Category: Newcastle News

Police have released images of two men they believe can assist with inquiries into the death of another man during a home invasion in Lake Macquarie earlier this week.
Emergency services were called to the home on Lonus Avenue, Whitebridge, about 2.30am on Monday (17 December 2018), and found a 60-year-old man with a serious injury to his arm.
The man was treated at the scene by Ambulance paramedics; however, he died at John Hunter Hospital a short time later.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District established a crime scene and commenced inquiries.
Police will allege in court that three people – with their faces covered and armed with baseball bats and knives – broke into the home and attacked the man in his bedroom.
The man’s two brothers were home at the time but were not injured.
As inquiries continue, police have released images of two men who they believe may be able to assist with inquiries.
One man is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander or Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, aged in his mid-20s, about 165cm tall, with brown eyes. He is believed to have dark-coloured short/shaved hair, possibly with a long ponytail.
The second man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, also aged in his mid-20s, about 175cm tall, with a thin build, fair complexion and blond hair. He is believed to have tattoos on his chest, left forearm, right arm and left thigh.
As inquiries into the incident continue, anyone with information, is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers immediately.

Five men have been charged following investigations into alleged large-scale drug supply in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie regions.
Strike Force Castlestead was established in September 2018 to investigate and dismantle an alleged drug supply syndicate operating across both police districts.
Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives arrested two men – aged 33 and 28 ­– at a service station on Gateway Boulevarde in Morisset about 3.30pm yesterday (Thursday 20 December 2018).
During a search of the men, police located and seized a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs, believed to be cocaine, and cash.
The men were taken to Belmont Police Station where they were both charged with multiple offences, including supplying a prohibited drug (commercial quantity), and knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime.
The 33-year-old man was also charged with manufacture or produce a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and expose a child to the process.
They were bail refused to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 21 December 2018).
Following the arrests, multiple search warrants were executed at homes in Cameron Park, Mayfield, Wangi Wangi, and Rose Bay.
Large quantities of cocaine, GHB and cash was seized from the homes.
At the home in Wangi Wangi police discovered a clandestine drug laboratory. Officers from the NSW Police Chemical Operations Unit attended to dismantle and process the scene.
A 35-year-old man was arrested at the Cameron Park home and taken to Belmont Police Station.
He was charged with 10 offences, including supply a prohibited drug of large commercial quantity, importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drug, and manufacture prohibited drug. He was bail refused to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 21 December 2018).
A 40-year-old man was arrested at the Mayfield home and taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with knowingly take part in the supply of a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug, and knowingly participate in criminal group.
He was bail refused to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 21 December 2018).
A 28-year-old Rose Bay man was arrested in Sydney’s CBD and taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with six offences relating to the supply of prohibited drugs.
He was bail refused to appear at Central Local Court today (Friday 21 December 2018).
Investigations by Strike Force Castlestead continue and further arrests are anticipated.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a woman missing from Newcastle.
Cecilia Devine, who turns 42 today (Friday 21 December 2018), was last seen in Waratah on Wednesday 5 September 2018.
Police from Newcastle City Police District were alerted when her family and friends could not locate or contact her.
Concerns are held for her welfare.
Cecilia is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 160cm tall, with a large build, long blonde hair with undercut sides, and blue eyes.
It’s believed she may have travelled to Sydney and there was reported sightings of her in the Hornsby and Blue Mountains area shortly after she was last seen.
Anyone who sees Cecilia, or believes they know her whereabouts, is urged to contact police immediately.

