A man has been charged following a stabbing in the state’s Central West today.
About 4pm (Monday 10 December 2018), police were called to a home on Brian Heber Grove, Mudgee, following reports a man had been stabbed.
On arrival officers found a 19-year-old man suffering a stab wound to his chest.
He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Mudgee Base Hospital, then flown to Westmead Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Officers from Orana Mid-Western Police District arrested a 24-year-old man at the scene.
He was taken to Mudgee Police Station where he was charged with reckless wounding.
He was refused bail and will appear in Mudgee Local Court tomorrow (Tuesday 11 December 2018).
The two men are known to each other.
Category: Newcastle News
All the news happening in the Newcastle and Hunter Region
Search continues for missing man – Dungog
Police are continuing to appeal for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Hunter region.
Graeme Lambert-Smith, aged 61, was last seen leaving a hospital on Hospital Road, Dungog, about 7.10am yesterday (Saturday 8 December 2018).
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced an investigation.
Police and family have concerns for his welfare as he suffers from a medical condition and may appear disorientated.
Mr Lambert-Smith is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 178cm tall, of thin build, with a fair complexion, silver short hair, and wearing glasses.
He was last seen wearing a blue jumper, black tracksuit pants, and no shoes.
A search for the man is ongoing in Dungog and the surrounding areas. The search involves officers from Port Stephens/Hunter Police District, PolAir, and SES personnel.
The search will continue tomorrow (Monday 10 December 2018) with the assistance of police Dog Squad and Northern Region Operational Support Group (OSG).
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately.
Fatal shooting; man arrested – Maryland
A man has been arrested following a fatal shooting in Newcastle yesterday.
Just after 4pm (Saturday 8 December 2018), police were called to a home on Beauford Avenue, Maryland, after reports of a shooting.
A man, believed to be 38-years-old, was found with fatal injuries inside an attached garage.
He is yet to be formally identified.
A crime scene was established, and officers from Newcastle City Police District, with assistance from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, commenced inquiries.
About 1am today (Sunday 9 December 2018), specialist police and negotiators attended a home on Raglan Street, Wallsend, and established a perimeter.
Following negotiations, about 3.45am, 10 people – including a 30-year-old man and children – inside the home exited without incident.
The 30-year-old man was arrested and taken to Newcastle Police Station, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment to minor injuries.
The men are known to each other and police are treating the incident as targeted.
Inquiries are continuing.
Fatal motorcycle crash near Scone
A motorcyclist has died following a crash near Scone, in the state’s Hunter Region.
Just after 10am today (Saturday 8 December 2018), a motorcycle and truck collided on the New England Highway at Parkville, approximately 10km north of Scone.
The rider, a 66-year-old man, died at the scene.
The truck driver, a man believed to be aged in his 50s, wasn’t injured and has undergone mandatory blood and urine testing.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District have established a crime scene and an investigation into the incident will be conducted by the Crash Investigation Unit.
Anyone who witnessed the crash, or the events leading up to it, is urged to contact police.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
The highway is expected to remain closed for a number of hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area.
Missing man – Dungog
Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Hunter region.
Graeme Lambert-Smith, aged 61, was last seen leaving a hospital on Hospital Road, Dungog, about 7.10am today (Saturday 8 December 2018).
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced an investigation.
Police and family have concerns for his welfare as he suffers from a medical condition and may appear disorientated.
Mr Lambert-Smith is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 178cm tall, of thin build, with a fair complexion, silver short hair, and wearing glasses.
He was last seen wearing a blue jumper, black tracksuit pants, and no shoes.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Raymond Terrace Police Station on 4983 7599 immediately.
Construction starts on Stockton drawcard
Construction has started on a $1.9 million playground and skate plaza precinct at Griffith Park, Stockton.
The South Stockton Active Hub will be delivered by a specialist skate park construction firm and be built in two parallel rows shorter than the single 140-metre length first envisaged.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes with Stockton residents at Griffith Park
The facility, which was revised following community feedback, will be situated at the southern end of the park adjacent to the harbour and a greater distance from neighbouring Hunter Street houses.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the playground will be complete with flying foxes, slides, climbing nets, swings and skate facilities, would draw more people across the Hunter River.
“This new playground will help to revitalise the Stockton foreshore by creating a vibrant, healthy and active outdoor-friendly space for the community,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
“The final design fits in perfectly with the existing amenities. We fielded submissions about a range of issues relating to the playground and skate plaza and, where possible, the concept plan has been amended to address them.
An artist impression of the South Stockton Active Hub at Griffith Park
Among the changes are a reduced construction footprint and a design closer to the water to reduce noise impacts to Hunter Street residents.
