2 March 2015
A Star News Group Publication
Covering Endeavour Hills, Doveton & Hallam
Cos’ magical journey
Last chance saloon
Property liftout
PAGE 5
SPORT
INSIDE
Monday, 2 March 2015
RELEASE YOUR SELF
PAGE 2
■ Former partner threatened death, gang rape and vile pet killing...
Decapitate dog threat
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GABRIEL, from Holy Family Junior School in Doveton, was all smiles when he learned about languages last week. The Casey Cardinia Library Corporation, working in partnership with the City of Casey, recognised International Mother Language Day at the Doveton Library last week. Students participated in a range of language-related activities and a bilingual story time as part of the event. News photographer STEWART CHAMBERS dropped by the library to capture all of the action. For more photos from the day, turn to page 10. 135200
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get into her home. Defence lawyer Adrian Dessi said Acquaro was facing a “major depressive disorder” for the first time in his life and had attempted suicide in his first stint in custody the week before. Mr Dessi said his client, if bailed, would subject himself to a full intervention order, a night curfew, and conditions to live at his mother’s home and not to enter Hallam and Endeavour Hills. Magistrate Barry Schultz said the threats to the victim were “red flag incidents” that pointed towards a propensity for extreme family violence. He was concerned that if bailed, there was no guarantee that Acquaro would be hospitalised as a mental health patient or if he was it would only be for a short time. “Too much is relied on the applicant’s assertions. In all the circumstances the case (for bail) has not been shown.” He placed the applicant on a five-year full intervention order. Acquaro was remanded to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 4 March.
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A MAN stands accused of threatening to kill his ex-partner, have her gang-raped and put her dog’s head on a spike. Owen Acquaro, 35, had his bail revoked at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday last week. The hearing had been adjourned for a week when he claimed to have ingested rat poison in custody. In the interim, he was hospitalised and admitted for a day as an involuntary mental health patient. He has since been treated in custody while facing charges of stalking and assault. Acquaro had been convicted three times for failing to answer bail, had been noncompliant on a community corrections order and failed to appear at his own County Court appeal, the court was told. Constable Ryan Paligorov of Dandenong police told the court that Acquaro – who lived in an unregistered car – was likely to reoffend and was a frightening presence for his ex-partner and her mother in the HallamEndeavour Hills area.
Acquaro’s ex-partner had tried to end their two-month relationship since November 2013. On 24 January she had made a police statement about Acquaro’s threats, such as putting her dog’s head on a spike, but was too terrified to apply for a full intervention order. She claimed he had said he would skip the country if he faced jail, and then get someone to come after her and her family, saying it was a Sicilian “eye for an eye” tradition. Const Paligorov said the victim felt like she was fighting for her life after the applicant grabbed her by the throat, threw her on a bed and punched and slapped her head during an incident that month. She alleged Acquaro lifted a glass bottle as if to strike her during the confrontation. On 14 February he was accused of phoning the victim’s mother as a purported Optus employee who correctly warned that belongings such as a TV, laptop and necklace were missing from the victim’s home. He later allegedly admitted to using a coathanger to
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By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS