Latest news with #SimonMatthews
West Australian
15-07-2025
- West Australian
Kojonup sheep farmer ‘gobsmacked' by revoked gun licence ruling by State Administrative Tribunal
A Kojonup farmer and truck driver has been left 'gobsmacked' after the State Administrative Tribunal upheld an order by the WA Police Commissioner to revoke his firearms licence following an assault conviction. Simon Matthews was fined and convicted of common assault in the Katanning Magistrates Court in 2024 for his involvement in a brawl at Lake Towerinning. As a result of the conviction, the WA Police Commissioner revoked the 41-year-old's firearm licence under the Firearms Act, citing the conviction as a basis for deeming Mr Matthews no longer a fit and proper person to hold a licence. Mr Matthews surrendered his four firearms to police last year and said he had been struggling with his day-to-day duties as a farmer and stock driver since. 'I can't fulfil my duty of care with my livestock — that's the biggest impact — and controlling vermin and all the rest of it,' he said. In his evidence to the SAT, Mr Matthews claimed he was never provided the summons notice for the assault. He said it was instead delivered to his partner's workplace, meaning he consequently missed the court hearing. He was convicted under section 55 of the Criminal Procedure Act and fined $800. Mr Matthews said if he received the summons he would have appeared at court and fought the charge. The brawl at Lake Towerinning occurred on Australia Day, 2023, after Mr Matthews was involved in an altercation with a woman and her partner after developing the belief their family member had taken alcohol from his car. Mr Matthews farms primarily sheep, as well as goats, cows, and pigs, on his 400ha family farm Silver City in Kojonup, and transports livestock. Mr Matthews said the revocation of his licence meant he could not adequately put livestock down when needed, and instead had to find another person or vet with a licence. 'Trying to destroy livestock; well hitting them on the head with a hammer — that's olden day stuff, it's not right,' he said. 'When you've got your own tools you can go and do your job straight away, but if you don't have the right tools to do the job with, it can affect you because you've got to go and find someone with a gun. 'Sometimes you can't just cut a sheep's throat, you've got to get it done professionally, and the vets aren't always open.' He said he appealed the Commissioner's decision to the SAT in the hopes he would get his licence back, and would appeal the SAT's decision in a further bid to regain his firearms licence. SAT member Nova Oldfield upheld the Commissioner's decision that Mr Matthews was not a 'fit and proper' person to hold a firearms licence on the basis of the violence of the assault and the 'relatively short time' since the assault had occurred. Ms Oldfield additionally found that Mr Matthews considered himself a victim and remained 'resentful if not angry', showing no remorse or insight into his behaviour. Mr Matthews said his farming duties had been 'impacted severely' by the loss of his guns. 'We've got more work on fixing fences from kangaroos, and that's another cost,' he said.
Business Insider
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
SimpleSwap Launches 2025 Summer Trading Contest with $7,250 Reward Pool
Users participating in swaps and trading competitions this summer will have the opportunity to share a reward pool of over $7,000. Users can join the contest here → SimpleSwap, the non-custodial crypto exchange trusted by users worldwide, is thrilled to announce the return of its most anticipated annual event — the Summer Trading Contest 2025. Launching at 12:00 pm UTC on July 7 and running through August 7, the contest features a $7,250 USDT prize pool and rewards both top traders and lucky participants chosen at random. As the crypto space embraces gamification, SimpleSwap is putting fun back into trading — without sacrificing simplicity or safety. All registered users can participate by trading any of the 2,500+ cryptocurrencies across 1,000+ pairs. Every swap made — on web or mobile — automatically counts toward the contest leaderboard. Proven Popularity: Last Year by the Numbers In 2024, SimpleSwap's Summer Contest attracted 189 participants who generated 1,232 swaps. The platform welcomed 32 new users, who contributed 78 trades — proving that even first-time participants can win. The most traded pairs included: USDC → USDT (TRC-20) ETH → USDT (TRC-20) BTC → STX Participation: The structure is simple: The top 10 users ranked by total trading volume (in USDT equivalent) will receive the largest share of the prize pool. In addition, 20 lucky participants will be randomly selected to receive smaller rewards. Each user is eligible for one prize only, ensuring fair competition across the board. Prize Breakdown 1st–3rd places: ~60% of the total prize pool 4th–6th places: ~20% 7th–10th places: ~8% Random winners: ~14% Contest Highlights Available to all registered users via web and mobile platforms All listed coins on SimpleSwap are eligible Partner token promotions will be available during the campaign A real-time leaderboard and clear rules are available on the dedicated contest landing page "This campaign reflects our goal to create more engaging user experiences,' said Simon Matthews, CBDO at SimpleSwap. 'As we say, 'Surf the Summer Rush — Earn as You Swap.' Trading doesn't have to be boring. What Users Say 'I use different coins on various networks, and SimpleSwap makes it incredibly easy to move between them without needing bridges—it saves so much time. I've always had quick help from support whenever I had questions. Plus, I earned Loyalty Program cashback from my swaps and even scored a prize in the Summer Contest. It's awesome to get rewarded just for trading like I normally do!' — said by Andrew White, one of our previous Summer Contest winners. Users Can Participate now at and compete for their share of $7,250 in rewards. Users can stay connected with on X, Telegram, Discord, Facebook for updates and exclusive content throughout the contest. About SimpleSwap SimpleSwap is a non-custodial cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2018, offering more than 2,500 digital assets and 1,000+ trading pairs. The platform enables secure, bridge-free crypto swaps without requiring users to store funds. With seven years on the market, hundreds of thousands of users worldwide, and a strong reputation across industry review platforms, SimpleSwap continues to deliver a simple and effective exchange experience backed by expertise in finance, development, and blockchain analytics. Users can visit the website: PR