“The Active Hub precinct will be built adjacent to existing outdoor sporting fields and recreation areas, allowing for adults and children to eat, play and socialise at their leisure.”
The urban skate plaza and playground will be part funded by a $450,000 Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said he was excited to see this great community project come to fruition.
“It is great to see this project progressing that will activate Griffith Park for the Stockton community,” Mr MacDonald said.
“The NSW Government is pleased to partner with City of Newcastle through the Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund to deliver projects across Newcastle Harbour.”
The playground will also include a lookout crane tower, accessible spinner, sand pit and a social area with shelter, barbecue and picnic table.
Features for the urban skate plaza include rails, angle ledges, hubbas, kerb cuts, A-frame kicker, zig zag ledge and a half pipe.
Firearms and grenade launcher among weapons seized in joint operation in Charlestown
A 49-year-old Lake Macquarie man has been charged with drug and firearms offences following a joint operation in Charlestown between the Australian Border Force (ABF) and NSW Police Force.
The operation began when border intelligence officers identified a number of online purchases of firearms-related items being sent to a residence in Charlestown.
Subsequently, ABF officers at the Sydney International Mail Gateway intercepted a number of mail items containing firearm parts.
On Wednesday, 5 December 2018, a search warrant was executed by officers from the ABF and investigators from NSW Police Force’s Drug and Firearms Squad and Lake Macquarie Police District at a home at Charlestown in the NSW Hunter region.
During the search, officers seized five long-arm firearms, two sound-and-flash grenades, one gas propelled anti-personal mine, seven gas-propelled grenade-type canisters, various calibres of ammunition, body armour, camouflage gear, and a hydroponic set-up with five cannabis plants.
Police seized all the firearms for forensic and ballistic examination.
The man was arrested and taken to Belmont Police Station, where he was charged with cultivate prohibited plant, two counts of possess unauthorised prohibited firearm, three counts of possess unauthorised firearm, three counts of possess unregistered firearm, four counts of possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, unauthorised possession of firearms in aggravated circumstances, two counts of possess ammunition, and five counts of not keep firearm safely.
ABF officers also charged the man with 11 counts of prohibited import of firearm parts.
The man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court yesterday (Thursday 6 December 2018).
ABF Investigations Superintendent Garry Low said the detection highlights the commitment of the ABF and partner agencies to removing potentially dangerous weapons from the community.
“We have significant intelligence capabilities to detect online purchases of firearms and accessories and through our investigations we have located a number of other serious weapons,” Superintended Low said.
“People need to be aware of the regulations around importing these items into Australia and that the ABF will investigate and take action against anyone found to be illicitly bringing them into the country.”
NSW Police Drug and Firearms Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Martin Fileman, said that the unauthorised and illicit possession of firearms are a concern for law enforcement.
“We’ve seen through recent investigations that there is an illegal market in sourcing firearms, replicas, and related paraphernalia, as well as equipment and parts to manufacture firearms locally,” Det Supt Fileman said.
“Even if a firearm is incomplete or won’t fire, the simple fact is: if it looks like a real gun, under the law, it is a gun, and we will lay charges as such.
“Just one firearm in the wrong hands could be fatal and we will continue to target anyone who illegally possesses, supplies or manufactures firearms in NSW.”
Anyone who is aware of an individual, who may be involved in importing firearms or firearms parts illegally is urged to contact Border Watch at
www.australia.gov.au/borderwatch.
Information relating to the illicit manufacture, supply, or possession of firearms can be reported to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
Media contact:
Australian Border Force 02 6264 2244
NSW Police Force 02 8263 6100
Charges over Hamilton assault
A man has been charged over an alleged assault at Newcastle at the weekend.
Police have been told two men – aged 22 and 28 – were involved in an altercation outside licensed premises on Tudor Street, Hamilton, just before 2.30am Sunday (2 December 2018).
The younger man suffered a serious leg injury and was taken to John Hunter Hospital.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District were notified on Monday (3 December 2018), and commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, a 28-year-old Adamstown man attended Newcastle Police Station about 4.45pm yesterday (Wednesday 5 December 2018), where he was arrested and charged with reckless grievous bodily harm.
He has been granted conditional bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court on Thursday 10 January 2019.
The injured man remains in John Hunter Hospital after undergoing surgery.
Library shines light on State's old-time crooks
On at Newcastle Region Library until Saturday 16 February, Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930 shines a light on the ordinary men, women and children caught on the wrong side of the NSW criminal justice system, whether by choice or circumstance.
Among those was Sarah Clifford, a former convict and known pickpocket in both Tasmania and NSW, whose early convictions took place in Newcastle.
Twelve years after arriving in Hobart from Ireland in 1852, Clifford, her husband and kids were living here when she was caught pickpocketing.
