Andrew Forrest bucks trend to back China

Andrew Forrest believes China will keep going strong. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow

BILLIONAIRE Andrew Forrest says commentators keen to "write off" China have got it wrong.

In the first of an exclusive three-part series in the lead up to the 10-year anniversary of Fortescue Metals Group, Mr Forrest told PerthNow suggestions the Chinese resources boom was over were premature.

``We've had China written off so many times in the 10 years of Fortescue's history and in the 20 years I've been fascinated by China,'' the FMG chairman said.

``The Chinese don't write themselves off - Western commentators do that.

"I have listened very carefully to what the Chinese leadership have said.

``They have a number of things going for them; several hundred million people they've still got to take out of poverty, huge foreign reserves and a rapidly educated people who are all ambitious. That gives them a serious weapon.''

Mr Forrest said the aspirations of the Chinese people reminded him of Australians.

``There is no ingrained social dysfunctionality or traditional set poverty like you have in other countries,'' he said. ``In many ways it's got an Australian, `Get up and have a crack mate' style culture.''

In tomorrow's The Sunday Times, Mr Forrest speaks at length about the future of WA and its economy.

The third part of the series will be published on PerthNow on Monday.
 

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thousands of sex offenders in WA

Thousands of sex offenders are living in the WA community. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THERE are 800 child sex offenders in WA who police fear are at a high risk of reoffending.

The sex-offender management squad is monitoring 2849 reportable offenders who pose a risk to children.

Of those, 170 are considered dangerous enough to be labelled a "very high" risk of hurting children again and must report to police at least once a month.

Another 630 are considered a "high" risk and have to check in once every three months.

Another 1694 offenders are considered a "medium" or "low" risk and only report to police once or twice a year.

WA Police said the risk ratings were based on a "comprehensive risk matrix assessment" that considered whether the offender was likely to commit further crimes, the seriousness of their previous offences and operational logistics.

Police also revealed that 18 of the offenders on the database had reoffended already this year. Last year, 34 offenders on the list reoffended.

This is despite assurances when the database was created in 2005 that it would provide the most "stringent and toughest reporting requirements for convicted pedophiles and serious sex offenders in the country" and that it would act as a "deterrent" to reoffending.

The database has grown by 422 per cent since 2005.

Ellen Rowe, from the Homicide Victims Support Group, said she was alarmed by the figures and shocked by how many had reoffended this year.

"Eighteen child sex reoffending cases this year are 18 too many," Ms Rowe said. "It is of great concern that child sex abuse continues to occur in our community and the public safety net is not working as effectively as we are led to believe."

Ms Rowe said the group believed the public sex-offender register, which allowed people to access information about sex offenders living in their community, was a valuable and useful tool and believed it helped to act as a deterrent.

But Griffith University psychologist Stephen Smallbone, who has conducted a number of studies on child sex offenders, said governments should focus efforts on prevention rather than reaction.

"Dealing with sex offenders after they have offended does nothing to repair the fact that people have been hurt by the offending in the past," he said. "What you want to do is prevent kids from being abused in the first place. And prevent offenders from committing an offence in the first place."

Prof Smallbone said the incidence of "stranger" offences was low.

"The most common place for a child to be abused is within the home. Our research tells us that about in about 80 per cent of cases the child is first abused either in their home or the offender's home, and usually that's the same place," he said.

"Stranger offences are less common. They can often be more serious in the sense there can be a connection between abduction and violence but the actual incidence is low.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Young role models lead the way

Caitlin Bassett, Binu Jayawardena and Jacinta Delhaize have been nominated for a Pride of Australia award. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

PASSION. Patience. Persistence. These are the driving forces behind three young West Australians who have shown that age is no barrier to success and you're never too young to be a role model.

Netballer Caitlin Bassett, scientist Jacinta Delhaize and medical student-TV producer Binu Jayawardena have all been nominated in the Young Leader category in this year's Pride of Australia awards.

To nominate someone or for more information, go to: www.prideofaustralia.com.au

Ms Bassett, 25, played her first game for WA's state team when she was 16. She said the best advice she had ever been given was from a former coach who told her, "life's not easy".

"It took a long time and a lot of years being frustrated at training for me to suddenly get the idea that you're training to become a better player," she said. "Not training and doing things because you're already perfect at it."

Jacinta Delhaize, a PhD student at the International Centre for Radioastronomy Research at the University of WA, came up with a technique of "galaxy stacking" that allows stargazers to trace back time further than ever before.

