Crimes that rocked the Clarence Valley in 2020
From a doctor committing a sex act on a patient and ice dealers being jailed to dodgy tradies busted and Coronial inquests, these were the biggest crimes and court stories that shocked the Clarence this year
Police & Courts
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Shocking crimes and courtroom drama made headlines throughout 2020. We take a look back at some of the biggest stories covered by The Daily Examiner.
MAN SENTENCED OVER LIVESTREAMED ARMED STANDOFF WITH POLICE
On the morning of Sunday, September 20, police were called to a property in Turf St, Grafton, where they found a terrifying situation.
Joshua Evan Powell, 29, while in an ice-induced psychosis, had armed himself with a knife and was making threats against himself, his family, and then police.
While livestreaming the standoff to Facebook, Powell began challenging police to shoot him and he continually yelled comments such as “shoot me in the head”.
For the next two hours police were locked in a standoff with Powell before he finally surrendered himself without further incident.
In court on December 21 Powell was convicted of using an offensive weapon to commit an indictable offence and jailed for 12 months.
INQUEST HELD INTO MISSING TEEN‘S SUSPECTED HOMICIDE
Marred by drug addiction, an inquest laid bare the troubled life of missing teenager Jasmine Morris – who police suspected may have been murdered.
Counsel assisting Maria Gerace told the inquest at Coffs Harbour that the details surrounding Ms Morris‘ life were distressing, but would help form some understanding as to what may have happened to her on October 6, 200, the last day she was seen.
No body, nor her possessions, have been found, however the NSW Deputy Coroner recommended the case be transferred to specialist unsolved homicide and missing persons units.
VICTIM SPEAKS OUT AFTER MACLEAN GP FOUND GUILTY
What should have been a routine doctor’s appointment turned into a 12 month nightmare for a Maclean woman, and ended with a Maclean doctor receiving a conviction for an aggravated sexual act.
Dr Andrew Graham McNab was found guilty and convicted of the charge in Lismore Local Court in November this year and sentenced to a community correction order for 12 months.
McNab, without consent, removed the underwear of his victim while performing a procedure on her back, ignoring the victim’s pleas to stop, before telling her “I’ve been dreaming about you”.
However for victim Tiona Walsh the pain continues as she continues to struggle to come to terms with what happened.
ICE USER WHO SOLD DRUG TO FEED ADDICTION JAILED
A South Grafton ice dealer was jailed for selling more than 56g of the drug before he was nabbed by police in part of a large scale co-ordinated raids in 2019.
Tyson Dean Stoker, 25, appeared in Grafton District Court after he pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying methylamphetamine on an ongoing basis, dating from April to July 2019.
The court heard that Stoker’s drug dealing was to feed his addiction.
Stoker was sentenced to a full-time jail term of two years and eight months, with a non-parole period of one year and four months. With time served he was be eligible for release on parole on December, 2020.
CORONER FINDS POLICE JUSTIFIED IN GRAFTON SHOOTING DEATH
A Coronial inquest found in February that a senior police officer was “justified” in shooting a drug-affected and psychotic man wielding a knife during a violent standoff in Grafton.
Christopher Peter McGrail, 44, died after he was shot twice following a violent rampage at a North St duplex where he threatened to kill a woman and stab several others, which resulted in a standoff with police in North St on August 6, 2017.
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Deputy state coroner Elaine Truscott said Grafton Police Sergeant Dallas Leven acted in self-defence when during the standoff he fired two shots after Mr McGrail raised the knife and lunged at him, despite many commands and requests to drop the knife.
ICE USE AFTER CANCER DIAGNOSIS ENDS IN JAIL TIME
A Halfway Creek man who relapsed into methylamphetamine use after being diagnosed with cancer will spend at least a year and a half behind bars.
Gregory John Reilly was convicted and sentenced in Grafton District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to charges of supplying a prohibited drug on an ongoing basis and supply prohibited drug, as well as receiving stolen property and possessing a prohibited firearm.
The court heard that from June 11-26 last year the 46-year-old was involved in the supply of 161g of ice in eight separate drug deals.
The court heard after the operation Reilly was on strong medication and painkillers, and was uncertain if he had beat the cancer so bought methylamphetamine to “bump himself up”.
DODGY TRADIE JAILED FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAM
A serial fraudster who posed as a general handyman and answered advertisements for home improvement jobs across the Clarence Valley but never did the work, scamming his victims $6800 in deposits, has been jailed.
Mark Andrew Hughes appeared in Grafton Local Court in October for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to four charges of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.
The court heard the offences date between September 2018 and January 2019, and involved the 47-year-old answering four separate adverts on Facebook community groups from across the Clarence from people looking to engage a tradesman for general home improvement work.
Hughes was convicted and handed an aggregate sentence of six months, to commence from the eligible parole date of his Commonwealth sentence on May 10, 2022.
‘JOHNNY DEPP’ CONMAN AND SEX OFFENDER BUSTED NEAR GRAFTON
A serial conman, who has made headlines passing himself off as the brother of Johnny Depp, the grandson of director Alfred Hithcock and US actor Skeet Ulrich, was busted near Grafton this year breaching the conditions of a child sex offender registry.
Brenton Robert Jarrett appeared in Grafton Local Court in December where he was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to four charges of contravene prohibition order.
The court heard the 49-year-old from Victoria travelled to NSW in July this year and failed to notify police in either state, a breach of the conditions of both the Child Protection Register in NSW and the Victorian Child Sex Offender list that Jarrett is both listed on. While in NSW, he accessed two online dating sites and made profiles under false names, further breaches of child protection orders, the court heard.
MAN JAILED FOR WILD POLICE PURSUIT IN STOLEN UTE
A Grafton man was jailed for at least 10 months in November after he was sentenced for leading police on a dangerous pursuit in a stolen car earlier this year.
David Kenneth Joy, 42, appeared in Grafton Local Court where he was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to a range of offences, including police pursuit, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, drive in dark with no lights, enter dwelling with intent to steal and four charges of assaulting a police officer in execution of their duty.
JAIL TERM ADDED TO BIKIE’S RECORD FOR BRUTAL PRISON ASSAULT
A bikie has had another prison sentence added to his record after he faced Grafton Local Court last week over the vicious assault of a fellow inmate in Grafton jail.
Doulton Mcanally, 20, faced court in November where he was convicted and sentenced after he pleaded guilty to affray while he was an inmate at Grafton Correctional Centre.
The court heard Mcanally punched the victim, stomped on his head and threw a garbage bin on him.
Magistrate Kathy Crittenden sentenced Mcanally to a 14 month prison term to commence on October 20, 2020 with a non-parole period of nine months.
Livestock over lock up: Farmer bailed on drug, fireworks charges
A northern NSW farmer has been granted bail to tend to his flock rather than his alleged crop as he stands accused of being busted with close to 500 cannabis plants, illegal fireworks and ammo.
Company stung after breaching fire ants protocol
A Queensland landscaping supply company has been fined after delivering up to 152 loads of potentially deadly fire ant carrying material across the border to NSW - including to two schools.