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Spoons dish up fun By Brendan Rees A Spoonville craze is proving to dish up some fun for kids in Narre Warren during lockdown. The quirky trend which began in England as a way of improving children’s mental health during lockdowns has seen a handmade village of colourful spoons begin sprouting in the front garden of Bk2Basics, a charity that is serving 2000 meals a week to people in need during the Covid-19 crisis. Kelly Warren, who operates Bk2Basics, said the quirky English initiative began about two weeks as a fundraiser after a girl wrote to her asking if the community could start the trend. She said for $5 families could buy a goodies bag containing a wooden spoon, a pack of Sharpie pens and a big bag of lollies. “Over 200 spoons have been given out. Lots of people donated as well to give the spoons out to children,” she said. Ms Warren was hopeful that once stage-four Covid-19 restrictions had eased more spoons would start popping up in the garden. Some popular characters have included Tickle Me Elmo and a member of the American hard rock band, Kiss. Jaxon immerses herself in the Spoonville village in Narre Warren. 215174 Picture: GARY SISSONS
Jail for bar rapist A family man who raped a teenager as she visited his Hampton Park bar and lounge has been sentenced to jail for six years and two months. Mohamed Rahimi, 36, pleaded guilty to rape on a retrial during a Victorian County Court sitting on 8 September after being found guilty in an earlier trial. In his sentencing remarks Judge William Stuart said the incident was an act of “despicable behaviour”, adding the hurt he inflicted upon his 16-year-old victim was “still as raw as that first day”. Rahimi was also made a registered sex offender for 15 years. The court heard the victim had attended a bar and lounge venue in Hampton Park with
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friends on the afternoon of 3 April, 2015, where she was introduced to Rahimi, the owner of the venue. The court heard he had offered her ice before making a proposition that Star News has deemed too graphic to publish. The court was told the girl then went to the toilet where Rahimi followed and raped her. After the girl exited the toilet, Rahimi handed her a small quantity of ice before she left the venue with friends, the court heard. The court heard the next day the girl told other friends about the incident, who then confronted Rahimi about the allegations which he denied. The girl called police and spoke to investigators of the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team about the incident at Dandenong Police station, and also handed in the
ice she had been given by Rahimi. She was later taken to Monash Medical Centre that evening where her clothing was forensically examined. Nearly three weeks after the incident, police arrested Rahimi and raided his venue, but in an interview he denied the rape allegation. However, the court heard DNA testing had established a “very strong support” that his DNA was on the victim’s clothing. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the victim said she did not feel “comfortable in my own shell” and felt “so worthless every time I try to take a glimpse in the mirror”. The court heard Rahimi, a father of two, was brought up in a disciplinary and stable family in Afghanistan. However, he was left traumatised after his family home was bombed by the Taliban.
His grandfather was killed in a subsequent hand grenade attack, which also left his mother severely injured. Rahimi, who has no criminal history, arrived in Australia at 19 and married in 2003, and the court heard his family and work life was “exemplary”. In sentencing, Judge Stuart said: “Young girls are entitled to go about their lives, their business, going to lounge areas such as you owned without fear of being raped.” In a retrial direction last year he was acquitted of a second charge of providing ice to the victim, and has been on bail since. When sentencing, Judge Stuart took into consideration his plea of guilt, that he was a “man of potential”, and had “excellent” prospects for rehabilitation.
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