"Passion is the bottom line of everything," she said.

"It's far easier to succeed if you're passionate about something and to make a difference in the world in something that you're passionate about."

You would think taking on three degrees would keep Binu Jayawardena, 22, busy enough. But in between studying medicine, medical research and engineering, Mr Jayawardena also runs a not-for-profit media organisation called WA Student TV.

"You should never really try to hit the stars in one huge leap, it's probably a good idea visiting the moon beforehand," he said. "You need to be able to think big, but then be able to then chart out a very direct and a very well thought-out path towards achieving those goals and to make sure that you have all the resources that will enable you to achieve them before you start."

The Pride of Australia awards are an initiative of News Corp Australia, publisher of PerthNow, to recognise our unsung heroes.

To nominate someone or for more information, go to: www.prideofaustralia.com.au

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA kids need help with health

Netball coach Courtney Gildersleeve with netball players Sabreena Duffy and Charlotte Paul. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

ONE in three WA children is bullied, a Government survey has revealed.

A Health Department report also shows nearly half of all children do not get enough exercise or eat the right foods - which has coincided with the highest obesity levels recorded since 2005.

About 900 parents were surveyed for the Health and Wellbeing of Children in WA report, which provides a snapshot of the lives of children aged up to 15 across the state in 2012.

Encouragingly, 85 per cent of WA children are in very good or excellent health, according to their parents or carers.

Asthma rates are decreasing, with 11 per cent of children affected  the lowest rate on record  at the same time as the proportion of children living in smoke-free homes hit a high of 98 per cent.

The study also revealed more than 70 per cent of toddlers, aged two to four, were spending too much time in front of TV and computer screens. Guidelines recommend that toddlers watch less than one hour of TV a day.

For older children, bullying and mental health problems were major issues.

A third of parents said their children had been bullied in the past year and a quarter of parents believed their child needed professional help for mental health problems.

Chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri said childhood was tougher in the modern world.

"Childhood is increasingly tough for kids," he said.

"It's a busier, more complicated world and there are a lot of expectations on kids.

"Parents are often both working and this changes family dynamics. Childhood is different now to what it was and it's creating more pressure on kids."

Child health expert Donna Cross said there had been an increase in cyber-bullying, which could be more intense than traditional schoolyard teasing because of the 24/7 nature of the internet.

"More children are accessing technology for longer periods of the day and those that are bullied online are almost always bullied offline as well," Professor Cross said.

Dr Weeramanthri said the report showed some positive trends, such as more parents always protecting their child from sunburn, which had increased from 53 per cent to 63 per cent in the past decade.

But there were still problems with alcohol in the home.

"What we've done with creating smoke-free environments for children, we also need to do with modelling responsible alcohol consumption in the home," Dr Weeramanthri said.

"That means that parents shouldn't be drinking every day and when you do drink, it should be less than two standard drinks per day, as well as not providing alcohol to kids under 18."

He was concerned that half of all WA children did not get enough nutrition or physical exercise. Health guidelines recommend that children aged over five should exercise for more than one hour every day and eat at least four to seven serves of fruit and vegetables each day, depending on age bracket.

"Over half the number of children aged five to 15 years are not getting the recommended amount of physical activity per week or eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables," Dr Weeramanthri said.

The prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles was contributing to obesity levels, but parents were often oblivious to their child's weight problem because more children were overweight.

"While the report does not show a statistically significant change in the proportion of children aged five to 15 years classified as obese, the 2012 estimate of 7.3 per cent was the highest number recorded since 2005," Dr Weeramanthri said.

"People who are overweight often have a different perception of their weight, especially as obesity becomes more normal and they compare themselves to others in the population. So parents often don't realise their kids are obese because it has become more normalised."

Most primary school-aged children were getting enough fruit and vegetables but things changed dramatically once they hit high school, with more than 80 per cent not eating the recommended amount.

Dr Weeramanthri said WA Health was planning new programs to start later this year aimed at helping parents, schools and health professionals encourage older kids to lead healthier lifestyles.

"We need to do more in terms of working with secondary school students and their parents and health professionals on how to raise these issues in a sensitive and helpful way," Dr Weeramanthri said.

"The transition from primary to high school is a real risk period and parents need to put a lot of effort into talking to kids about maintaining good nutrition and getting more exercise."

