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ABC News
43 minutes ago
- ABC News
Police renew appeal for information over 1983 disappearance of Sydney woman Heather Marks
Police are appealing for information more than 42 years after Heather Marks disappeared in Sydney's inner west, with her family saying their "emotional distress" is an "endless journey". Ms Marks was 53 when she was last seen walking towards Leichhardt swimming pool on Glover Street in Rozelle on the morning of April 13, 1983. She was soon reported missing to NSW Police, and despite efforts by her family and Leichhardt Police Area Command, Ms Marks was never seen or heard from again. "The pain of not knowing where she is or what happened is unbearable," said Ms Marks's granddaughter Natalie Jackson. "Heather should have had decades ahead of her of birthdays, of celebrations, of dreams slowly coming true. Ms Jackson said her family still had "a flicker of hope that one day we will have answers". In August 2008, the NSW deputy state coroner declared Ms Marks was deceased, though no finding was made regarding her manner or cause of death. Little evidence has been uncovered and her body has never been found. A line of inquiry for investigators is a partner Ms Marks was believed to have been known as Ray, with her family saying he was an interstate truck driver who drove the route between Sydney and Melbourne. Authorities urged Ray — or anyone who may know more about him or her grandmother's disappearance — to come forward. "We now know that around April 1983, Heather was in a relationship or had a friendship with Ray," Assistant Commissioner of the State Crime Command Scott Cook said. "We know Ray was in his mid 50s, [had] short, dark hair, unshaven face, brown eyes, approximately 170 to 175 cm tall." "Please come forward and speak to us," he said to anyone with information. The renewed appeal for public assistance comes amid Missing Persons Week, which hopes to raise awareness about a series of "forever loved" individuals whose whereabouts remain unknown. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the force was "shining a light" on long-term disappearance cases. "When somebody walks out the front door, most of us expect them to come home. But in the event that they don't, it leaves a long, lasting hole in a family's life. "NSW Police are making a call out for people who know something, who have seen something, who have heard something." Mr Cook said Missing Person's Week was a chance to continue the search for answers. "We should all reflect on how we would feel if our loved one was missing for a long period of time, and the circumstances of that were unresolved." In NSW alone, approximately 28 people go missing every day, most of which are found almost immediately. Less than 1 per cent go on to become long-term missing persons, which refers to any person missing for over 90 days. For the loved ones of Ms Marks, their wait for closure remains. "To everyone else my grandmother is a missing person, but to us she is just really missed."
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Salim Mehajer claims his trial over domestic violence charges was ‘defective' and unfair
Salim Mehajer claims his trial was 'defective' and unfair after he was found guilty of a string of domestic violence charges against his ex-partner, with the disgraced former politician now fighting his sentence and conviction in court. Mehajer punched his ex-partner in the head during an argument in his car, squeezing her hand and crushing her phone that she was holding. He suffocated her by putting his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out and threatened to kill her mother. A jury found the former Auburn mayor guilty of six charges, including assault, intimidation and suffocating, and he was later found guilty of forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and sister during a separate trial. He was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail for the domestic violence and fraud offences but was released from prison on July 18 upon the expiry of his non-parole period. Mehajer is fighting the domestic violence convictions and sentence in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. He claims his trial was 'defective', unfair, and resulted in a 'miscarriage of justice', as the refusal of an adjournment denied him the chance to organise legal representation. He was unable to receive a fair trial as a result, he argued. Mehajer has also alleged to have 'new evidence' against the credibility of his ex-partner and an exhibit tendered during the trial. Further, there was a 'striking discrepancy' between the custodial conditions the sentencing judge believed he'd be subject to and what he actually faced behind bars, his grounds of appeal argue. His non-parole period was 'manifestly excessive', with the former Auburn mayor citing the 'discrete nature' of the offences among other factors in his argument. He is facing court on Monday, weeks after his failed bid for more time to recover photos from his phone.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Man and woman found dead in house at Bordertown, South Australia
Police are investigating the deaths of a couple at a home in Bordertown, in South Australia's south east. SA Police say officers found a 47-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, who were in a domestic relationship, dead during a welfare check at a house in the town about 11pm on Sunday. Police are not looking for any suspects in relation to the deaths.
