Craig Hill Media and Consulting
Crime
The need for gun control: A personal perspective
Australia has some of the best gun control laws in the world, and we should not change that. I am sickened every time some crazed redneck in the US points to our gun laws as “proof” that America should not have the same laws. What exactly is the point they are trying to make? That … Continue reading
On this day (Australia): In 1995, David Harold Eastman was convicted of the assassination of AFP Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester
On 3 November 1995, after a six month trial, David Harold Eastman was convicted by a jury of the assassination of AFP Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester. On 10 January 1989, at about 9:15 pm, Colin Winchester was shot twice in the head with a Ruger 10/22 .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle fitted with a silencer. Winchester was murdered as he parked his police … Continue reading
On This Day In Australia: In 1998, two Victorian police officers were murdered in Moorabbin
On the night of 15 August 1998, Sergeant Gary Silk, 34 and Senior Constable Rodney Miller, 35 were seconded to Victoria Police Armed Robbery Squad operation named Operation Hamada investigating a series of armed robberies committed at at least ten restaurants over a seven-year period, starting on 20 February 1991. Silk and Miller, operating an … Continue reading
January 2, 1981 – The Yorkshire Ripper is apprehended
The so-called Yorkshire Ripper is finally caught by British police, ending one of the largest manhunts in history. For five years, investigators had pursued every lead in an effort to stop the serial killer who terrorized Northern England, but the end came out of pure happenstance. Peter Sutcliffe was spotted in a stolen car with … Continue reading
Chinese student allowed to stay in Australia after six year sentence for drug trafficking
A former Chinese student who served six years in prison for his part in a drug-trafficking and money-laundering syndicate can stay in Australia after a tribunal overturned his visa cancellation. If sent back to China, Xin Liang might face the death penalty; his risk of reoffending in Australia was very low; and he had been … Continue reading
Australia: Aboriginal women sentenced to jail for being victims of domestic violence
Aboriginal women who are victims of violent domestic clashes have been sentenced to jail in regional NSW after retreating from their claims against their abuser – a trend that has sparked calls for an urgent review of police handling of false accusation cases. The Weekend Australian has uncovered 20 cases in which 19 indigenous women … Continue reading
December 26 1946 Bugsy Siegel opens Flamingo Hotel
On December 26th 1946, in Las Vegas, Nevada, mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opens The Pink Flamingo Hotel & Casino at a total cost of $6 million. The 40-acre facility wasn’t complete and Siegel was hoping to raise some revenue with the grand opening. Well-known singer and comedian Jimmy Durante headlined the entertainment, with music by … Continue reading
October 17 1931 Al Capone goes to prison
On October 17th 1931, gangster Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000, signalling the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1899 to Italian immigrants. He was expelled from school at … Continue reading
October 14 1975 Trial begins in Amityville murders
On October 14th 1975, Ronald DeFeo Jr. went on trial for the killings of his parents and four siblings in their Amityville, New York, home. The family’s house was later said to be haunted and served as the inspiration for the Amityville Horror book and movies. On the evening of November 13, 1974, Ronald “Butch” … Continue reading
October 3 1995 O.J. Simpson acquitted
On October 3rd 1995, at the end of a sensational trial, former football star O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the brutal 1994 double murder of his estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. In the epic 252-day trial, Simpson’s “dream team” of lawyers employed creative and controversial methods to convince jurors that … Continue reading
August 31 1888 Jack the Ripper claims first victim
On August 31st 1888, prostitute Mary Ann Nichols, the first victim of London serial killer “Jack the Ripper,” was found murdered and mutilated in Whitechapel‘s Buck’s Row. The East End of London saw four more victims of the murderer during the next few months, but no suspect was ever found. In Victorian England, London’s East … Continue reading
August 9 1969 Manson cult kills five people
On August 9th 1969, members of Charles Manson‘s cult killed five people in movie director Roman Polanski‘s Beverly Hills, California, home, including Polanski’s pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate. Less than two days later, the group killed again, murdering supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary in their home. The savage crimes shocked the nation … Continue reading
July 31 1975 Jimmy Hoffa disappears
On July 31st 1975, James Riddle Hoffa, one of the most influential American labour leaders of the 20th century, disappeared in Detroit, Michigan, never to be heard from again. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence was never found, and Hoffa’s death remains shrouded in mystery … Continue reading
April 14 1865 Abraham Lincoln Shot
On April 14th 1865, United States President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathiser. The attack came only five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his massive army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. Booth was born on May 10th 1838 … Continue reading
April 1 1984 Marvin Gaye Killed By Father
On April 1st 1984, the day before his 45th birthday, soul singer Marvin Gaye’s life came to a tragic end, when he was shot and killed by his own father after a violent physical fight. At the peak of his career, Marvin Gaye was the Prince of Motown; the soulful voice behind hits as wide-ranging … Continue reading
March 25 1932 Scottsboro Case Verdict Announced
On March 25th 1932, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case of Powell v. Alabama. The case arose out of the infamous Scottsboro case. Nine young black men were arrested and accused of raping two white women on train in Alabama. The boys were fortunate to barely escaped a lynch mob sent … Continue reading
March 16 2005 Robert Blake Acquitted of Murdering Wife
On March 16th 2005, a Los Angeles Superior Court acquitted Robert Blake of the murder of his younger wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, after a three month trial. Blake had previously won fame for his performance as a cop in the 70s TV series Baretta, but his performance as a murderer in the real life court … Continue reading
Woman Beats Up Fiance At Prenup Party
A Poulsbo woman was jailed after being accused of beating up her fiance at their prenuptial party. Kitsap County sheriff’s deputies said the woman’s 12-year-old son told her he saw her fiance kissing one of her women friends early Thursday morning. Deputies said the woman, 31, gave her friends the boot, told her fiance to … Continue reading
Are Banks Assisting Identity Fraud?
In recent weeks, I have received several calls from persons claiming to be from my bank. They have told me that I have an account with them that is overdrawn. They have then gone on to instruct me, “for identification purposes,” to verify my account number, by telling them over the phone. This is exactly … Continue reading
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