Town &
CountryJournal TV Guide inside! p.7
24th November 2022
p.6
p.24
Scots PGC Principal Granite Belt men reflect pays tribute to the gifted on 19th November as International Men’s Day student Will Turner
Gerard Walsh keeps us informed on Granite Belt cricket
Tragedy and alarm T
Staff reports
hree separate serious road incidents should have Southern Downs on high alert as we head into holiday period with tourists, grey nomads, truckies and schoolies creating a mix of risks on the roads heading into summer. Tragically, Year 12 graduate of Scots PGC College, Will Turner, died days after completing high school, in a multi vehicle crash in Gladfield on 20th November.
The Forensic Crash Unit identified his ute was travelling west on the Cunningham Highway when it collided with two oncoming vehicles near Gladfield Back Road. 17 year-old Will died at the scene and the occupants of the other vehicles were transported to hospital with what were described as “non-life threatening injuries”. Police appeal for any assistance to their investigations with school tributes emerging this week (see inside). In an unrelated incident on
Monday 21st November, a white utility was seen veering off the New England Highway near Severnlea, just after 3pm. The vehicle came to an abrupt halt and truck drivers and other passersby stopped to assist. Emergency services were in attendance shortly after. There were no injuries reported. On Saturday 19th November, Lily’s Cafe in Stanthorpe was impacted by a vehicle damaging their Lock St entrance, the busiThe white utility off the highway that was rendered assistance by ness closing until further notice. passersby on Monday.
McVeigh’s mixed verdict Staff reports
G
eorge Joseph McVeigh (pictured) has been found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and one charge of assault with intent to rape, but not guilty on charges of rape and attempted rape. McVeigh is facing sentencing as we go to press, over an incident that occurred in the victim’s home on 31st January 2021. The 58-year-old father of five had pleaded not guilty on all counts. McVeigh was sentenced to 18 months in jail with the convictions recorded. The jury had difficulty making a decision on the guilty verdicts, McVeigh reportedly unaffected when they were announced in the Warwick District Court. In his sentencing,
Judge Craig Chowdhury said women should be able to “feel safe” wherever they are, particularly when in their own home. “The jury have found you had the intention to have sexual intercourse without the woman’s consent, which is the aggravating feature,” Judge Chowdhury told McVeigh. “I will act on the basis that your offending has had significant adverse effect on the woman.” Character references on McVeigh’s behalf are said to have been consid-
ered in terms of a shorter jail term. The woman at the centre of the verdicts gave her evidence in a closed court last week. McVeigh, who had a substantial reputation in local sporting circles, and acted in a leading role in the locally-made and produced movie Outnumbered, will be free after 8 months, under the decision handed down by the judge.
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