what was contained in the statement was "an obvious lie'', he said, given she had repeated major aspects of it in a conversation with her brother six hours after the police interview.

"It's a somewhat complicated web that they've weaved between them all,'' Mr Hope said.

Whether the coroner will refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions and make adverse findings against the witnesses will be revealed when Mr Hope hands down his findings on January 17.

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West Aussies urged to give a click this Xmas

enex100 is calling on West Australians to give a click this Christmas and help local charities by placing a bid to raise the sale price of four bespoke Christmas Trees created by Perth-based artists.

Although not all bids may be successful, every click is a free gift to local charities this Christmas

The unique installations created by Cale Mason, Megan Isabella Guise, Zac Collopy and ID BY MONO's Zenifa Bunic and Nadia Paulse will be on display at enex100 until the 25th of December.

Bids can be placed here, with the proceeds from the sale of the trees to support the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, the Cat Haven, Parkerville Children and Youth Care and Silver Chain.

WHAT: enex100 Charity Christmas Tree Auction
WHEN: Now until 20 December
WHERE: Christmas Trees on display at enex100, 100 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Auction taking place online here

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