We list Cleveland Magistrates Courts’ more appalling matters heard over last year
A woman who brought meth to court, a sadistic thug, a serial penis flasher and a relentless upskirter - these are some of Cleveland’s most shocking court cases of 2020.
Redlands Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Redlands Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A southeast Queensland magistrates court’s picturesque location was in stark contrast to a series of cases that variously shocked or disgusted even experienced legal professionals over the last year.
We take a look at some of the more dismaying matters heard at Cleveland Magistrates Court in 2020 and the start of this year.
With its leafy setting and friendly atmosphere the court nonetheless played host to disturbing matters that included horrifying assaults, jaw-dropping drink drive offences and perversions that disgusted and terrified community members.
DANIEL ROGER KAPPU
A magistrate in September conceded she understands why people want some men to be branded on the forehead as a warning to women during an extraordinary sentence of a “sadistic” and “violent thug”, who repeatedly assaulted a woman over three days while threatening to gut her friend and rape and kill her children.
His 32nd appearance in front of a court for violent offending, Kappu, then 39, pleaded guilty to assaults occasioning bodily harm during his video link appearance from remand at the court on September 10.
In what police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley called a “significant, serious and prolonged attack on a member of the community”, Kappu struck his victim on the ear, lips and cheeks during assaults which were constant over “at least two full days” at the Greenacres Capalaba Caravan Park in Capalaba.
The court heard Kappu also told his victim he would to go to jail for killing and raping her children.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta said Kappu’s shocking criminal history spoke of someone who enjoyed inflicting pain and who had deep-seated issues with women.
“For 19 years you have been a violent thug who has treated women worse than one would a dog,” Magistrate Vasta said.
“I would hate to see how many of his victims were women and how many more there will be over the next 20 years.
“It is a shame you weren’t born elsewhere so we could deport you.”
BRIDGETTE DOROTHY WALLS
In December a magistrate and police prosecutor were shocked by the highest drink driving rating they had ever seen.
A doctor’s letter tendered at the December 1 Cleveland Magistrates Court hearing for Bridgette Dorothy Walls, 37 at the time, stated that a certain percentage of people would have died outright from the 0.472 per cent blood-alcohol reading she was confirmed with.
At more than eight-and-half times the legal limit the sky-high reading so appalled police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley she told the court it was the highest such reading she had seen in a person still alive.
“This is the highest reading I have seen where the person is still alive and that is in my capacity as a paramedic and a police officer,” Sgt Tetley said.
“Thank god she hasn’t killed someone in the community – she has gone through someone’s backyard (with her car), injured herself and her vehicle and (done so) with a massive reading”.
It came after Walls pleaded guilty to one count of driving while under the influence of liquor (UIL).
The court heard the Capalaba woman, a mother of three who runs a successful dog grooming business, had two whiskies on July 6 before allegedly blacking out.
Sgt Tetley said the defendant was found later that day at 11.25am by police slumped over and unresponsive in her vehicle, after having crashed into a vehicle out the front of a Capalaba property.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta said in her nine years as a magistrate it was the highest reading for drink driving she had dealt with and marvelled that the woman had been able to get into a vehicle and drive.
JULIE-ANNE REMMERT
A woman who walked into court with more than 9 grams of meth in her possession was in September assured by a magistrate she would not be getting bail unless she could secure placement at a live-in rehabilitation centre.
A tearful Julie-Anne Remmert, then 35, appeared via video link from jail at Cleveland Magistrates Court on September 24 on string of drug possession charges and had her bail denied for a second time.
The court heard Logan Central woman Remmert had appeared at the court on August 18 carrying 9.41 grams of the drug ice – worth an estimated $2,700 on the street – and was promptly arrested.
Having spent some five weeks in custody at the time of her appearance, Remmert told the court she was desperate to get out since she had dried out.
The court heard the defendant had called four rehabilitation centres but had failed in securing a placement which did little to reassure Magistrate Deborah Vasta.
“You walked into a court with 9.4 grams of ice,” Magistrate Vasta said.
“How crazy is that?
“You have a raging drug addiction as is evidenced by you bringing over 9 grams of it to court.
“I don’t accept that you can’t get into rehab.”
YIANNI GRECO KOTHROULAS
A “remorseless” serial pervert and videographer who exposed his erect penis to a radiographer and stimulated his flaccid penis in front of two Brazilian wax technicians, blew teary kisses and called out “I love you” to his partner as he was taken into custody at court on September 29.
