POLICE are seeking information about the whereabouts of a man, missing from his Gosnells home since Tuesday.
Noel Acton was last seen at 10am on Tuesday, November 6 when he drove his nephew to Rockingham.
Police believe he returned home to his Rudall Place property, where he left his car but has not been seen since.
Mr Acton did not attend work at a Maddington engineering company on Tuesday.
"He hasn't touched his car and he hasn't touched his belongings since,'' police spokeswoman Ros Weatherall said.
"It is totally out of character and his family are very concerned for his welfare,'' she said.
Mr Acton is described as being 174cm tall, of slim build with long black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to call CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
as posted on news.com.au
Monday 12 November 2007
Sunday 11 November 2007
Child killer Dante Arthurs stalked up to 12 girls
CHILD killer Dante Arthurs was stalking up to a dozen girls shortly before he murdered eight-year-old Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu in Canning Vale last year.
Only now can it be revealed that just days after Sophia's murder on June 26, 2006, The Sunday Times interviewed the parents of sisters - then aged 11 and 13 - whose names were on a hit list compiled by Arthurs.
Two days after the then 21-year-old Arthur's arrest on June 27, police visited a Huntingdale family with the chilling news that their daughters' names and other details were on the list.
The police visit led to the frightening revelation that Arthurs had already phoned the girls' grand-uncle, asking if he knew where the girls lived.
"The police showed us a bit of paper with all the addresses on and everything,'' the girls' mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"He (Arthurs) had both of our girls' names, (their) uncles and cousins' names, phone numbers and addresses where he'd tried hunting them down.
"My husband went around to his uncle's house and saw him and he told him he'd had a call for the girls there. The uncle had spoken to (Arthurs), but had no idea (who he was).
"He got pretty close. We're in Huntingdale and they're in Gosnells _ one suburb away.
"It's bad enough trying to take one child away from any family: what were his plans _ trying to take two away from one family? That's just sick.''
During Arthurs' sentencing on Wednesday, prosecutor Sam Vandongen told the WA Supreme Court police had found photographs and details of potential child victims during a raid on his home.
"There was a bag with documents containing photographs and details of a number of young girls and female clothing in small sizes,'' Mr Vandongen said.
Arthurs had collected ages, addresses and directions to their homes. The bag also contained gloves, handcuffs, packing tape, a rope and a small knife.
Judge John McKechnie sentenced Arthurs to life in prison with a minimum of 13 years.
But it also emerged during sentencing that he had been let off another child sex assault in 2003 by a bungled police investigation.
On Thursday, Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan admitted police "may have blood on their hands'' after Arthurs went on to kill Sofia.
"If the cops had done their job properly, that little girl would probably still be alive,'' the Huntingdale mother said of Arthurs' first arrest.
"A friend of ours, her friend's daughter, was also on the list _ that's three girls we know of.
"It's taken all this time for them to let the public know about these other girls' names.
"They showed us a pile of girls' names. We saw photos.
"They were all under 15 and each girl had their own file.
"He had all the girls' details. Some were in his own handwriting.''
The mother said both her daughters had been models, so she suspected that was how Arthurs had found them.
"They've both done modelling and their photos were plastered everywhere,'' she said.
"They won't even do any of that now _ they won't do anything. They don't go out hardly any more and if they do, they go out with a big group.
"Just three weeks ago, my youngest burst into tears on her way to school and wouldn't go. She goes, `I can't walk to school, I'm scared _ it feels like someone's watching me'.
"They're petrified. They're still doing it really hard. In the past few months they've even dreamed of him.
"My oldest ... saw (Arthurs) on the news the other night and goes, `I don't want to know about it _ leave me alone!', and shut herself in her room, bawled her eyes out and didn't talk to anyone all night.''
Though both girls received psychological counselling after being told they were targets, they still suffer nightmares 18 months on.
The mother said it had torn the family apart. ``When the police spoke to my (eldest) daughter she just cracked. She lost it. She broke down and cried,'' she said.
The father said: ``It felt like someone had ripped my heart straight out of me.
"When they showed me those names on that piece of paper I couldn't talk to them _ every time I spoke, I cried. My daughters could have been raped or killed.''
as posted on PerthNow
Only now can it be revealed that just days after Sophia's murder on June 26, 2006, The Sunday Times interviewed the parents of sisters - then aged 11 and 13 - whose names were on a hit list compiled by Arthurs.
Two days after the then 21-year-old Arthur's arrest on June 27, police visited a Huntingdale family with the chilling news that their daughters' names and other details were on the list.
The police visit led to the frightening revelation that Arthurs had already phoned the girls' grand-uncle, asking if he knew where the girls lived.
"The police showed us a bit of paper with all the addresses on and everything,'' the girls' mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"He (Arthurs) had both of our girls' names, (their) uncles and cousins' names, phone numbers and addresses where he'd tried hunting them down.
