Redditch woman in court over Australia e-scooter crash death
She was remanded in custody in Australia until her case returns to court on 11 August for legal argument.The charge of dangerous driving causing death carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.Under western Australian law, e-scooter riders must wear a helmet, be sober, carry no passengers and be older than 16.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
‘Was it illegal? Yes' – Open star's half-blind coach dad let him drink and try drugs as kid and now lives in the jungle
XANDER SCHAUFFELE was illegally allowed to try drugs, drink alcohol and smoke cigars as a child - by his own dad. Fast forward 16 years and the pair drank booze out of the Claret Jug after his Open glory. 5 5 Schauffele, 31, won The Open at Royal Troon 12 months ago - nine weeks after his maiden Major win at the PGA Championship - and arrives at Portrush as the defending champion. And as well as necking red wine and 'clear liquors' from golf's famous trophy a year ago, he admitted in his champion's press conference: 'I hate to say it, but I've had wine, of course, and then I've had tequila out of it, as well.' Schauffele, though, has been consuming alcohol with his old man Stefan since his early teens. His old man would even give French cognac and Cuban cigars to Xander and his childhood friends when they visited their San Diego home in the mid-noughties. Speaking to The Times, Stefan, 61, said: 'In America, the drinking age is 21 but you're allowed to be killed for your country at 18. This is bulls***. 'I told my boys [Xander and his older brother Nico]: I will teach you everything I know and cram in as many life experiences as I can until you're 16, then you're an adult in my mind. 'That included sexual experiences, even drugs. Someone was selling marijuana and cocaine at the middle school when Xander was 14, so you need to confront this. 'I said, 'I don't mind if you try, you just need to be aware it can f*** you up.' 'There were a lot of green faces with the cigars, some accidents with the alcohol, but they all learnt very quickly. 'Was it illegal? Yes. Can they put me in jail for it now? I don't think so.' Xander Schauffele jokes he was 'trending towards an alcoholic,' but he's happy to be back in Scotland Reflecting back on that upbringing, American Schauffele Jr added: 'He wanted to show me what's on the other side if you are successful. 'But maybe he just wanted a buddy to drink and smoke with.' Around the same age, Stefan challenged Xander to a full-on wrestling fight in the bathroom which ended up with a broken towel rail and the youngster in the bath. Xander added: 'Let's just say I didn't win the fight.' Stefan's parenting techniques have certainly raised question marks. But his determination for his son to succeed as a sporting professional is undeniable. And it is personal for Stefan, too. His own grandfather, Xander's great-grandfather, Richard was a 6ft 8ins 'monster' who played as a striker for Stuttgart before turning to athletics. He qualified for the Olympics discus event and was tipped for gold but injured his shoulder and would never reach the same heights again. HORROR CRASH Stuttgart-born Stefan inherited the sporting genes, initially in the long jump and javelin throw before joining the German national decathlon team. However, like his grandad, his career was cruelly ripped away from him when his car was hit head-on by a drink-driver in 1986. After six eye surgeries and two years in and out of hospital, he used the compensation payment to buy a one-way ticket to California, where he met Ping-Yi Chen, Xander's mother. The couple's first child tragically died of sudden infant death syndrome and they spent two years living in Tokyo, where Stefan discovered golf, a sport he found 'boring' but one he could play with his limited eyesight. So when Xander showed an interest in wanting to make a life out of the sport, Stefan was fully on board, regularly handing in sick notes at Xander's school to take him to the driving range. Now Schauffele has had three crowning moments in his illustrious career - and each one has a significant link to dad Stefan. The first was winning Olympic gold at the delayed Tokyo 2020 games four years ago. Xander gave Stefan - still coaching and representing him at the time - his precious medal. Xander said: 'That was a seriously emotional moment.' Stefan added: 'You're going to make me cry just thinking about it. 'He understood how huge the Olympics was for me. We got in the car and he gave me the medal and said, 'This is for you.'' Then came the PGA Championship win at Valhalla in May 2024 as Schauffele ditched his nearly-man tag by pipping Bryson DeChambeau by one shot. However, Stefan was not there to see his son become a Major champion. That is because he lives in a 20ft shipping container in the remote Hawaiian island of Kauai where he clears areas of jungle with a chainsaw. The mobile home - Stefan had been a 'complete hermit' before being forced to buy the semi-permanent pad - has no electricity or hot water. But he managed to find some electricity to watch the final seven holes of Xander's fourth round at the PGA. Then two months later, Stefan watched his son crowned Champion Golfer of the Year with his victory at Royal Troon. But despite career earnings about to reach £45million - he is 15th in the all-time PGA list - Xander has not lost touch with his humble roots, by still driving his 2015 Toyota Camry, a nod to his rental motor he would drive to qualifying rounds of tournaments ranked way down at No1,734 in the world. Schauffele - who turned down an offer worth a reported £150m from LIV Golf in 2022 - revealed: 'I drove it to Torrey Pines this year. 'I got some heckles for it but it's all good fun. 'It's a trophy that car. Those moments of despair are very important.' Come Sunday, Xander and Stefan will be hoping to keep hold of the other trophy for another year, too. 5