A boarding house at 86 Waratah Street Mayfield will shortly re-open following successful regulatory action to address serious planning and fire safety breaches.
City of Newcastle (CN) served Emergency Development Control Orders on the owners of the boarding house in September 2018, requiring the removal of all residents due to serious fire safety risks and to address significant unauthorised works at the premises.
The owner of the Mayfield boarding house, Mr Aaron Buman, contacted CN on 17 December advising that various works to remove unauthorised structures, and improve fire safety as required by the Emergency Orders, had been undertaken.
CN’s Director of Governance David Clarke said following a request from the owner, CN’s investigation officers inspected the Mayfield premises to assess compliance with the Orders.
Subject to the owner addressing several outstanding minor matters and issuing a final fire safety certificate, CN will remove the Emergency Orders enabling the Mayfield premises to be occupied again,” Mr Clarke said.
“The safety of residents in this boarding house is a priority. CN was left with no choice but to take regulatory action to close the boarding house due to the serious fire safety risks caused by the owner undertaking unauthorised works and failing to comply with fire safety standards.
“The owner purchased and converted an adjoining three-bedroom residential property at 84 Waratah Street into a ten-bedroom boarding house without any planning approvals, and joined that property to his existing boarding house at 86 Waratah Street via a series of unauthorised awnings and structures, resulting in an unacceptable fire safety risk, which was compounded by a lack of fire exits and other safety requirements.
“The owner installed 14 timber “cubby house” style cabins at the rear of 86 Waratah Street without any planning approvals and with serious fire safety deficiencies compromising the safety of residents.
“These actions created an unacceptable fire safety risk to the residents and resulted in the boarding house being closed.
“Earlier this month, Mr Buman submitted a draft Fire Safety Report for 86 Waratah Street, Mayfield. It concluded, in part, that a sprinkler and alarm system in the building would provide levels of safety within the building that will afford the buildings’ occupants an acceptable level of protection in the event of fire.”
“CN intends to issue fresh orders requiring the owner to install a sprinkler system in the Mayfield boarding house and meet other recommendations contained in the Fire Safety Report.
“Despite taking legal action (which was subsequently withdrawn) and mounting a vigorous public relations campaign against CN, the owner has now complied with the Emergency Orders, enabling the boarding house at 86 Waratah Street Mayfield to re-open.”
“CN’s boarding house compliance program has improved the safety of residents at the Mayfield boarding house. The owner showed a flagrant disregard for planning and fire safety requirements and it has only been through our regulatory action that the owner has now complied to ensure the safety of his residents.
“The owner has restored the adjoining residential property at 84 Waratah Street to a three- bedroom residential property. It will not be able to be used as a boarding house until and unless appropriate planning approvals are obtained.
“A boarding house at Carrington owned by the same owner remains closed due to fire safety risks.
“CN expect that all local boarding house operators now recognise that they must take action in response to compliance matters identified by our current audit program. Last year a boarding house in Crebert Street Mayfield and not owned by Mr Buman, was similarly shut down due to fire safety concerns. In that case, the owner chose to sell the property rather than undertake the required safety work.”

A man has been charged with murder following an alleged fatal stabbing at Belmont yesterday.
About 1.30pm (Wednesday 19 December 2018), police were called to Beach Street, Belmont South, after reports of a crash between a Holden Commodore and a 4WD utility.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended and found the 4WD driver, a 50-year-old man, suffering stab wounds to his neck.
The injured man was treated at the scene before being taken to John Hunter Hospital, where he later died.
Police will allege the man was involved in a verbal altercation with another man, known to him, before the crash.
Following inquiries by detectives from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and officers from Lake Macquarie Police District, a 32-year-old man was arrested at a home on Marriot Street, Belmont, just before 2pm.
He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with murder.
The man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 20 December 2018).

A man has been charged with murder after the death of another man during a Lake Macquarie home invasion earlier this week.
Emergency services were called to the home on Lonus Avenue, Whitebridge, about 2.30am on Monday (17 December 2018), and found a 60-year-old man with a serious injury to his arm.
The man was treated at the scene by paramedics; however, he died at John Hunter Hospital a short time later.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District established a crime scene and commenced inquiries.
Police will allege that three people – with their faces covered and armed with baseball bats and knives – broke into the home and attacked the man in his bedroom.
The man’s two brothers were home at the time but were not injured.
Following inquiries by detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District, assisted by the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, officers arrested a 19-year-old man at a home on Warners Bay Road, Charlestown, about 8.45am yesterday (Wednesday 19 December 2018).
He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with murder.
The man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 20 December 2018).
Investigations are continuing and police are still seeking two men in relation to the incident.

A man has died, and another man is in police custody after an incident in Belmont today.
Police have been told a Holden Commodore and a 4WD utility were involved in a crash on the Pacific Highway, near Beach Street, about 1.30pm (Wednesday 19 December 2018).
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended and found a 50-year-old male driver suffering stab wounds to his neck.
The injured man was treated at the scene before being taken to John Hunter Hospital, where he later died.
A 32-year-old man was arrested nearby and taken to Belmont Police Station where he will be spoken to by detectives.
The pair are known to each other.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad are assisting officers from Lake Macquarie Police District to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Inquiries are continuing.

