Charges laid after missing elderly couple located in remote Central Australia
In a bizarre series of events, police have laid charges after an elderly couple who went missing were located in a remote part of Central Australia.
Northern Territory
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IN A BIZARRE series of events, police have laid charges after an elderly couple who went missing were located in a remote part of Central Australia, having travelled more than 1500km across the country.
Carol Lisle, 84, and Ralph “Terry” Gibbs, 80, were found with the assistance of truck drivers and local police on Tuesday, near the settlement of Warakurna in Western Australia, just shy of the Northern Territory border.
Ms Lisle, who is wheelchair-bound and has dementia and Parkinson’s disease, disappeared from a care facility in Mandurah, south of Perth on Sunday afternoon.
WA Police say Gibbs went to visit Ms Lisle at her care facility that day.
Police allege when an opportunity presented itself, the 80-year-old removed her from the facility and placed her into his vehicle and drove away.
At the time, the man did not have the legal authority to remove the woman from the care facility, and the woman was incapable of making such a decision for herself, according to police.
It is further alleged Gibbs had planned to remove the woman from the facility and leave Western Australia, having made some preliminary preparations before the visit.
According to police, the manner in which Gibbs prepared and executed his plan put Ms Lisle’s health and safety at risk during the time spent in the vehicle, having not considered the high level of medical care the woman requires.
Gibbs was charged with deprivation of liberty and endanger life, health or safety of a person.
He was refused bail and flown to Perth, and was due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
A WA Police spokesman said the 84-year-old woman needed urgent medical attention and was taken to a nursing post in Warakurna, before being flown to Perth with the assistance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Ms Lisle has been transferred to the Peel Health Campus and is described as “recovering in the facility” by authorities.
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