RUSH HOUR: Woman furious after being told to cover up by airline staff

A woman has blasted airline staff who left her “shaking and upset” after telling her in front of the whole plane that her outfit was inappropriate.

• NSW premier’s security drags off reporter
• Two shot, one man hit with axe in Sydney
• Vic man admits to killing wife
• Mum five times over limit at school pick-up
• Pell’s new reality of life behind bars
• Flyer told to ‘cover up’ by staff
• Man stops arrow with phone
• Manhunt after fatal stabbing

Live: Rush Hour

On news.com.au today, a manhunt is underway after a woman was stabbed to death in NSW overnight, a mum is due to face court after she was caught with five times the legal blood alcohol limit while trying to pick her child up from school, and a woman has slammed an airline for telling her she needed to cover up or leave the plane.

8:45am

NSW premier’s security drags off reporter

A journalist and former Greens activist has been dragged away from a press event by the NSW premier’s security detail while screaming “why can’t a journalist ask a question?” Gladys Berejiklian was announcing an upgrade to the Brunswick Heads Surf Club on Wednesday when Jim Beatson, who identified himself as a reporter for Bay FM, pushed his way into a photo opportunity.

Beatson was then manhandled by the premier’s security staff and pushed into a nearby room while he continued to shout.

Other people could be heard shouting out: “Ask the question!” in a video posted on social media.

Beatson on Wednesday evening told AAP the question was about koala habitats in Byron Bay.

Once forced into the room, the 73-year-old continued to push against the plain- clothed police officer while saying he wanted to ask the premier a question, a second video shows.

“I did it in a polite way but immediately I was propelled backwards by her staff including this gentleman here,” Beatson says in the video.

Beatson said he and his employer were considering their actions but described the incident as “a nonsense”.

NSW Police confirmed a specialist officer intervened on Wednesday but did not arrest Beatson.

“Officers removed the man from the location to prevent any further breach of the peace,” a spokeswoman told AAP on Wednesday.

Police were called when a local journalist caused a scene at Brunswick Heads Surf Life Saving Club. He repeatedly yelled “why can’t I ask you a question” and tried to approach the @GladysB before security pulled him away @2GB873 #nswpol #protest #campaigntrail pic.twitter.com/kJ9gM8GiWH

— Tamara Wearne (@Tamarawearne) March 13, 2019

8:15am

Two shot, one man hit with axe in Sydney

Three men have been taken to hospital following a violent home invasion in western Sydney.

Two men suffered gunshot wounds, one with an injury to his thigh and the other with a shot to his wrist, as a result of the incident in Blacktown.

Paramedics were called to the home at about 5am this morning.

Another man was hit in the head with a blunt side of an axe and suffered a closed head injury.

The trio were taken to Westmead Hospital in serious but stable conditions.

A police operation is underway.

The scene of an apparent home invasion with a double shooting in Blacktown. Picture: Natasha Squarey/Twitter

7:45am

Vic man admits to killing wife

A Victorian man is spending his birthday behind bars after changing his tune from grieving husband to confessed wife killer.

On Wednesday Borce Ristevski pleaded guilty to manslaughter of his wife Karen, nearly three years after claiming she went for a walk in June 2016 and never returned.

Ristevski, who turned 55 today, made the admission on the eve of a scheduled five-week murder trial.

It came after Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale made a ruling, declaring Ristevski’s actions after the killing could not be used to prove “murderous intent”.

With that, prosecutors filed a new indictment with the lesser charge of manslaughter, which Ristevski admitted, scuttling a high-profile trial. In previous hearings, prosecutors pushed hard for a murder trial, saying Ristevski’s deceitful behaviours after the killing gave rise to the required intent.

A lengthy investigation involving listening devices and CCTV resulted in Ristevski being charged in December 2017.

He allegedly killed his wife at home and took her Mercedes-Benz roadster to dispose of the body in bushland, killing the signal of his phone on the way. Ms Ristevski, 47, went missing from her Avondale Heights home on June 29, 2016. Eight months later, her skeletal remains were found between logs in Macedon Regional Park.

Ristevski will face a pre-sentence hearing on March 27.

Borce Ristevski has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his wife. Picture: David Crosling

7:25am

Mum five times over limit at school pick-up

A mum is set to face court next month after being caught five time over the legal alcohol limit while picking her child up from school in NSW’s Hunter Region.

A teacher called police after becoming concerned for the welfare of a parent coming to pick her child up from a Salamander Bay school.

It was just after 4.30pm on Monday when police arrived and breathalysed the 30-year-old mum as she attempted to pick up her six-year-old daughter, with her two-year-old son also in the car.

The test revealed a positive reading and she was taken to Nelson Bay Police Station where she allegedly returned a breath test result of 0.252.

Her licence was suspended and a Child at Risk Notification was logged.

