The Northern Territory news Tue 30 Jul 2013
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2013-07-30
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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/10070/247279
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/579412
4 NT NEWS. Tuesday, July 30, 2013. www.ntnews.com.au P U B : N T N E W S D A T E : 3 0 -J U L -2 0 1 3 P A G E : 4 C O L O R : C M Y K Talk business in any Northern Territory branch? With CommBank, you Can. At CommBank we give you access to a business expert in every branch. If not in person, then well arrange a video conference. Another initiative helping businesses in the Northern Territory. Visit: In branch Call: 13 1998 Best Business Banking at Branch 2013 NEWS l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ntnews.com.au Son speaks out over killers pub rampage Douglas Crabbe, pictured below, killed five people when he deliberately drove a 25-tonne truck into a crowded central Australian pub in 1983 EXCLUSIVE ByMEAGANDILLON THE son of one of the Territorys worst killers has spoken publicly for the first time, saying his family regrets his actions every day but has asked his victims families to show some pity ahead of his imminent release from jail. Anthony Crabbe was 13 years old when his uncle came to school and told him his father had been arrested for killing five people after he drove a 25-tonne truck into a crowded central Australian pub. He hopes his father, Douglas Crabbe, 66, will be released on parole next month after spending 30 years behind bars for five counts of murder. Anthony Crabbe has told the NT News of his familys hurt about what happened on August 18, 1983. Theres a lot of things that went on that night that have never been told and probably will never be told, he said. He has been paying for it every day, and will for the rest of his life. Hes been through a living hell. His family has been through a living hell. Im not sticking up for what he did it was horrific. But it was one moment of stupidity. Mr Crabbe, 44, said it was incorrect to label his father as a mass murderer because he didnt go to the Inland Hotel, at Uluru, planning to take lives. He didnt go to the pub to kill people something just snapped and something caused him to snap, he said. Were deeply sorry for what happened. Theres not a single day that goes by that we dont wish we could change it. The truck driver said he no longer spoke to his sister Debbie and brother Alan, and their fathers actions had torn the family apart. His siblings were 11 and three respectively at the time their father was jailed and were devastated about what happened. That man was the most caring, loving father we could have hoped for, Mr Crabbe said. If we had a problem, he would sit us down and talk to us about it. Hes nothing like how he has been portrayed. I was getting death threats when I was 13. It killed us. In 2005, Crabbe was moved from the Darwin prison to Perth to be closer to his eldest son who wants his father to live with him upon his release. He has done an apprenticeship once every six years since his incarceration and is now a qualified diesel fitter, refrigeration mechanic, small motor repairer, electrician and welder. His son said Crabbe would never be a truckie again. Back in those days, the amount of drugs that truck drivers took to make deadlines was excessive, he said. I dont think even he will know what went on in his head that night. Crabbe pleaded not guilty to murder, saying he couldnt remember the incident, which severely injured 16 more people. His family believe he was suffering from a druginduced pyschosis and the jury heard that Crabbe thought the bar would be empty when he drove into it at 1.35am. Mr Crabbe said there were a lot of drunk people in the pub and an altercation had escalated throughout the night. The pub shouldnt have been open at that time, he said. Crabbe was sentenced to life in prison without any possibility of release, but the legislation changed after he had served about 20 years and he was given a nonparole period of 25 years. But the Director of Public Prosecutions successfully applied to extend the parole period by five years, allowing for his possible release next month. Crabbe will go before the Prisoners Review Board of Western Australia before his parole eligibility date of August 18. Charles Darwin University criminal law lecturer Andrew Hemming previously told the NT News that Crabbe would more likely have been convicted with a negligent manslaughter under current legislation. Brother playing it safe By ANDREW FENTON ITS not just the Big Brother housemates who are older this season the twists revealed during last nights premiere are also long in the tooth. Dividing the house between rich and poor, or heaven and hell has been a staple of the international format since 2001, when it was dreamt up for the third season of the original Dutch program. Variations on the theme have since appeared in at least 26 international editions of the show, from the UK to Poland, Slovenia to the Philippines. Even the name Halfway House and the concept of half-sized beds and doorways was inspired by last years Gran Hermano, the Spanish version of Big Brother. But that didnt make it any less entertaining or hilarious for viewers watching the Half Way housemates dawning realisation theyll be forced to live in poverty and rely on charity from the better off Safe housemates to eat. Darwin beauty Tahan Lew-Fatt, pictured, hit our small screens last night when the first episode of the 2013 series of Big Brother screened in a two-hour special. At 24, the Territoryraised stunner has a lot of older housemates in the household with her this series a break from tradition for the reality TV show. The second twist teased during the final moments of last nights show in which strangers Drew and Jade will be told to pretend to be married or risk getting booted from the show is also similar to a fake relationship/wedding seen in the UK version in 2008. The housemates are yet to learn the rules but each Tuesday night, the six contestants with the highest nomination scores will become the Half Way housemates.