But Sarah was discharged on the presumption of law ‘where a woman committed a felony in the presence of her husband that she was acting under coercion’.
Clifford’s crimes continued for the next four decades until her last conviction in 1910 at the age of 76. By this time she had spent more than 36 years in gaol.
Suzie Gately, City of Newcastle’s Manager Libraries and Learning, said the exhibition tells extraordinary stories of ordinary people.
“Captured highlights the untold stories of individuals in the historic NSW justice system,” Ms Gately said.
“It also sheds light on the practice of photographing prisoners, which was introduced in NSW in 1871, and about two decades earlier in France and Britain. These photographic portraits give us a glimpse into the lives of criminals in Australia that we would not otherwise have.”
Developed by NSW State Archives, the exhibition features a wide selection of records and images sourced from 46,000 inmate records contained in 199 gaol photographic-description books.
NSW State Archives undertook a project in 2016 to digitise items in the Collection of Gaol Photographic Description Books, many of which were at risk of being lost to physical deterioration or because they were kept on obsolete technology.
During the process of digitising the records, staff also combed the histories for the most interesting stories for the exhibition and catalogue, said exhibition curator Dr Penny Stannard.
“Our expert staff and research archivists have peeled back the layers of these historical records and illuminated the events that led these people to commit a crime,” she said.
“We looked at the offence type, gender, age and location of crimes to piece together a collection of compelling stories.”
Visit Captured: Portraits of Crime at Newcastle Library, Laman Street, Newcastle in the Local Studies Lounge until Saturday 16 February.
For more information visit the NSW State Archives website or view the exhibition catalogue.
Curator’s Talk
Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930
Dr Penny Stannard with NSW State Archives will bring the stories from the exhibition to life.
Penny will unravel the compelling case studies of individuals captured in the criminal justice system and their contribution to the history of NSW.
WHEN: Thursday 6 December, 12.30pm
WHERE: Newcastle Library, Local Studies Lounge
COST: Free
Among those was Sarah Clifford, a former convict and known pickpocket in both Tasmania and NSW, whose early convictions took place in Newcastle.
Twelve years after arriving in Hobart from Ireland in 1852, Clifford, her husband and kids were living here when she was caught pickpocketing.
But Sarah was discharged on the presumption of law ‘where a woman committed a felony in the presence of her husband that she was acting under coercion’.
Clifford’s crimes continued for the next four decades until her last conviction in 1910 at the age of 76. By this time she had spent more than 36 years in gaol.
Suzie Gately, City of Newcastle’s Manager Libraries and Learning, said the exhibition tells extraordinary stories of ordinary people.
“Captured highlights the untold stories of individuals in the historic NSW justice system,” Ms Gately said.
“It also sheds light on the practice of photographing prisoners, which was introduced in NSW in 1871, and about two decades earlier in France and Britain. These photographic portraits give us a glimpse into the lives of criminals in Australia that we would not otherwise have.”
Developed by NSW State Archives, the exhibition features a wide selection of records and images sourced from 46,000 inmate records contained in 199 gaol photographic-description books.
NSW State Archives undertook a project in 2016 to digitise items in the Collection of Gaol Photographic Description Books, many of which were at risk of being lost to physical deterioration or because they were kept on obsolete technology.
During the process of digitising the records, staff also combed the histories for the most interesting stories for the exhibition and catalogue, said exhibition curator Dr Penny Stannard.
“Our expert staff and research archivists have peeled back the layers of these historical records and illuminated the events that led these people to commit a crime,” she said.
“We looked at the offence type, gender, age and location of crimes to piece together a collection of compelling stories.”
Visit Captured: Portraits of Crime at Newcastle Library, Laman Street, Newcastle in the Local Studies Lounge until Saturday 16 February.
For more information visit the NSW State Archives website or view the exhibition catalogue.
Curator’s Talk
Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930
Dr Penny Stannard with NSW State Archives will bring the stories from the exhibition to life.
Penny will unravel the compelling case studies of individuals captured in the criminal justice system and their contribution to the history of NSW.
WHEN: Thursday 6 December, 12.30pm
WHERE: Newcastle Library, Local Studies Lounge
COST: Free
Man injured, police investigate – Hamilton
An investigation is underway after a man was injured following an altercation in Newcastle at the weekend.
Police have been told two men – aged 22 and 28 – were involved in an altercation outside licensed premises on Tudor Street, Hamilton, just before 2.30am yesterday (Sunday 2 December 2018).
The younger man sustained a leg injury and was taken to John Hunter Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District were notified today (Monday 3 December 2018), and commenced an investigation.
As inquiries continue, detectives would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed or have information about the incident.