Category: Newcastle News

Police are investigating a robbery in the state’s Hunter region overnight.
About 8pm on Sunday 5 January 2020, a 49-year-old woman was walking her dog along Hillgate Drive, Thornton, when she was approached by an unknown man.
He threatened the woman and demanded money before she handed over her mobile phone and ran away from the offender onto Lancaster Street.
The woman knocked on doors of nearby homes until a resident offered assistance and she contacted police.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended and commenced an investigation.
The man is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 175cm tall, with a thin build, and less than 20-years of age.
Police are appealing for any who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area around that time to contact Maitland Detectives on 4934 0200 or to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing in the state’s Hunter region.
John Ernest Russell, aged 79, was last seen driving off from his home on Sandpiper Avenue, Salamander Bay on Saturday 4 January 2020 at 1am. He has not been heard from since.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District believe he may be heading towards Sydney in his car – a charcoal 2015 Toyota Hilux ute with registration JR-022. It has a black tourney covering the tray.
Family and police hold concerns for his welfare as this is out of character for John.
Police are appealing for public assistance to locate John who is described as being of Caucasian appearance, with a medium build, between 182cm and 187cm tall, with grey hair, blue eyes and tanned skin.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District urge anyone who sees John to contact Raymond Terrace police station on 02 4983 7599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800

A Hunter woman has been charged with high-range drink-driving after returning a breath analysis more than four times the legal limit.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were on Richardson Road at Salt Ash about 9.30pm (Saturday 4 January 2020), when they saw a vehicle crashed into a drainage culvert.
The 29-year-old female driver was arrested and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where she underwent a breath analysis, returning an alleged reading of 0.213.
She was issued with a Court Attendance Notice (CAN) for high-range PCA and her driver’s licence was suspended.
She is due to appear in Raymond Terrace Local Court on Monday 20 January 2020.

Two people will face court today after a hydroponic setup and cannabis plants were located at homes across the Hunter Valley.
About 9am yesterday (Thursday 2 January 2020), emergency services were called to a home on First Street, Weston, following reports the building was well alight.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews extinguished the blaze a short time later.
Upon inspection of the home, crews located a hydroponic setup within the property and contacted police.
Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District attended, established a crime scene and commenced an investigation.
Following further inquiries, police attended a home on William Street, Abermain, and located a 52-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, who were both identified as being unlawful citizens.
They were arrested and taken to Cessnock Police Station.
Police then executed three search warrants at homes on First Street, Weston, and William Street, Abermain, late yesterday (Thursday 2 January 2020), and at Mount View Road, Cessnock, about 11am today (Friday 3 January 2020).
During these searches, police located and seized more than 500 cannabis plants, several kilograms of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
The 52-year-old man has been charged with cultivate prohibited plant larger than commercial quantity, possess prohibited plant greater than indictable quantity, and deal with the proceeds of crime.
The 54-year-old woman has been charged with cultivate prohibited plant larger than commercial quantity, and possess prohibited plant,
They were refused bail to face Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 3 January 2020).
Investigations are continuing.

A man will face court today charged with an alleged armed robbery at Lake Macquarie yesterday.
About 6.30am on Thursday 2 January 2020, it’s alleged a 31-year-old man entered a service station on York Street, Teralba, and threatened an attendant with a knife.
He demanded cash before he fled the scene on foot north along York Street.
A short time later, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District located a man fitting the description of the alleged offender walking along William Street, Teralba.
Following investigations conducted at the scene and nearby, the man was arrested and taken to Toronto Police Station.
He was charged with robbery armed with an offensive weapon and possess prohibited drug.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 3 January 2020).

