NEWS
By Cam Lucadou-Wells A man has denied he rammed a police car with a Mercedes Benz and fled in the car across a footpath in Cranbourne East, a court bail hearing has heard. John Brendan Persoons, 38, of Cranbourne East, told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court that his 19-year-old son was driving the car at the time on 2 May. “My son rang me that day in a panic. He thinks I will take responsibility for him,” Persoons told the 14 May hearing. “I’m no longer willing to take responsibility for him. “I have an alibi, I was nowhere near the scene.” Persoons had been identified with the support of sworn witness statements, including by the son, police alleged. Two officers had observed the lack of number plates on the white Mercedes Benz vehicle and followed with their lights flashing, Leading Senior Constable Gregory Carter told the court.
Police parked behind the vehicle after it pulled into a home’s driveway on Stately Drive. Persoons then allegedly reversed the white sedan into the police car, and sped off by crossing a public footpath. The car was found by police at Lawson Poole Reserve that afternoon. Persoons was arrested at the Stately Drive house on 13 May. He faced indictable charges including intentionally exposing two police officers to a risk to safety. Under new legislation, Persoons faces a minimum jail period of two years if found guilty of the charge, the court heard. He was also charged with reckless driving to cause damage to an emergency services vehicle and dangerous driving knowing that police had given him a direction to stop. Persoons also faced pending charges of breaching parole, as well as making and using a false document, Lead Sen Const Carter told the court. In opposing bail, police described Persoons
as an unemployed drug user with an extensive criminal history. He was extremely likely to reoffend to fund his lifestyle, Lead Sen Const Carter said. Persoons told the court he had suitable accommodation, was seeking drug rehabilitation and “trying to do all the right things”. “I’m not a criminal out to cause any harm. Drugs have been the cause of it, Your Honour.” Magistrate Jack Vandersteen asked Persoons why he had dropped out of contact with corrections officers for the past three months. He’d also had prior convictions for motorvehicle theft, failing to stop for police and dangerous driving - as well as 11 counts of disqualified driving, Mr Vandersteen said. In refusing bail, Mr Vandersteen noted the “very serious” charges, Persoon’s non-compliance with his CCO and that the prosecution case was “not weak”. Persoons told the court he was withdrawing from heroin, ice and morphine. He was remanded for a filing hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 18 May.
Aboriginal outreach success under threat By Cam Lucadou-Wells Casey's popular Aboriginal Gathering Place is weeks away from facing cuts of $205,000 in State funding. As a result, the Doveton-based facility hailed as "the perfect model" for Aboriginal community outreach - faces discontinuation of four youth programs from 1 July, Casey Council claims. The facility's opening hours would also be cut by about 10 hours a week, "profoundly impacting" on access to the service. Casey councillor Rosalie Crestani led an urgent business motion at a council meeting on 15 May for a funding extension. "I've seen first-hand the supportive and connected space for our indigenous sisters and brothers. "It is a positive environment." Cr Rex Flannery declared he would be "embarrassed" to meet at Bunjil Place if the programs were cut. The gathering place offers something for scores of visitors of all ages - groups for youths, gardening, women's crafts, playgroup children and primary-school aged children. It serves a substantial indigenous community in Casey and neighbouring Dandenong. Artist 'Uncle' Doug Brown, who attends and helped set-up the centre, said it was a place that people could come and go. "They can have a cup of coffee or tea and talk about their problems with the workers. "You don't have to make an appointment. You can just come in and talk." The centre was vital to address social isolation, he said. "Before it was set up, we didn't have anything like it around here." The $205,000 in ceased funding covers the
Doug Smith shares some of his artwork at the gathering place with Rosalie Crestani. 180843 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Building Strong Aboriginal Youth regional coordinator and program as well as an Aboriginal Health co-ordinator. It threatens the gathering place's beforeschool sports programs with breakfast and school attendance, Dandenong and District Aboriginal Cooperative youth groups, a kids club and health promotions and weekly events. Cr Crestani said the Government was halting funding as it transitioned to a new 10-year Aboriginal health, wellbeing and safety plan. She said there had been "positive negotiations" with the Department but "we don't want the programs to be lost between now and when the 10-year-plan comes on board". Casey Council recently increased its fund-
ing for youth homework and school holiday programs in 2018-'19. The facility also receives $171,500 in federal funding, which expires in October 2020. Funds for a local justice worker program expire on 30 June 2019. Cr Crestani said the facility's success was proven since it opened in 2016. It has been recognised by the Department of Health and Human Services' principal Aboriginal advisor as the "perfect model" that should be replicated across the state, she said. The centre was a finalist at the 2016 LGPro Awards and a case study in the Victorian Aboriginal and Local Government Action Plan 2016.
By Cam Lucadou-Wells Six days after being put on a corrections order, a serial drug-trafficker returned to his old locale with bags of ‘ice’, measuring scales and $2870, a court has heard. Steven Wood pleaded guilty to his fourth drug-trafficking offence, at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court via a custody video link on 14 May. He had been arrested after being found walking on Mossgiel Park Drive, Endeavour Hills about 4.19am on 27 March, the court was told. Police seized 21.64 grams of methamphetamine in four bags of differing amounts. Wood also carried a gram of cannabis, two mobile phones, the cash and scales - as well as a “graffiti implement”. A defence lawyer told the court that the drugs were for Wood’s personal use, the scales were to manage his drug intake and that he had two phones because one of the phones was broken. Wood claimed he’d just won the cash mainly in $100, $50 and $20 denominations on pokies at Hallam Hotel. “It’s trafficking based on the amount he’s found with, not on buying and selling off to other people,” the lawyer said. Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted the ice was more than seven times the minimum traffickable amount, the “significant” quantity of cash and the scales. “And so he’s carrying one (phone) that did work and one that didn’t work?” Mr Vandersteen said. “It’s not getting any better.” A week before his arrest, Wood had been sentenced to an eight-month corrections order for drug-trafficking in the same Endeavour Hills locale in August. The CCO followed a four-month CISP bail program - which included drug therapy and other social supports. “You obviously did quite well on the (CISP program) otherwise (the court) would not have put you on a community corrections order,” Mr Vandersteen said. It wasn’t appropriate to immediately release Wood on a CCO for what was his fourth trafficking offence in four years, he said. Wood was jailed for six months for trafficking and possessing the suspected proceeds of crime. The term includes 48 days of pre-sentence detention. When released, Wood will resume a varied corrections order including supervision and judicial monitoring.
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pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
Thursday, 17 May, 2018
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12388013-RA21-18
Dad denies ramming
Trafficker repeats mistakes
STAR NEWS 3