Many children were also spending too much time in front of TV and computer screens, with most toddlers exposed to more than the recommended hour of TV a day.

"We are hearing that parents are using screens as babysitters," Prof Cross said. "Many parents are not aware that these devices can allow children to (interact) with strangers in online games."

Warnbro student Courtney Gildersleeve coaches a netball team of younger girls because she believes exercise is important.

"I wanted to help younger children keep fit, so I started coaching this year," Courtney said. "There is also the sportsmanship and social aspect, which makes it so enjoyable."

5 TIPS FOR PARENTS FROM WA'S CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER TARUN WEERAMANTHRI:

1. Do not smoke or drink just before and during pregnancy

2. Breastfeed for the first six months if possible

3. Talk to kids about healthy eating and exercise, especially as they transition from primary to high school

4. Don't let kids watch too much TV. Recommended screen-times are: No screens for kids under 2, less than one hour of screen time for kids between 2 and 5, less than two hours of screen time for kids between 5 and 15.

5. Talk to kids about how they're feeling, their friendships, whether they're enjoying school and if they've been bullied.

To contact the reporter: linda.cann@news.com.au

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eagles grasp back victory from Crows

The West Coast Eagles managed to make an impressive comeback against the Adelaide Crows. Picture: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images Source: PerthNow

THE last time West Coast travelled to AAMI Stadium, its top-four hopes were damaged beyond repair when the Eagles coughed up a big lead against Port Adelaide in Round 5.

Entering time-on of the final quarter against Adelaide last night it looked as though West Coast's top-eight hopes would also be killed off at the same venue.

Cue a magical comeback as the Eagles pulled the game from the hottest of fires and breathed some life back into their stuttering season.

Since its mid-season bye, West Coast has been willing but ultimately outgunned in brave losses to Hawthorn and Essendon.

Honourable losses don't get you into the eight though and this time the Eagles would be celebrating on the final siren.

Down by 13 points when Jason Porplyzia looked to have put the game beyond reach with a goal at the 19-minute mark of the last quarter, West Coast conjured the final three goals to record an admirable six-point triumph.

Super sub Andrew Embley gave the Eagles run just when it as needed and coolly slotted a set shot, before Brad Dalziell levelled the scores.

Josh Kennedy has been the man the side has looked to all season and he kicked his fourth with a minute remaining to ensure West Coast's efforts would finally be rewarded with four points.

The Eagles trailed by just seven points at the major break despite being outplayed for the bulk of the first half.

Plenty of interest centred around how West Coast's midfield would fare without a lengthy list of absentees and the visitors were leading the clearances 23-17 despite being without Luke Shuey, Scott Selwood, Daniel Kerr and Sharrod Wellingham.

Chris Masten had a game-high 17 disposals in the opening half as relished the added responsibility, though Andrew Gaff's recent form revival proved short lived as he was shut out of the game by Crows skipper Nathan van Berlo.

Having been completely outplayed in the early going, the Eagles remarkably led at quarter-time after banging on four goals in time-on of the opening term.

Josh Hill celebrated his 100th game with a spectacular long-range soccer out of mid air which carried the pack and bounced through for a goal on quarter-time.

Returning from his one-match suspension, veteran Andrew Embley started as the sub for the Eagles but was injected at the start of the second term as Eagles medicos used the designated 20 minutes to perform a concussion assessment on Brad Sheppard.

Adelaide forward Shaun McKernan can expect a lengthy ban for his crude elbow to Sheppard's head in the first quarter, despite the West Coast youngster being able to return to the field late in the second term.

Having kicked the game's opening three goals before West Coast's purple patch - triggered in large part by the imposing presence of Nic Naitanui - the Crows regained the momentum in the second stanza.

The home side added three goals to one for the term, with Josh Kennedy's raking set shot from outside the 50m arc the Coasters' only major.

BEST

Crows: Dangerfield, Thompson, Sloane, Otten, Crouch, Henderson.
Eagles: Masten, Mackenzie, Kennedy, Priddis, Dalziell, McGinnity.

INJURIES

Crows: A Riley (ankle)
Eagles: J Brennan (groin)

CHANGES

Crows: Nil
Eagles: Nil

Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stephen McBurney, Shane Stewart, Jason Armstrong
Crowd: 26,426 at AAMI Stadium
 

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

No service for shopper on mobile

"And then I was like 'NO! And he was like 'YES!" Picture: Thinkstock. Source: Supplied

MOBILE phones. We use them first thing in the morning, driving, on the toilet, at the dinner table, in bed. We can't get enough of them.