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Craig Johnston led a band of union thugs in violently trashing an office while a pregnant woman cowered in fear. They said he wouldn't be welcome back.... These exclusive photos show what REALLY happened
One of Australia's most powerful unions has sparked outrage by awarding life membership to a previously jailed and expelled official who took revenge on a company by rampaging through its offices and terrorising its employees. Craig Johnston, the former Victorian Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), was honoured at the union's state conference in May - despite being booted from the group in 2004. Johnston made headlines in 2001 after he led 30 balaclava-clad men in a violent 'run-through' through the offices of Skilled Engineering in Box Hill, in Melbourne 's east. The group smashed windows with chairs, overturned filing cabinets, trashed computers, and sprayed fire suppressant throughout the offices. A pregnant woman was among the staff members who were screamed at and threatened by the intruders during the terrifying rampage. Skilled Engineering, a labour hire firm, was targeted by Johnston and his cronies following a dispute over redundancies and the use of non-unionised labour. Johnston was later found guilty in Melbourne Magistrates' Court of riot, affray, criminal damage, and aggravated burglary. He was sentenced to nine months in prison in August 2004, fined $10,000, and ordered to pay $44,000 in compensation. A separate investigation by the AMWU in July of the same year saw him expelled from the union for misconduct. At the time, then-AMWU National Secretary and ACTU Vice-President Doug Cameron - who later became a Labor senator - publicly condemned Johnston, declaring he 'would not be welcome back' in the union. 'We expelled him for some serious misconduct and, as far as we are concerned, what he does as an individual is up to him,' Cameron told ABC Radio in 2005. 'But he will not be coming back as an AMWU member.' Yet at the recent AMWU conference, Johnston was photographed celebrating alongside several high-profile union figures, Daily Mail Australia can reveal. Some of those pictured were supporters of embattled Victorian CFMEU Secretary John Setka, who resigned following explosive allegations of corruption and links to organised crime within that union. The award given to Johnston noted his 'recognition of a life spent advancing the lives of working men, women and their families'. It also features the quote, 'Dare to struggle, dare to win', which was popularised by Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong, whose policies, including the Great Leap Forward, are estimated to have caused the deaths of up to 45million people. The decision to grant Johnston life membership was criticised by Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin. 'It's concerning that someone previously jailed for violent workplace invasions is being celebrated,' Battin said. 'I'm sure many decent unionists and workers share my view that this sends a dangerous message: intimidation and violence can be rewarded.' Photos from the event show Johnston posting with CFMEU National Secretary and Setka supporter Zach Smith, with one man pictured wearing a 'Free Johnston' t-shirt, a slogan used by Union activists during Johnston's jail term. He was also pictured rubbing shoulders with Christy Cain, the retired National Secretary of the CFMEU, who remains one of Mr Setka's loudest backers. Troy Gray, Victorian Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, also attended the event. Meanwhile, the CFMEU remains under administration across Australia, following a failed High Court challenge last month. The Queensland Government has launched a commission of inquiry into the state's CFMEU branch after a damning report by barrister Geoffrey Watson. Watson's report uncovered a culture of entrenched misconduct, including allegations of violence and harassment against women, which he described as possibly the single worst aspect of the violence perpetrated by the CFMEU. The inquiry will use its full powers to probe what the government has called a deeply embedded culture of bullying, intimidation, misogyny, and corruption within the powerful construction union. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Victorian AMWU, Australian Council of Trade Unions and Victorian Treasurer and Industrial Relations Minister Jaclyn Symes for comment.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Additional 800 children to be tested for STIs as police investigate accused Melbourne childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown
More than 800 additional children in the Australian state of Victoria are being recommended for testing for sexually transmitted infections after four more childcare centres were added to a list of known workplaces of alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown. More dates have also been added for 10 other childcare centres, with police citing incomplete records from the providers for the discrepancies. Earlier this month Victorian police revealed the 26-year-old childcare worker had been charged with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims, aged between five months and two years old. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Along with the health department, they released a list of 20 childcare centres where Brown worked between January 2017 and May 2025 and his known employment dates. Approximately 2,600 families with children who attended the centres were contacted, with 1,200 advised to undergo screening for sexually transmitted infections. Detectives from the sexual crimes squad on Tuesday confirmed four more centres had been added to Brown's work history. They are: Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham on 29 August 2024 Milestones Early Learning Tarneit on 10 September 2024 and 13 September 2024 Milestones Early Learning Braybrook on 4 December 2024 and 6 December 2024 Milestones Early Learning Greensborough on 5 December 2024, 31 January 2025 and 27 February 2025 Ten of the 20 centres already identified have also been updated based on new information provided to police, while Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing has been removed from the list after further investigation determined the information was incorrect. Police now believe Brown worked at 23 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. It is understood discrepancies in Brown's work history were identified by both members of the public and detectives involved in the investigation. Affinity Education Group, which operates many of the listed centres, said it had provided police with updated employment records for Brown on 3 July. On Tuesday, the company apologised to affected families 'for the distress this is causing.' 'No family should have to go through this. We are committed to supporting every family impacted whilst continuing to cooperate fully with the authorities as the investigation continues,' a spokesperson said. In their statement, police said establishing Brown's complete work history had been 'extremely complex' as childcare providers do not have centralised records. It meant detectives had to 'execute search warrants to obtain handwritten records, shift rosters and other critical information.' Police also had to interview witnesses and assess more than 270 Crimestoppers reports to verify details and provide an accurate account of Brown's employment history. They have also sought to establish not just where Brown worked, but the specific shifts and duties he undertook. Victoria police acting commander, Janet Stevenson, acknowledged some families would be frustrated by the delay in updating to Brown's work history. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'We are working through a large amount of information that has been provided to us,' said. 'Each piece of information has to be individually assessed and verified before it can be used as part of the investigation or released to the public. 'I want to reinforce that this is a continually evolving and changing situation. What hasn't changed is that this investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria Police.' The police statement said investigators were 'assessing new information daily' and 'further updates are likely in the coming weeks'. The health department said it was contacting 830 additional families as a result of the new information, with 800 children likely to have direct contact with Brown recommended for testing. 'This is obviously a highly distressing situation, and I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low,' the Victorian chief health officer, Dr Christian McGrath, said. 'Our recommendation for testing is a precaution and the test results we've received to date as part of this investigation reaffirms that the risk is low.' Families will be contacted initially via SMS and then with a phone call. The department urged families to check the updated list of childcare centres and employment dates before calling its advice line. Children who have already been tested will not need any additional screenings, the department said. The health department has not publicly stated the infections the children will be screened for. However, in information provided to affected parents and seen by Guardian Australia, they have recommended testing for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis for some children or chlamydia and gonorrhoea for others. The infections can all be treated with antibiotics.