"My husband went around to his uncle's house and saw him and he told him he'd had a call for the girls there. The uncle had spoken to (Arthurs), but had no idea (who he was).
"He got pretty close. We're in Huntingdale and they're in Gosnells _ one suburb away.
"It's bad enough trying to take one child away from any family: what were his plans _ trying to take two away from one family? That's just sick.''
During Arthurs' sentencing on Wednesday, prosecutor Sam Vandongen told the WA Supreme Court police had found photographs and details of potential child victims during a raid on his home.
"There was a bag with documents containing photographs and details of a number of young girls and female clothing in small sizes,'' Mr Vandongen said.
Arthurs had collected ages, addresses and directions to their homes. The bag also contained gloves, handcuffs, packing tape, a rope and a small knife.
Judge John McKechnie sentenced Arthurs to life in prison with a minimum of 13 years.
But it also emerged during sentencing that he had been let off another child sex assault in 2003 by a bungled police investigation.
On Thursday, Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan admitted police "may have blood on their hands'' after Arthurs went on to kill Sofia.
"If the cops had done their job properly, that little girl would probably still be alive,'' the Huntingdale mother said of Arthurs' first arrest.
"A friend of ours, her friend's daughter, was also on the list _ that's three girls we know of.
"It's taken all this time for them to let the public know about these other girls' names.
"They showed us a pile of girls' names. We saw photos.
"They were all under 15 and each girl had their own file.
"He had all the girls' details. Some were in his own handwriting.''
The mother said both her daughters had been models, so she suspected that was how Arthurs had found them.
"They've both done modelling and their photos were plastered everywhere,'' she said.
"They won't even do any of that now _ they won't do anything. They don't go out hardly any more and if they do, they go out with a big group.
"Just three weeks ago, my youngest burst into tears on her way to school and wouldn't go. She goes, `I can't walk to school, I'm scared _ it feels like someone's watching me'.
"They're petrified. They're still doing it really hard. In the past few months they've even dreamed of him.
"My oldest ... saw (Arthurs) on the news the other night and goes, `I don't want to know about it _ leave me alone!', and shut herself in her room, bawled her eyes out and didn't talk to anyone all night.''
Though both girls received psychological counselling after being told they were targets, they still suffer nightmares 18 months on.
The mother said it had torn the family apart. ``When the police spoke to my (eldest) daughter she just cracked. She lost it. She broke down and cried,'' she said.
The father said: ``It felt like someone had ripped my heart straight out of me.
"When they showed me those names on that piece of paper I couldn't talk to them _ every time I spoke, I cried. My daughters could have been raped or killed.''
as posted on PerthNow
Saturday 10 November 2007
Snake bite peril for family pet
Craig and Maree Power are all too familiar with the danger of snake bites.
The couple were forced to make a mercy dash to the vet after their five-year-old dog Koada had a particularly close call with a brown snake at their Gosnells property last month.
The golden retriever was playing alongside a creek on the family property when he discovered the snake and brought it to the house.
Less than 20 minutes later, Koada had collapsed.
“His front legs just gave way and he went all glassy-eyed and couldn’t get up,” Mrs Power said. “I never even thought Koada might have been bitten — I was more worried about the kids.
“It was lucky they had seen the snake because 25 minutes later when we were on our way to the vet he just stood up and we thought he was all right – if we hadn’t known (he had been bitten) we would have turned around and gone home.”
Luckily, the family continued on to the vet, where Koada was given a dose of anti-venom.
Murdoch University senior lecturer in veterinary emergency and critical care Katrin Swindells said staff had seen a spike in the number of snake bites around Perth since October as the weather warmed up.
RACHEL DONKIN
as posted on TheWest
Tuesday 6 November 2007
Safe City Bright City Christmas Lights Competition
Proudly sponsored by the Examiner Newspapers (WA) since
1999 and supported by Centro Maddington
Get into the Christmas spirit this year and enter the Safe City Christmas Lights competition. Decorate your house with Christmas lights and you could win a prize. Or you and your neighbours may wish to enter the Best Decorated Street category. Prizes are being offered in two categories.
‘Best Private Residence’ - winner will receive $500 and a plaque. Four runners-up will receive a $100 Centro Maddington voucher.
‘Best Decorated Street’ (5 Houses or more) – winners will receive $1,000 and a commemorative street sign.
All unsuccessful entrants in the ‘Best Private Residence’ category will go into a draw to win one of two $50 Centro Maddington vouchers.
The aim is to generate community spirit across the suburbs by encouraging the residents of the City of Gosnells to share in the Christmas festivities by visiting the locations of the houses that have entered the competition. See the sights in a friendly atmosphere and appreciate the effort that has been put into these amazing displays around homes all over the City.
