Saturday, 9 February 2008

Young hoon pays for doughnuts

as posted on TheWest

Learner driver Jarred Nicholas Lamont picked a quiet spot in the early hours of Sunday to practise a bit of hoon driving in his Ford Falcon sedan.

But 24-year-old Lamont got the location all wrong — choosing the carpark of Cannington police station, Perth Magistrate’s Court was told yesterday.

The carpark may have been empty, giving him plenty of space to do 360-degree “doughnuts” and burn-outs, but the police station was not.

Officers caught Lamont still behind the wheel of his vehicle.

Lamont, of Rangeview Court, Maddington, yesterday pleaded guilty to reckless driving, drink-driving and driving contrary to his learner’s permit.

Sgt Bob Morgan, prosecuting, told the court that the offences occurred in the early hours of February 3 when police officers were still inside the Cannington police station. They saw smoke coming from the vehicle’s tyres and there were significant marks on the carpark’s bitumen.

When arrested, Lamont told the officers: “I wanted to get some attention.” He was breath-tested and he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.140. His vehicle was seized for 48 hours under hoon driver legislation.

Defence lawyer Dave Fort said that Lamont had recently been kicked out of home and had been diagnosed with depression.

Chief Magistrate Steven Heath fined Lamont a total of $1750 on the three charges and banned him from driving for 12 months.

ROY GIBSON

as posted on TheWest

Friday, 8 February 2008

Gyspy Jokers lose High Court bid to keep clubhouse fortified

as posted on TheWest


The Gypsy Jokers have lost a High Court bid to overturn a fortification removal notice on their Maddington clubhouse.

The outlaw motorcycle gang was served a fortification removal notice in May 2004, ordering the Jokers to remove concrete walls, steel gates, surveillance cameras and monitors.

WA Police had sought the notice through the Corruption and Crime Commission, which applied the notice on the grounds that it was satisfied that there were reasonable grounds for believing that the clubhouse was “heavily fortified” and was “habitually used as a place of resort by members of a class of people…..suspected to be involved in organised crime”.

In response to the notice the Jokers’ lawyer said the fortifications were necessary because the area had high rates of burglary and car theft, housed expensive Harley Davidson motorcycles and the fortifications had received necessary approvals.

A challenge in WA courts resulted in Justice Blaxell referring the matter to the WA Supreme Court of Appeal but the original decision against the Jokers was upheld.

The club asked the High Court to review the decision however a six to one majority dismissed the appeal today.

MICHAEL BENNETT

as posted on TheWest

Day one ..

the following reply was given ...

Thankyou for your enquiry. Council meetings are conducted under the provisions of the City of Gosnells Standing Orders Local Law 2003, a co...