Do I Look Good in This? Man Sentenced for Stealing Barristers’ Outfit
The CCTV footage shows a man dressed as a barrister walking along the corridors of Geelong Magistrates Court, which would not normally cause any concern. But the problem is, it is the middle of the night, and the man in...
Sexual Assault Victim Re-Victimised by Criminal Justice System
In January 2015, former Stanford University swimming champion Brock Turner, aged 20, sexually assaulted a 22-year-old woman behind a garbage bin after a fraternity party. He was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and faced a maximum penalty...
Police Officer Imprisoned for Domestic Violence
Shaun Perry stared at his estranged wife and children as he learned he would spend more than two-and-a-half years behind bars for offences including spitting in his wife’s face, pulling her hair, and assaulting her with a weapon. Perry, a...
Getting a Reduced Sentence for Providing Assistance
Where appropriate, criminal lawyers are required to advise clients that helping police with their inquiries may result in a reduced sentence. That said, lawyers are certainly permitted to explain the potential risks and requirements associated with giving assistance. For example,...
Degrees of Harm in Assault Offences
Assault charges are differentiated by a number of factors, including whether the act was done ‘recklessly’ or ‘intentionally’, and the extent of injury (if any) caused. ‘Common assault’ is an offence under section 61 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)...
Police Commissioner Related to Officer who ‘Washed the Blood Away’
For four years, former police Sergeant Rick Flori has been fighting allegations that he engaged in ‘misconduct in public office’ - a criminal offence which carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment – by leaking CCTV footage of four...
Honest Cop Fights On
Former Police Sergeant Rick Flori has been fighting to clear his name for more than four years. A Southport Magistrate has now ordered that his fight will continue – in a committal hearing late last week, Magistrate Michael Hogan ruled...
Police Investigate Outspoken Doctor
A former detention centre psychiatrist who spoke out about the death of a detainee on Manu Island was put under criminal investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for being critical of the medical care given to the man, who...
Man Faces Court for Cutting Hair
After several weeks of investigation and extensive examination of CCTV footage, Police have charged a 19-year old man with assault, after he allegedly used scissors to cut off a fellow passenger’s hair on public transport last month. The bizarre incident,...
RIP Presumption of Innocence: Bail Laws Getting Tougher Nationwide
We have written extensively about our state’s tough new bail laws, which have seen the NSW prison population skyrocket, causing overcrowding and associated problems. NSW is not the only state to get tough on bail – similar trends are being...