Entries close at 5pm on Tuesday 11 December 2007 and late entries will not be accepted. Judging will take place between Tuesday 11 December 2007 and Thursday 13 December 2007. All entrants are requested to leave their lights on until at least 11.00pm between these nights
For any further information please call Safe City on 9391 6022 or email safecity@gosnells.wa.gov.au
as posted on COGSite visit the site to enter your house or street
as a tradition we (my family home) put our lights up on or around October 31 (Halloween) and leave them up till after Australia Day, they may not be full on but we do our bit for the festive season - Peter Evans
1999 and supported by Centro Maddington
Get into the Christmas spirit this year and enter the Safe City Christmas Lights competition. Decorate your house with Christmas lights and you could win a prize. Or you and your neighbours may wish to enter the Best Decorated Street category. Prizes are being offered in two categories.
‘Best Private Residence’ - winner will receive $500 and a plaque. Four runners-up will receive a $100 Centro Maddington voucher.
‘Best Decorated Street’ (5 Houses or more) – winners will receive $1,000 and a commemorative street sign.
All unsuccessful entrants in the ‘Best Private Residence’ category will go into a draw to win one of two $50 Centro Maddington vouchers.
The aim is to generate community spirit across the suburbs by encouraging the residents of the City of Gosnells to share in the Christmas festivities by visiting the locations of the houses that have entered the competition. See the sights in a friendly atmosphere and appreciate the effort that has been put into these amazing displays around homes all over the City.
Entries close at 5pm on Tuesday 11 December 2007 and late entries will not be accepted. Judging will take place between Tuesday 11 December 2007 and Thursday 13 December 2007. All entrants are requested to leave their lights on until at least 11.00pm between these nights
For any further information please call Safe City on 9391 6022 or email safecity@gosnells.wa.gov.au
as posted on COGSite visit the site to enter your house or street
as a tradition we (my family home) put our lights up on or around October 31 (Halloween) and leave them up till after Australia Day, they may not be full on but we do our bit for the festive season - Peter Evans
WA is important to the Liberals: Downer
Western Australia is enormously important in the federal election and the Liberal Party is placing a great deal of emphasis on the state, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says.
Mr Downer said despite the fact WA had only 15 out of 150 of the country’s lower house seats, it did not make it less important to the campaign and he denied the prime minister was neglecting the state.
“Mr Howard has been here,” Mr Downer told reporters in Perth, where he was campaigning in the Labor-held marginal seat of Cowan.
“Australia is a big country and he can’t be here everyday. Western Australia is enormously important in terms of the election and certainly the Liberal party is placing a great deal of emphasis on Western Australia.”
WA has four marginal seats all in the Perth metropolitan area.
Cowan and Swan are held by the ALP, while the liberals hold Hasluck and Stirling.
“You say only 15 seats, that’s not unimportant ... so I think Western Australia is very important,” Mr Downer added.
“And quite a lot of seats here are marginal Liberal and marginal Labor, so that tends to focus the mind.”
The foreign minister today announced a re-elected coalition government would provide $3 million to upgrade the Kingsway Sporting Complex in the Cowan seat’s suburb of Madeley.
Mr Downer took time out at the Madeley complex to shoot for goal at a netball court, bagging one on his second attempt.
He said he had no real prior experience at the game, except that his three daughters played.
Mr Downer then travelled to the seat of Hasluck - where he was due to announce $95,000 in funding to rebuild the fire-damaged pavilion at Jackmann Oval and a $100,000 grant so the Gosnells bowling club could buy a new synthetic bowling green.
as posted on TheWest
Mr Downer said despite the fact WA had only 15 out of 150 of the country’s lower house seats, it did not make it less important to the campaign and he denied the prime minister was neglecting the state.
“Mr Howard has been here,” Mr Downer told reporters in Perth, where he was campaigning in the Labor-held marginal seat of Cowan.
“Australia is a big country and he can’t be here everyday. Western Australia is enormously important in terms of the election and certainly the Liberal party is placing a great deal of emphasis on Western Australia.”
WA has four marginal seats all in the Perth metropolitan area.
Cowan and Swan are held by the ALP, while the liberals hold Hasluck and Stirling.
“You say only 15 seats, that’s not unimportant ... so I think Western Australia is very important,” Mr Downer added.
“And quite a lot of seats here are marginal Liberal and marginal Labor, so that tends to focus the mind.”
The foreign minister today announced a re-elected coalition government would provide $3 million to upgrade the Kingsway Sporting Complex in the Cowan seat’s suburb of Madeley.
Mr Downer took time out at the Madeley complex to shoot for goal at a netball court, bagging one on his second attempt.
He said he had no real prior experience at the game, except that his three daughters played.
Mr Downer then travelled to the seat of Hasluck - where he was due to announce $95,000 in funding to rebuild the fire-damaged pavilion at Jackmann Oval and a $100,000 grant so the Gosnells bowling club could buy a new synthetic bowling green.
as posted on TheWest
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