A man has been charged after two improvised explosive devices, weapons and ammunition were located at a home in Cessnock earlier this week.
On Sunday 29 December 2019, officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District arrested a 35-year-old man on Melbourne Street, Aberdare, in relation to an outstanding domestic incident and an alleged aggravated break and enter.
He was taken to the Mater Hospital for treatment to heat stroke and other injuries.
Then about 10am on Monday 30 December 2019, police attended a property on Carrol Avenue, Cessnock, for an unrelated incident where they allegedly located two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ammunition.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District then executed a search warrant at the home where they allegedly located and seized ammunition, scopes, a silencer, gun magazines, a rifle, a taser and gun powder.
Specialist police were called to examine the items, which were deemed safe.
The 35-year-old remains in hospital, where yesterday (Wednesday 1 January 2020) he was charged with several driving and domestic-related offences.
Today (Thursday 2 January 2020), he was charged with a further 10 offences, including:
Possess unauthorised firearm
Possess ammunition without holding permit
Make/manufacture explosive/gun powder with intent to injure (x2)
Possess explosive/gunpowder with intent to injure etc (x2)
Possess or use a prohibited weapon (x4)
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court tomorrow (Friday 3 January 2020).

A man will face court today charged after he allegedly set fire to several cars and bins in the Raymond Terrace area earlier this month.
About 9.15pm on Thursday 12 December 2019, police attended a dance studio on Port Stephens Road following information it was well-alight after fire spread from a burning garbage bin.
The fire was extinguished and the building sustained major damage.
On the evening of Saturday 14 December 2019, two bins were set alight on William Street.
The following evening, (Sunday 15 December 2019), emergency services attended Port Stephens Road, after reports two cars were alight and caused damage to a nearby building.
About 1am on Wednesday 18 December 2019, another vehicle was set alight in the carpark off Sturgeon Street. The fire was extinguished; however, the blaze caused damage to a nearby shed.
Detectives from the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, an 18-year-old man was arrested in Waratah West yesterday (Monday 30 December 2019).
He was taken to Waratah Police Station, where he was charged with five counts of malicious damage.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Tuesday 31 December 2019).

A 17-year-old girl was knocked unconscious and police attacked with glass bottles after several brawls erupted at an out-of-control house party in the Lake Macquarie area last night.
About 10pm (Saturday 28 December 2019), officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended Rhodes Street, Blackalls Park, after reports a large house party was out of control and spilling onto the street.
When police arrived, there were more than 150 people on the street who then threw glass bottles and other items at the officers and their vehicles.
Additional police resources responded after numerous people started fighting, which resulted in a 17-year-old girl being knocked unconscious.
The girl was later taken by NSW Ambulance paramedics to John Hunter Hospital, where she remains in a stable condition.
The group continued to brawl, and police deployed OC spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Further officers from Newcastle City Police District, the Dog Unit and Operations Support Group also attended to assist and move the large group along.
During the operation, five people were arrested and will be charged with offences including hinder police, resist arrest, offensive behaviour, possess prohibited drug, possess knife and trespass.
It will be alleged that a 23-year-old Teralba man physically interfered while a Sergeant was dealing with another man, and violently resisted other police who came to assist.
A Police Dog also assisted with restraining the man, who is currently being treated in hospital for a dog bite to his left calf.
Investigations into the incident, including the assault of the 17-year-old girl, are continuing.

Police are investigating the attempted armed robbery of a business in Raymond Terrace overnight.
About 7.10pm (Friday 27 December 2019), a man entered a petrol station on Adelaide Street and approached the counter.
The man asked for a pack of cigarettes before allegedly threatening the male staff member with what appeared to be a firearm and demanding cash and cigarettes.
The man jumped the counter, before struggling with the staff member who managed to escape from the premises.
The staff member returned, and a further struggled followed. The man ran from the store, jumping on a bicycle and fleeing the scene without any cash.
No customers were inside the store at the time, and no one was hurt.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called and began their investigations.
A crime scene was established, and a number of items were seized for forensic testing including a paintball pistol in the shape of a firearm, a cap, a bag and a bicycle helmet.
The man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged between 20 and 25 years old, around 180cm tall, with red hair and a medium build. He was last seen wearing a brown hooded jumper, brown pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information about this man or this incident are urged to contact Raymond Terrace Police Station on 02 4983 7599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.