But now, a checkout worker has refused to serve a customer on her phone, sparking furious debate: Is it OK to use your mobile at the check-out?

The incident happened at a London supermarket, when 26-year-old Jo Clarke made a call to her brother while waiting in line at the checkout.

"I was standing at the foot of the (cash register) waiting to bag my shopping up, yet the lady on the checkout was just staring at me," Miss Clarke, who works in corporate real estate, told The Daily Mail.

"When I stopped my conversation and said 'Is everything okay?', she said: 'I will not check your shopping out until you get off your mobile phone.'

"I ended my call swiftly, and said to the lady on the checkout, 'Apologies, I didn't realise that it was Sainsbury's policy that you are unable to use your phone at the checkout', to which the checkout worker replied: 'You learn something new every day'."

Miss Clarke complained to the service desk at Sainsbury's over the incident and was told there was no such policy, as well as being reimbursed with vouchers for the store. However she swears she won't shop there anymore.

The incident has sparked plenty of debate online, with commenters divided on the issue.

"It was plain bad manners, there are self-serve checkouts for a reason. No wonder this country is in turmoil if we forget to use basic manners &reward the use of them" wrote Melissa Mackenna of Glasgow.

While others said "It's not your duty to make small talk with a checkout assistant? I was sure these comments would be pro-phones! Oh well. There's not enough time in the day for small talk. By all means don't be rude to the assistant but there's nothing wrong with being on the phone?!"

The issue also raised the hackles of Australian checkout workers. Karen Ritson, who works at Big W, said people chatting on their phone at the checkout was her pet hate.

"I think it's the height of ignorance. It really is. You're trying to engage with the customer even if it's just 'Hi how are you?' And they're chatting away and they throw the money at you and you think 'oh you pig'."

"I feel like saying 'Get off that phone before I serve you', but I'm not allowed to do that ... I wish we could, but you can't tell people get off the phone."

Ms Ritson said customers use mobiles through the checkout around two or three times per shift, and even more on the weekend.

"I just find it rude as you're doing them a service; it's not rocket science that they should appreciate that service," she said.

"Nothing is so important you can't wait five minutes."

Alayna Cole, 19, who works at Coles said mobile phones are often part of the "tearoom" discussion at her work, although there are plenty of different ways customers can be rude to workers.

"I'm trying to do a job, I'm a person. I'll say 'Hi how are you going?' And they won't say anything back. It might be because they're on the phone or it might be talking to the person next to them or they might just be staring at the wall behind me," she said.

However Ms Cole said it's not always the case, with some customers making an effort to apologise for being distracted.

"I've had a customer come in on the phone and come back five minutes later to apologise."

"If you have a good heart you find a way to make it not rude even though you are on the phone, you still say hello or you apologise," she said.

Australian Retailers Association spokesperson Russell Zimmerman said common courtesy is required from both sides of the equation.

"From a retailer's perspective, in this day and age when business is hard to get hold of, I would be reluctant to not serve a customer on that issue," he said. However he also added that if shoppers do get an urgent call, there is a right way to handle it.

"It's common courtesy to set the ground rules. You've got to judge the situation individually, the consumer has to be mindful of the sales assistant but the assistant has to be mindful that the consumer may need to take a call."

Do you use your mobile phone at the check-out? Tell us your views in the comments below.

###

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Is this our most expensive carpark?

The parking sign outside the new Woolworths concept store in Woolloomooloo, Sydney. Supplied Source: Supplied

FOR those annoyed at the increase in parking fees in the City of Perth that kicked in on Monday, spare a thought for the customers of a new Woolworths store in Sydney.

From July 1, the City of Perth increased its fees for its council-owned car parks.

Parking for a 10-hour day some of the City's CBD car parks have gone up by about 80 cents to $1.

However, over on the other side of the country, if you linger any longer than an hour before fetching your car at a new Woolies concept store in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, it will cost you $65, more than a dollar a minute.

Stay over two hours and it's $95, and anywhere between 3 hours and overnight will set you back $125, pretty much a weekly shopping trip.

A Woolworths spokesman said there were a limited number of parking spaces on the site, and it was close to the CBD, so they wanted to discourage commuters from parking there.