Appearing at the Cleveland Magistrates Court Yianni Greco Kothroulas, then 30, was fined $1800 and sentenced to a four-month intensive corrections order to be served in the community with three years’ probation in the morning, but was subsequently brought back to court in the afternoon to face an additional charge for masturbating in public.
The Cleveland man pleaded guilty to a string of charges including two counts of committing an indecent act in any place with intent to insult or offend any person, one count of fraud and a count of committing an indecent act in any place to which the public has access.
The court heard the New Zealand national and Australian permanent resident had specifically requested a female radiographer for an April 18, 2018 appointment at Oz Radiology Carina.
Booked for a scan of his knee, Kothroulas wore no underwear with jeans so tight an examination necessitated their removal and wearing of a gown.
The court heard Kothroulas purposely exposed his testicles to the 30-year-old radiographer and later dropped his gown on the floor to reveal his erect penis.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Duncan Blackburn said the defendant had a history of such “totally unacceptable and disgusting” offending which included being sentenced to two-years’ probation in 2015 for exposing a woman on a bus to his penis when he pulled his phallus out of his pants’ waistline while seated.
PAUL EDWARDS
A drug-fuelled Victoria Point serial upskirter agreed with a magistrate in April that he was “crucifying his family” with his deviant behaviour.
Paul Edwards, 33, pleaded guilty to seven counts of making observations or recordings in breach of privacy when he appeared at the court on April 17 via video link.
The court heard Edwards had filmed the anal and genital regions of women without their consent at numerous locales including Victoria Point Bunnings, McDonalds, Victoria Point Tavern and a local shopping centre between June and December 2019.
His covert filming lasted between 15 seconds to nearly five minutes and in one instance included a young girl.
On December 20, 2019 a victim nearly fell over a crouched down Edwards on Colburn Ave.
The frightened woman, who was with her child, was smirked at by Edwards after she hid in her locked vehicle.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley said Edwards, who had breached his parole when he preyed on members of the public, was a risk to the community.
Sgt Tetley was particularly concerned that Edwards’ offending involved a child.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta said she did not believe Edwards’ offending was oriented to children but condemned his “creepy behaviour”.
“You are just crucifying your family,” Magistrate Vasta said.
GREGORY ALLEN HILL
At the start of this year an enraged concreter took a samurai sword to mete out vigilante justice, held it to the back of the neck of his victim and told her “let her go or I will kill you where you stand, slut”, the court heard.
The chilling statement was made when Hill accompanied his landlord to confront acquaintances of theirs – a man and a woman – at their Redland Bay home, following the alleged theft of a kitten and assault of a man with a disability, a police prosecutor told Cleveland Magistrates Court.
Appearing on January 12 Gregory Allen Hill, then 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault and one count of going armed to cause fear.
The court heard Redland Bay resident Hill drove with his landlord to the Pitt Street house of their acquaintances at around 6pm on November 27 last year and confronted their victims “in what could have been called a home invasion”.
The court was told bad blood formed three weeks prior to the “potentially deadly” incident when one of their victims was suspected of allegedly stealing a ragdoll kitten and assaulting a young man with disabilities.
MORE COURT STORIES:
Brisbane’s drink drivers named and shamed
Serial drink driving disability support worker collapses in front of cops after 75km drive
Young mother defrauds jewellers of thousands while on runaway drug binge
During the subsequent confrontation on November 27 Hill held the sword to the neck of a woman – embroiled in a struggle with his landlord – and threatened to kill her on the spot.
A police prosecutor said the defendant said words to the effect of: “Let her go or I will kill you where you stand, slut”.
The “incredibly foolish” offending was ultimately blasted by Magistrate Deborah Vasta.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right,” she said.
“It is just insane to take matters into your own hands – it is how people end up dead”.
Hill was convicted and sentenced to four months in prison with immediate parole.
‘A 20-tonne gum tree fell on our home because council, body corp did nothing’
A family has been forced to couch surf after a 32-metre tall gum tree crashed through the roof “like a freight train” after a bitter five-year dispute over who owned the tree.
Nuisance flying-fox colony funds for councils as temps soar
Seven councils will receive extra state funding to manage problem flying-fox roosts, as complaints from residents escalate about the bats’ noise, overpowering stench, and increased health hazards.