The Northern Territory news Fri 22 Jun 2018
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2018-06-22
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
News Corp Australia
Darwin
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News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/300594
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/375800
FRIDAY JUNE 22 2018 NEWS 07 V1 - NTNE01Z01MA Court Reporter Suicide prevention program for veterans VETERANS released from hospital after a suicide attempt will be placed on intensive mental health programs as part of a new Federal Government pilot. Former defence force personnel who have an increased risk of suicide because of their mental health or other factors will be eligible for treatment services after legislation cleared Parliament yesterday. The reforms to laws for veterans services will also allow veterans studying during re habilitation programs to receive their full weekly earnings. Labor senator Kimberley Kitching said creating a smooth transition to civilian life was vital. For help: Lifeline 13 11 14 or beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Hunters lobby for bigger bag limit MAGPIE goose -hun t ing stakeholders have met with Minister for Environment and Natural Resources Lauren Moss ahead of the imminent announcement of bag limits and hunting season length. NT Field and Game Associ ation spokesman Bart Irwin said he was pleased numbers had jumped since last years survey and hoped the hunting season would reflect that. We are pleased that the Minister is fully aware of the increased population and the value hunting brings to the Territory lifestyle, he said. She is working with NT Field and Game to provide a bag limit and season length that will be acceptable to hunters. The magpie goose season will be announced by July 1. Justice may be lost Incompetent prosecution led by inexperienced cops NT Police Assistant Commissioner, Michael Murphy, shakes hands with the father of Kwementyaye Green outside the Coroners Court yesterday TERRITORY police have again apologised for the botched investigation into the suspected murder of Tennant Creek woman Kwementyaye Green. Ms Green was found dead in a vacant block on Casey St in November 2013. Her partner, Rodney Shannon, had slept next to her body. Delivering the findings of an inquest into Ms Greens death yesterday, Coroner Greg Cavanagh said NT Police had destroyed vital forensic evidence and made repeated missteps over the past five years. Outside court, Assistant Commissioner Michael Murphy said the police investigation remained open, but that the chance of anyone ever being charged over Ms Greens death continued to diminish as more time passed. We will not discontinue our effort to continue to examine this case, he said. The Assistant Director of the DPP, Stephen Robson, earlier this month wrote to police saying there was no reasonable prospect Mr Shannon could be successfully prosecuted for murder or any other related offence. Ms Greens father, Casper Green, has long thought NT Police would have investigated more thoroughly had his daughter been white. Mr Cavanagh stopped short of making a finding the poor quality of the police investigation was a by-product of the institutional racism, but said he might have questioned senior police more thoroughly on the topic had it been raised ahead of the inquest rather than during it. Among a series of scathing findings, Mr Cavanagh said it was outrageous police continued to destroy forensic exhibits. He also said the investigation was undertaken by inexperienced officers in an incompetent fashion. In my view, it was so poor that prosecution would only have been possible if the killer confessed, he said. He said police delay and inaction was an affront to Ms Greens family and the community at large. As has been noted by police in their response to both the death of (Aboriginal boy) Kieffen Raggett and Kwementyaye Green, the community and the families of the deceased are entitled to expect better from police. Mr Cavanagh said there was no reasonable explanation why the investigation languished for four years, and he reserved particular criticism for Commander James J. OBrien, Commander OBrien was not available to give evidence at the inquest, but had filed a statement the day before the inquest which failed to address several significant concerns about the management of the investigation. Cop altered records on DV case A POLICE officer who was allegedly the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her exhusband who was also a Territory cop has told the Supreme Court she altered police records relating to the case. Maree Metcalfe told the trial of her ex-husband Garrin Metcalfe that she deleted parts of the job after colleagues started looking up the file to gossip among themselves. I just knew that the job wasnt locked down and it was supposed to be, she said. In cross-examination, Mr Metcalfes barrister, Tom Berkley, asked if she was very concerned that other officers had access to the (police database) job. Ms Metcalfe said: Its a privacy matter. I was upset that general duties members were accessing the job. When asked whether she had once slapped herself before blaming it on Mr Metcalfe, she said it was the most ridiculous thing Ive ever heard. She said the reason she secretly recorded conversations between herself and Mr Metcalfe was that if he ever killed me people would know what he was really like. He was making threats to kill me and we had firearms in the house, she said. Over the years no-one believes me and what hes done to me. Mr Berkley said Mr Metcalfe had continually protested his love for his now-ex wife. Ms Metcalfe said: If you call that love calling me a f***ing c**t and wanting to put me in a grave. The trial continues. 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