The woman is set to appear in Raymond Terrace Local Court on April 1 charged with high range drink driving.

6:55am

Pell’s new reality of life behind bars

Visibly affected by his first two weeks behind bars, George Pell has returned to prison knowing he could be there for the rest of his life.

Jailed for a maximum six years by County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd on Wednesday, the disgraced cardinal will be 80 when his minimum non-parole period expires in three years and eight months.

Any chance of freedom before then will be pinned to his appeal application, to be heard in Victoria’s Court of Appeal in June.

A bail application was foreshadowed when his conviction for sexually abusing two choirboys at St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne in 1996 became public. Pell sat emotionless and looking visibly thinner through more than an hour-long sentence hearing where the judge noted he would spend a “substantial portion” of his remaining life expectancy behind bars.

“I am conscious that a term of imprisonment … carries with it a real, as distinct from theoretical, possibility that you may not live to be released from prison,” he said.

A Corrections Victoria assistant commissioner provided a statement on Pell’s first days in custody, noting he had been assessed as an “immediate risk of serious threat”.

That risk may be reduced by time in protection and in time, Pell may be able to mix with a limited number of heavily vetted prisoners, the commissioner noted.

—AAP

A court artist sketch by Paul Tyquin of Cardinal George Pell at the County Court in Melbourne yesterday. Picture: Paul Tyquin/AAP

6:35am

Flyer told to ‘cover up’ by staff

A woman has blasted airline staff who left her “shaking and upset” after telling her in front of the whole plane that her outfit was inappropriate and she needed to cover up.

Emily O’Connor was flying from Birmingham to Tenerife on a Thomas Cook flight when she was confronted by staff over her outfit.

The 21-year-old claimed the crew said her crop top and long, high waisted pants were “inappropriate” and “caused offence”.

They warned Ms O’Connor that she would be removed from the flight if she didn’t cover up, with four flight staff and the manager surrounding her ready to take her luggage from the plane.

“I informed the staff that there is no “appropriate wear” policy stipulated online,” she wrote on Twitter.

“I stood up on the flight and asked if anyone was offended, no-one said a word.”

The young woman said they even stood by and said nothing while a male passenger started to hurl abuse at her.

“The manager then went to get my bag to remove me from the flight,” she said.

“A man then shouted “Shut up you pathetic woman. Put a f*cking jacket on”- the staff said nothing to him.”

Her cousin, who was sitting at the front of the plane, eventually gave her a jacket, with the crew not leaving until she “physically put it on”.

“They made comments over the speaker about the situation and left me shaking and upset on my own,” she wrote.

In another tweet, she said “a gent two rows behind me was wearing a vest top and shorts … yet clearly nothing was said to him”.

Thomas Cook Airlines has since apologised to Ms O’Connor, saying crew could have handed the situation better.

“In common with most airlines we have an appropriate attire policy. This applies equally to men and women of all ages without discrimination,” the airline said.

“Our crews have the difficult task of implementing that policy and don’t always get it right,” the airline added.”

Flying from Bham to Tenerife, Thomas Cook told me that they were going to remove me from the flight if I didn’t “cover up” as I was “causing offence” and was “inappropriate”. They had 4 flight staff around me to get my luggage to take me off the plane. pic.twitter.com/r28nvSYaoY

— Emily O'Connor (@emroseoconnor) March 12, 2019

6:10am

Man stops arrow with phone

A man has saved himself from serious injury after accidentally using his phone to stop an arrow that was allegedly shot at him by another man in northern NSW.

The 43-year-old arrived at his Nimbin home at around 9am on Wednesday where he was allegedly confronted by a man with a bow and arrow outside the property.

The man, who is known to the victim, allegedly raised and drew the weapon as the resident took out his mobile phone to take a picture.

The archer fired the arrow, causing it to go through the phone, resulting in the device flying back and hitting the resident in the face.

It caused a small laceration but the man was otherwise unharmed.

Police attended the scene and arrested the 39-year-old archer, charging him with armed intent to commit and indictable offence, actual bodily harm and malicious damage.

He was refused bail to appear at Lismore Local Court on April 15.

The arrow pierced through to the other side of the phone.

5:45am

Manhunt after fatal stabbing

A manhunt is underway for the person responsible for stabbing a woman to death in NSW’s Lake Macquarie region, south of Newcastle.

Emergency services were called to the Glendale home before midday on Wednesday following reports a woman was injured.

The woman was rushed to John Hunter Hospital where she later died after being found with critical stab wounds.

Police spent the night searching for Tafari Walton, a man they believed to be involved in the attack.

He is aged in his early 20s and is described as having a dark complexion and a long black ponytail.

Walton is believed to be driving a white Mitsubishi Outlander with NSW registration AW67VV.

People are urged not to approach Walton but call police if they find him.

Newcastle stabbing suspect man known as Tafari Walton. Picture: NSW Police