The new store doesn't even feature the Woolworths name, just the logo and the suburb, which fortunately is spelt correctly, unlike the word "surpermarket" on the parking sign.

"On this occasion, our spelling of the word supermarket was, well, less than super. We're reprinting a new, correctly spelt, sign as we speak," the spokesman said.

"The fees at the car park reflect there are actually very few spaces available and the intention is that those spaces should be available for the use of our customers - hence why the first hour is free."

The fancy 900 sqm concept store features food to eat on-the-go, a juice bar and barista-made coffee, as well as groceries, and is "dedicated to the residents of Woolloomooloo" according to its website. Most likely those who walk.

Is this Australia's most expensive short-term car park? Tell us if you've been stung for more.

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pregnant stab victim leaves hospital

Selina Bello, 22, pregnant Como hairdresser who was stabbed in her mother's South Terrace salon. Source: PerthNow

SELINA Bello, the young pregnant woman who was stabbed at her Como hair salon last week, has been released from hospital and has thanked those who have been at her bedside.

Ms Bello, 22, and her mother Angela Ferullo, 43, were allegedly attacked at their Como hairdressing salon on Monday last week.

Ms Ferullo, a mother of four, died in hospital from her injuries. Ms Bello, who is five months pregnant with a baby boy, suffered serious injuries and spent over a week in hospital.

Today Ms Bello turned to Facebook to tell her friends and family that she is now out of hospital and recovering at home.

She paid tribute to the "beautiful nurses and doctors" at Royal Perth Hospital and those who had been at her bedside.

"I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been at my bedside helping me recover this past week, without your support and prayers I don't think I would have made it through," Ms Bello wrote.

"Also a huge thank you to all my beautiful nurses and doctors at Royal Perth Hospital and all the staff in the trauma unit, you guys have been absolutely amazing and I'll never forget the care I was given during my stay with you. I'm finally recovering at home and out of hospital."

The touching Facebook post has already attracted 88 "likes."

Ms Ferullo's former husband, James Bill Payet, 48, has been charged over the attack.

He faced a bedside court hearing last week and will appear in court again on July 31.

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rudd taunts Abbott: You lack 'ticker'

New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says opposition leader Tony Abbott should face him in a moderated debate. Courtesy: 7.30 Report, ABC

Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd will be at each other right through to the election, but will the Opposition Leader accept the PM's challenge of a moderated debate? Picture: Stefan Postles/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd suspects Tony Abbott lacks the "ticker'' to debate him on key policy areas.

Mr Abbott has been "lying'' to the Australian people about the state of the economy, his ability to turn back asylum seeker boats and the impact of carbon pricing, Mr Rudd says in his first major television interview since retaking the leadership from Julia Gillard.

"So what I would say to Mr Abbott, you've been doing this for a long time, it's time we had a properly moderated debate ... on his chosen subjects,'' Mr Rudd said on the ABC's 7.30 program.

"Mr Abbott, I think it is time you demonstrated to the country you have a bit of ticker on this.

"He's the boxing blue. I'm the glasses-wearing kid in the library.

"Come on, let's have the Australian people form a view about whether his policies actually have substance, whether they actually work, or whether they are just slogans.''

Later the PM took to Twitter to further goad his opponent into a one-on-one challenge, naming a time and a place.

His tweet reads: @KRuddMP: Hi @TonyAbbottMHR we need a debate on the national economy. National Press Club next Thursday? I'll be there. Over to you... KRudd

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said Opposition Leader would debate Mr Rudd once the PM "ends the uncertainty and names the election date".

Leaders 'clever' but 'arrogant'

New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says opposition leader Tony Abbott should face him in a moderated debate. Courtesy: 7.30 Report, ABC

On his broken pledge never to return to the Labor leadership, Mr Rudd said Ms Gillard had vacated the spot and brought on the caucus ballot.

He said a second reason was the prospect of defeat at the 2013 election.

"The Australian Labor Party and the government was on track towards a catastrophic defeat and I wasn't about to stand idly by and see everything we worked for for the last five or six years go down the gurgler as Mr Abbott set about ripping it apart.''

It's time to go, Julia and Tim

He said he was not motivated by revenge, but taking up the fight to Mr Abbott and coming up with a positive plan for the future.

Mr Rudd said he was working through policy changes but it would be an "orderly process''.

He said he wanted to take the time to "think and take the best advice''.

