Tobacco tax is Melbourne’s Prohibition moment
A punitive tobacco tax hasn’t stopped people smoking, it’s driven previously law-abiding smokers to a booming black market and left dead bodies and a string of arson attacks across Melbourne in its wake.
Andrew Rule
‘Mad scientist’ genius dreamt up divorce by dismemberment
Rory Jack Thompson, a MIT graduate who worked for the CSIRO, hacked his wife’s body into 91 pieces and flushed them down the toilet in one of the nation’s most gruesome crimes.
Murdered dad’s family gagged by code of silence as potent as mafia
The strangest of many strange things in the murder of Salvatore Rotiroti — found beaten to death in his Geelong driveway — is that only one of the dead man’s extended family seems willing to find the killer.
Tragic tales of footballers turning bad
Aussie Rules attracts people from every level of society, so it’s hardly surprising that among the hundreds of players at the top level there have been some serious rogues.
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Mr UltraTune now Mr UltraTarget
Sean Buckley the enigmatic UltraTune tycoon has been hard to miss this year. With skin is so tight, his hair so black and his teeth so white that wags have dubbed him “Waxworks”, who is he?
Christian cult urged members to donate kidneys
Insiders from a Melbourne-based Christian sect claim followers were urged to live in poverty and donate organs.
What links a string of crimes to the kickboxing world?
Is there a link between a series of slick Melbourne heists and two unsolved underworld murders? We may never know.
Meet lawyer at centre of biggest gangland trials
Weeks ago, Melbourne lawyer Colin Lovitt was pegged to defend the “sniper” who took out a top Rebels bikie. Now he’s dead — after a career getting infamous clients off the hook.
Gun stealing spree raises uneasy questions
Guns are being stolen across Victoria at an alarming rate and rumours are swirling that leaks from police may be to blame.
Shocking truth behind horse racing deaths
Making the Melbourne Cup a more international event started off well, but it’s thrown up a big question — why are so many overseas horses breaking down?
A life dedicated to catching killers
It takes a certain sort of person to catch killers — to remain professionally detached yet never forget the horror of the crime. Rowland Legg never wanted to do anything else, writes Andrew Rule.
Debs’ evil nature on display after Silk Miller conviction
One could claim Jason Roberts was a teenager pulled to the dark side by another, and once again it will be left to a court to decide. But one thing no one disputes in a disputed case is that Bandali Debs is among the most evil men behind bars.
How a retired AFL coach became a horse racing fairytale
Coach Denis Pagan came out of retirement to turn his hand to horse training and after just 12 starts he snatched a fairytale triumph. Here’s how he achieved the dream, writes Andrew Rule.
Calabrian crook lived life Donald Mackay missed out on
Another Sergi from the infamous Calabrian family just died at aged 81, a “nonno” of 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild, reaching all the milestones that their honest victim Donald Mackay didn’t, with the Sergis never charged thanks to the cops and pollies in their pockets.
Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-rule/page/13