The City of Newcastle will slash the hourly cost of on-street parking by 25 per cent for users of its pay-by-phone parking app, in preparation for Australian-first technology that guides drivers to vacant parking spaces.
The discount will automatically apply to the EasyPark app, which allows drivers to pay only for the time they use and remotely top-up payments after receiving SMS notifications 15 minutes before their meter expires.
The City is currently working with the app’s developers to deliver the ‘Find and Park’ auxiliary solution to help motorists find vacant parks.

“From 1 January, the City will automatically apply a 25 per cent discount on the hourly parking rate on a six-month trial basis as a reward to drivers who use our parking app,” City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said.
“We will also absorb the 10 per cent surcharge that drivers currently have to pay on top of the hourly rate when using the parking app.
“With light rail construction behind us and the city set for an exciting 2019, we know that parking ease is important to many people who shop in the CBD. That’s why we’re incentivising use of the app to make parking cheaper and easier.
“The release of the ‘Find and Park’ add-on has been planned for almost 12 months but we opted to wait and learn from the roll out of the technology in Sweden earlier this year.
“By July next year, the app will have the ability to point out to drivers the most likely place to find a park, based on sophisticated parking algorithms.”
As part of the EasyPark revolution, the free 15-minute paper ticket will also go digital.
“The ticket-based system has been increasingly abused since it was introduced in 2015 by motorists, putting machines out of order,” Mr Bath said. “When drivers come across a faulty parking meter, they often they incorrectly assume they can’t park in the area for fear of receiving a ticket.
“And with 88 per cent of adult Australians now owning a smart phone, the time is right to move to digital.”
In other parking changes, the trial of a morning and afternoon rate on all 1P and 2P parking meters will finish at the end of December.
A flat rate of $4/hr between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday will return in the New Year.
The move follows feedback that variable pricing was confusing for drivers and led to unnecessary parking fines.
Although a flat rate of $4 an hour will appear on meters in 1P and 2P zones, motorists paying via the EasyPark app will only be charged $3/ hr.
“This is a significant reduction in the price of parking in the city during the peak time of the day from 11am to 2pm,” Mr Bath said.
“By offering such a significant discount on the hourly parking rate, there is of course a risk to parking revenue. To manage this risk we will review the discount in time for the 2019/20 budget.”
Under the changes:

• The discounted tariffs of $2.50/hr from 9am-11am and $3/hr from 2pm-5pm will no longer exist. EasyPark users will be eligible for an hourly rate of $3/hr all day.
• The price of all-day (8P) parking will also drop by $1 through EasyPark, reducing the price of the all-day No.2 carpark to just $5.
• The 25 per cent discount for drivers using the EasyPark app will also apply to 4P zones.
• The Saturday hourly rate will increase from $2.50 to $3 if using a meter but decrease 25c/hr when paid with EasyPark.
• The hourly rate for 4P and 8P zones will also be brought into line with 1P and 2P zones.

The EasyPark app can be downloaded via the Apple app store by typing EasyPark or at Google Play for Android users.
Just look for the logo of a white ‘e’ set in a pink square. Motorists can also call EasyPark on 1300 734 070 for assistance with use of the app.

An investigation is underway after a man was shot in the Hunter overnight.
About 6.45pm on Tuesday 18 December 2018, officers from Hunter Valley Police District were called to Cessnock Hospital after a man presented to emergency with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
It’s believed the man was shot at a home on Comerford Close, Aberdare between 6pm and 6.30pm.
The 30-year-old man was stabilised, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital in a serious but stable condition; police have been told he will undergo surgery.
Detectives from Hunter Valley Police District are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s injuries.

A man has been charged with murder after a body was found at a house in Scone yesterday.
About 6.30am (Tuesday 18 December 2018), a 20-year-old man attended Muswellbrook Police Station and provided information which led officers to a house on Parker Street where they found the body of a 41-year-old man.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District established a crime scene and an investigation was initiated by detectives.
The 20-year-old man was arrested, but then taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment for minor lacerations to his fingers.
He was released back into the custody of detectives and has now been charged with murder.
He has been refused bail to appear at Muswellbrook Local Court later today (Wednesday 19 December 2018).