Asked whether Labor would be punished for its long leadership turmoil, Mr Rudd said he had faced four Liberal leaders over a period of four years after he took on the Labor leadership.

"In political parties these things happen from time to time,'' he said.

On the issue of asylum seekers, Mr Rudd conceded he may have been slow to act in 2009 when the number of boat arrivals increased dramatically.

Mr Rudd defended his decision to dismantle the Howard government's Pacific Solution in 2008.

More than 45,000 asylum seekers have arrived by boat since those policies were scrapped.

The prime minister, in his first major interview since taking Labor leadership last week, said more people had arrived by boat in 2009 and 2010 due to wars in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

He admitted his government may have been too slow to change its policies in light of overseas conflicts.

Seven boats arrived in 2008 and 61 arrived in 2009.

"If we made a mistake, it was in perhaps not being quick enough to respond to the new change in external circumstances,'' Mr Rudd said.

Australian governments had always made changes to asylum seeker policies in response to global events, he said.

"There is nothing set in stone with immigration policy or asylum seeker policy,'' Mr Rudd said.

"I'm open to adjustments in the future.''

He backed Foreign Minister Bob Carr's comments that more economic migrants were coming by boat from Iran.

"I can understand why people want to leave Iran,'' Mr Rudd said.

"But the bottom line is, it's not all about seeking freedom from persecution.''

He dismissed Mr Abbott's plan to reinstate the Howard era policy of towing asylum seeker boats back to Indonesia as just a slogan.

"Mr Abbott, how will you turn the boats back?

"If it sinks, what will you do? Let people drown?

"If you turn the boat back to Indonesia and the Indonesian navy says no ... what do you do then?''

Earlier, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said Australia should consider expanding to other nationalities its policy of returning failed Sri Lankan refugees back to their homelands.

"The fear of death has not stopped people getting on leaky boats,'' Mr Clare told reporters in Sydney.

"The fear of going to Nauru or Manus Island has not stopped people getting on to boats.

"But I tell you what has, the fear of being flown home in a week. That's what works.''

Australia could send Iranians ``halfway'' to Malaysia instead of Iran, considering Tehran won't accept people who don't want to go back, he said.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said Mr Rudd dismantled coalition policies that worked.

He said the coalition would bring back temporary protection visas, give no benefit of the doubt to people arriving without documentation, open "genuine'' offshore processing and turn back boats where it was safe to do so.

"If Kevin Rudd is elected, the people smugglers would not just have won the battle but won the war,'' Mr Morrison told reporters in Perth.

Julia shines as 'sh-t' hits her fans

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vampire murder arrest after 10-year manhunt

Shane Chartres-Abbott, self-confessed vampire and prostitute, outside the County Court where he was facing a rape charge. He was murdered the day after this photo was taken. Source: Herald Sun

A CAPTURED fugitive accused of ordering a vampire gigolo's murder will be quizzed over whether corrupt police were involved in the hit.

Mark Adrian Perry, who had a $1 million reward on his head, was sensationally arrested in Perth on Tuesday in the latest twist in the decade-long investigation into the execution of Shane Chartres-Abbott.

The triggerman has claimed he committed the murder with the help of a then serving police officer.

Mr Perry, who vanished six years ago, was arrested at work at a Perth factory on Tuesday night after a swoop by heavily armed tactical response police officers.

He faced Perth Magistrates' Court, charged with the murder of Chartres-Abbott at Reservoir on June 4, 2003.

Magistrate Michael Wheeler approved the 45-year-old's extradition.

He is expected to be flown back into Melbourne today, and face court on Friday.

Police will seek to formally interview him over what he knows of the murder, which he is alleged to have commissioned for $200,000.

The triggerman implicated former Victoria Police officers Peter Lalor and David Waters in the murder.

Mark Adrian Perry, has been arrested in Perth over the Melbourne murder of a self-proclaimed vampire Shane Chartres-Abbott.

He told investigators Mr Lalor gave him the victim's address and an alibi and that Mr Waters was present when the murder was discussed.

Mr Lalor said yesterday he welcomed the arrest as a chance to clear his name.

"It's a small step in getting to the truth," he told Channel Seven.

Mr Lalor and a Melbourne organised crime boss have both previously said publicly they expect to be charged.

Two other people identified by the gunman - Evangelos Goussis and another who cannot be named - were charged last year.

