Courts & Justice

exclusive
exclusive
Sick allegations
exclusive
Man invokes murdered QLD family in alleged wife threat

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: ‘You and your daughter deserve to be burned alive like the Queensland family’, was one of the threats a man made against his wife before brutally raping her, prosecutors say.

Jake Dietsch

A-salt chargeMan charged with ‘chicken salt’ assault on mum

A chicken salt container will be at the centre of a legal argument as a Kalgoorlie-Boulder man denies he assaulted his mother with the popular condiment.

Taylar Amonini

Quarantine breachSecond ankle bracelet fitted to WA COVID breacher

A Secret Harbour man who allegedly breached hotel quarantine by inviting women to his room and going to a party has become the second person in WA to be fitted with a COVID monitoring device.

Sarah Steger

‘Idiot abroad’French backpacker jailed after drug order to WA hostel

An ‘idiot abroad’ whose dream holiday around Australia with his girlfriend turned into a nightmare after he was caught importing party drugs in the mail to his Kununurra hostel has been jailed.

Shannon Hampton

Bowel busterMan jailed after rolling dice to ‘clear gambling debt’

A 56-year-old drug mule was picked up by authorities in WA after swallowing five heroin-filled pellets he urgently needed to 'evacuate'.

Shannon Hampton

exclusive
exclusive
Multi-million payout
exclusive
Paralysed WAFL star sues over neck-breaking tackle

East Perth footballer Beau Chatley is suing the West Perth opponent whose tackle during a WAFL game in 2016 broke his neck and left him suffering life-long injuries, The West Australian can reveal.

John Townsend

What a disasterCatering company fined $20,000 for botched wedding

A WA catering company who served shop bought caramel slice instead of churros at a party and failed to serve anything at all at a wedding has been fined $20,000.

Charlotte Elton

Family relievedWA cop fails in bid for JC murder trial in Geraldton

An attempt by the WA Police officer charged over the shooting death of Yamatji woman JC to have his murder trial heard north of Perth has failed.

Emily Moulton

Looking slickMercanti debuts new look as lawyers argue over funeral

Prosecutors will apply to have a special hearing to determine a “discrete jurisdictional issue” linked to charges stemming from Troy Mercanti’s attendance at a bikie funeral in NSW.

Shannon Hampton

Unhappy returnsHeiress loses a bundle in Claremont jewellery shop flop

A judge has expressed surprise about a Perth heiress with ‘no business experience’ buying a St Quentin Avenue store.

Neale Prior

Violent lettersTaylor stalker sent to jail

An American judge has sentenced a Texas man to 30 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to stalking and sending threatening letters and emails to pop star Taylor Swift’s former record label.

exclusive
exclusive
Domestic violence
exclusive
Body-worn cop camera videos to convict DV abusers

Police camera footage will soon be able to be used as evidence in court to convict domestic violence offenders currently escaping punishment because their victims are being pressured not to testify.

Elise Van Aken

opinion
opinion
EDITORIAL
opinion
Domestic violence law reform welcome

The issue is complex and there will be further challenges. But it is heartening to know that action is under way.

guilty or not guilty?Claremont podcast: The moment of truth is upon us

Is Bradley Robert Edwards guilty or not guilty? Only one person knows what the answer to that question is, and he’s taken 12 weeks to make it. But on Thursday September 24, the world will find out.

Kate Ryan

Assault chargesChild care worker charged over ‘scratches’ on kids

A Quinns Rocks woman is facing assault charges after an investigation into allegations children at Goodstart Early Learning in Banksia Grove had come home with scratches.

exclusive
exclusive
Star charged
exclusive
Daniel Kerr faces court on DV charges

The former West Coast Eagle has been charged with 10 domestic violence offences involving his ex-girlfriend. He is accused endangering life — a charge that carries a 20-year jail term if convicted.

Sarah Steger

Fatal scuffle‘I stabbed him’: Frantic Triple-0 call played to court

A former immigration agent on trial over the death of his housemate following a Boxing Day fight says he was protecting himself, fearing he was going to be sexually assaulted, a WA court has heard.

Emily Moulton

BORDER BATTLEPalmer fails to have High Court gag Premier

Clive Palmer has failed in his bid to stop Mark McGowan from talking publicly about the billionaire’s challenge of WA’s hard border.

Peter Law

Retrial confirmedAustic prepares to clear name of secret lover’s murder

The next time Scott Austic walks into a courthouse it will be for his historic second chance to clear his name after serving almost 13 years behind bars for the murder of his pregnant secret lover.

Shannon Hampton

Perth or bustEx-sandalwood boss eyes challenge to WA’s COVID border

Frank Wilson’s legal team is probing reasons why a star prosecution witness can’t fly in from Texas and is planning a constitutional challenge if State laws are to blame.

Neale Prior

‘Hush money’Designer jailed for stealing fights conviction

An award-winning WA fashion designer jailed for stealing more than $160,000 from her employer is fighting to have her conviction overturned, claiming she’s the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Emily Moulton

Domestic violence trialBoyfriend ‘waved knife at woman in crisis care’

A deaf woman feared for her life when her boyfriend allegedly broke into crisis accommodation and threatened to kill her.

Liam Beatty

Highway horrorTonkin Highway crash death truckie pleads guilty

A truck driver who ran a red light on Tonkin Highway before crashing into and killing a mother-of-three has changed his plea, admitting to her manslaughter.

Shannon Hampton

Change of mindSurfer pleads guilty to murder of ex-wife’s husband

A well-known South West surfing veteran who was due to stand trial accused of murdering his former wife’s new husband after a fight at a home in Margaret River has changed his plea to guilty.

Shannon Hampton