Every week TheShout scours reports from every state and territory in the country to bring you news on crimes affecting the hotel, club and liquor industries. Know of an incident we’ve missed? Give us a shout at editor@54.64.152.77.
VIC
A 31-year-old woman suffered serious lacerations to her hand after smashing a bottle against a man’s head at a nightclub in Melbourne’s Docklands area over the weekend. The man suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene, while the woman was conveyed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital under police guard.
A man who repeatedly punched an 18-year-old woman in the face at St Kilda nightclub Area 61 on February 4 last year has pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, the Herald Sun reported. James Murphy attacked the woman after she rejected his advances, causing a broken nose, a chipped tooth and various cuts and bruises. Murphy, who said he wanted to apologise to the victim, was bailed to appear in the County Court on September 16.
QLD
Three men were charged with a litany of offences — including assault, public nuisance, failing to leave a licensed premises and obstructing police — after an altercation broke out at the Redcliffe RSL last Friday. The three men were allegedly causing a disturbance and refused repeated requests to leave. When police arrived they restrained one of the men and placed him a their vehicle, but were then attacked by his companions, one of who was doused with capsicum spray. One officer received a suspected dislocated jaw, a second a broken nose and their vehicle was damaged. The three men will appear in Redcliffe’s Magistrate Court on May 19 and 20.
Queensland Police have charged a 23-year-old man after he entered the Ipswich City Motel on Warwick Road and allegedly produced a knife. The man demanded cash from an employee but left empty handed. Officers found him a short time later at a private address and charged him with one count of attempted armed robbery. He was also charged in relation to the armed robbery of a service station that had occurred only days before.
NSW
Damien Peter Hopper was found not guilty over the killing of Hunuki Tamapeau, a Samoan-born man who died during an altercation outside Sydney’s Mortdale hotel in 2005, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. A Supreme Court jury found Tamapeau, who had repeatedly taunted Hopper, died after falling back and hitting his head against the road. At the time of the incident police believed Tamapeau had succumbed as a result of the 18 punches Hopper threw at Tamapeau as he lay unconscious on the ground following the fall.
Sydney police are seeking witnesses to the serious assault of a 41-year-old man outside a registered club on Pittwater Road, Collaroy, on April 16. The man was hit on the head with a bottle and received a large laceration on his arm after he became involved in an altercation with three young males. He received fractures to his skull and eye socket and remains in hospital in a serious condition. The assailants are described as being between 14 and 18 years of age, two of who are of Pacific Islander or Asian appearance. CCTV footage of the assault has been presented to the media.
Two policemen — brothers Scott and Danyl Mewburn — have been sentenced to eight months jail after they used their police identifications to intimate a man they had come into contact with at the Royal Hotel in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland, The Daily Telegraph reported. The officers, who were off-duty and intoxicated at the time, followed their victim into a convenience store after he had left the hotel and assaulted him. An appeal that will be heard in the District Court in May.
Sydney Police have charged a 24-year-old man from Matraville over the killing of Solomoan Penitani, 36, who was shot dead at a hotel on Anzac Parade, Kingsford, on Saturday morning. Penitani was still alive when police arrived at the hotel at 4:00am but succumbed to gunshot wounds shortly after. Witnesses at the scene said the offender fired three shots at the victim’s upper body after a fight broke out between the two. The offender, who has not yet been named, handed himself in on Tuesday after police instigated a citywide manhunt. He has been refused bail.