Monday, 14 December 2009

Woman admits killing dog

as posted here



A 22-year-old Gosnells woman has pleaded guilty to stabbing a dog to death.
The woman was charged with stabbing the German Shepherd five times in the torso in June last year.
The RSPCA argued in the Armadale Magistrates Court that the injuries would have caused the dog to suffer pain for at least 10 minutes before it died.
It's expected the woman will be sentenced in January.


as posted here

Knife held to man's throat in robbery

as posted here



A 39-year-old man had a knife held to his throat during a robbery in Maddington last night.
Police allege the victim was walking along Albany Highway near the Strand in Maddington after leaving MacDonald's to go to work about 9.15pm. He walked past two males on his way to Pratt Court when the men confronted him and blocked his path, demanding money.
When the man ignored them and kept on walking, the males allegedly discussed robbing the man before running after the victim and again demanding money.
It is alleged one of the males produced a metal object between 15 to 20cm long - which the victim believed to be a knife -and held it to the 32-year-old's throat.
The males, a 14-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man, were later arrested by police. They have been charged and bailed to appear in court.

A 14-year-old boy will appear in Armadale Children's Court on January 11 and a 21-year-old man will appear in Armadale Magistrate's Court today.


as posted here

Tree man defies heat, hecklers

as posted here


Tree man defies heat, hecklers

FLIP PRIOR, The West AustralianDecember 14, 2009, 7:30 am




Despite soaring temperatures, a steady stream of drive-by hecklers and the threat of axe-wielding "ninjas" rumoured to be showing up, Richard Pennicuik still refused yesterday to abandon his one-man mission to save the tree in his front yard.
Looking battle-weary but determined, Mr Pennicuik, 57, was preparing to spend his seventh night sleeping in his eucalyptus melliodora tree, one of just two left on Hume Street in Thornlie.
He had not yet decided whether to climb down today to speak to City of Gosnells staff, fearing that the tree would be chopped down.

Only a commitment in writing that the tree would be saved would convince him, he said.
"I won't say anything more about this if (the City of Gosnells) just do the right thing by me and this tree," he said.

The "tree man" has won plenty of community support and nearly 2500 fans on Facebook.



as posted here

Saturday, 12 December 2009

Suburban battler up a tree

as posted here


Suburban battler up a tree

MALCOLM QUEKETT, The West AustralianDecember 12, 2009, 11:25 am
The defiant cry of the little Aussie battler taking on the big guys has rung out loudly down the years.
And this week, out the front of a modest home in an average street in a typical suburb of Perth, another everyman battle has been raging: Richard Pennicuik against the City of Gosnells.
Battle lines were drawn over Mr Pennicuik's bid to save a eucalyptus melliodora tree. His is one of the last two of 22 gums which once lined Hume Road, Thornlie, which the council says could be dangerous and should come down.
In their place the shire wants to plant 35 jacaranda mimosaefolia.
To save his tree, Mr Pennicuik took to the branches early on Monday morning and despite the council's urgings, was still refusing to come down yesterday.
The scene could be a film set. At ground level behind him is a battered old caravan, which Mr Pennicuik used when he last worked on the mines, ("the best job in the world, mate").
Above his house flies a torn Australian flag. Another flutters at the base of his tree home.
Mr Pennicuik, 57, said his tree was not dangerous and did not need to come down. "They just decided to step on us," he said.
He accepted the right of his neighbours to have their trees felled and they accepted his right to keep his. That's the Australian way.
Jacarandas, he said, "are a disaster". For a start, they were not natives. Their flowers left a stain and attracted bees, which was a problem to those who were allergic to their sting.
Neighbour Jason Telfer, 39, is a Yorkshireman. He's got a jacaranda out the front of his place. He said his gum trees were infected and were felled several years ago.
He did not protest at the time when the jacaranda went in, but now regrets it. "I was still an English Pom at the time and didn't know the difference between the trees," he said.
Now, he says he is an Aussie, except about cricket and backed Richard 100 per cent. He was helping by handling the spotlight on his mate, which was taking much of his time. "I was a plumber until four days ago," he said.
And just a few doors down, in the other eucalyptus, a rotating team of four have made their home among the gum trees.
Ashley Hayes, 16, came up from Port Kennedy to help out when he heard what was going on.
He had a team of mates with him to make sure their tree was never without a sitter.
Mr Pennicuik said he would stay "as long as it takes".
"Are they going to arrest me and put me in jail for sitting in a tree? For sticking up for my rights as an individual Australian citizen? I thought this was a democratic society," he said.
For its part, the City of Gosnells urged Mr Pennicuik to climb down to discuss the issue.



as posted here

Tree man wary of council offer

as posted here


Tree man wary of council offer

11/Dec/2009
Comments:
Friday, 3pm THE Thornlie man who has been living in a tree for the past week reckons “shorts and a hose” will see him through the soaring temperatures expected this weekend.
However, Richard Pennicuick is considering an offer by the City of Gosnells to meet in private with the city's chief executive and a mediator.

City of Gosnells councillor Wayne Barrett today delivered a message from chief executive Ian Cowie to

Mr Pennicuick, who is living in the yellow box gum outside his home in a bid to save it from being lopped down.

The council is removing 20 similar trees from Hume Road because of their potential to drop limbs.

Mr Pennicuick's 16-year-old son, Riordan, also joined the cause in the adjacent gum today and is taking turns with mates and passers-by to sit in the second tree.

Cr Barrett said the chief executive wanted to meet Mr Pennicuick in a private location to discuss his concerns further.

He felt My Pennicuick received the offer positively.

But Mr Pennicuik said he was suspicious of the council's motives and feared being “nabbed” if he climbed down the tree.

He told inmycommunity.com.au on Friday that he would seek advice from his friends about whether to abort his treetop vigil to participate in the meeting.

His wife, Rose, made a rare appearance out the front of her home today to lend her support for her husband's cause from the base of the tree.

Mr Pennicuick, who had his first wash last night and has strapped on a harness for safety, said he was prepared to tough out the hot weekend from his perch and called down to his wife to go buy him some new shorts.

Mr Pennicuik said he was upset about an ugly incident yesterday during which a woman allegedly punched a worker involved in lopping trees further up the street and was arrested by Canning Vale Police.

“I don't even know who she is. That really made me upset that that happened,'' he said.

Mr Pennicuick said he did not personally like the attention his vigil was attracting but he thought it was great people cared about the environment.



as posted here