Acting Inspector Dale Flynn, of the Victoria Police Briars taskforce, said outside court yesterday that the arrest was a "significant milestone" and good news for Chartres-Abbott's family.

The murder was committed as Chartres-Abbott left for court to face charges over a 2002 assault on Mr Perry's ex-girlfriend.

Chartres-Abbott was accused of biting part off part of her tongue at a Melbourne hotel, in an incident that allegedly caused Perry to seek revenge on him.

Evangelos Goussis has also been charged over the murder of Shane Chartres-Abbott. Picture: HWT library

The gunman pounced as Chartres-Abbott's pregnant girlfriend and her father looked on in horror.

Mr Perry was later implicated by the hitman, who confessed his own role and also pointed the finger at Mr Waters and Mr Lalor.

There had been sightings of Mr Perry in Queensland and in Thailand since he went on the run.

Assassination claimed careers, reputations

THE execution of "vampire" gigolo Shane Chartres-Abbott set off a chain reaction that still reverberates a decade later.

Careers were ruined, a global manhunt was triggered and police were named as suspects in a crime that shocked Melbourne.

His was another brutal slaying in a city then in the grip of gangland warfare.

Former Victorian Police officer David Waters has denied accusations by the hitman of any involvement in the Chartres-Abbott murder. Picture: Aaron Francis

But Chartres-Abbott's demise was different.

About 8.45am on June 4, 2003, the male prostitute, on trial for raping a client and biting off part of her tongue, was gunned down by two men as he left his Reservoir home for court.

His horrified girlfriend watched as the killers shot the 24-year-old in the neck, then bashed her father.

Dozens of police, the dog squad and a helicopter failed to find those who carried out what was believed to be a contract killing.

A week earlier, a court heard bizarre claims that Chartres-Abbott had told a client and occasional lover he was a 200-year-old vampire who drank blood to survive.

He was accused of attacking and raping the woman, 30, after they arranged to meet at a South Yarra hotel.

The sex worker suffered black eyes, swelling, bruising to her neck and jaw, and teeth marks in her right thigh.

Several centimetres of her tongue were ripped out.

Former detective Peter Lalor was accused of involvement by Chartres-Abbott's killer. He has denied the claims. Picture: HWT library

She was the ex-girlfriend of Mark Adrian Perry, who allegedly paid $200,000 to have Chartres-Abbott killed.

Four years later, Mr Perry fled as police closed in.

A $1 million reward was issued for information leading to his arrest.

Considered a master of disguise, he had previously escaped police attempts to question him. He is believed to have severed ties with his daughter and five siblings.

The 45-year-old was last seen in Queensland, at a Broadbeach cafe in August 2007, days before he fled.

In March this year, a court heard the man who shot Chartres-Abbott paid a police officer $1500 for his alibi.

Prosecutor Andrew Tinney, SC, said the man, called JP for legal reasons, shot Chartres-Abbott.

He said an arrest warrant for traffic offences was served on him later that day by a friend, a then detective sergeant named Peter Lalor, and that the killer gave the officer $1500 to "have a drink" after he was bailed.

Mr Tinney said JP was not even suspected until he confessed in 2006, implicating two others in the death, and one former and one serving police officer for helping.

Evangelos Goussis, 45, and a 41-year-old who cannot be named, were charged with murder last year.
The shooter was jailed for life in 2008 after pleading guilty to the murder.

The shooter also claimed Sgt Lalor and former police officer David Waters helped him find his victim's address and that Mr Waters held on to the murder weapon briefly for safe-keeping.

Both men have strongly denied involvement.

The killer told the court he did not know why he confessed because he did not have a guilty conscience.

Defence lawyer James McQuillan suggested it was to benefit himself, perhaps by having loved ones put in protective custody or on the understanding his conviction would not add any time to the jail term he was serving.

In 2007, then assistant commissioner Noel Ashby and the then head of the Police Association, Paul Mullett, were also dragged into the affair.

Mr Ashby resigned in 2007 after the Office of Police Integrity alleged he was part of a chain of people involved in tipping off Sgt Lalor that he was a suspect in the murder.

The OPI alleged Mr Ashby told Sen-Sgt Mullett that Sgt Lalor was a target of the inquiry, that he told union president Brian Rix, and that Mr Rix told Mr Lalor.

All denied the allegations.

Mr Ashby was acquitted after OPI hearings were ruled invalid. Charges against Mr Mullett were dropped.

- with Wayne Flower

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More