‘Sheer greed’: Racing fraud Bill Vlahos jailed
Racing fraud Bill Vlahos has copped a nine-year jail term over one of Australia’s biggest punting scams, which a judge described as “brazen dishonesty”.
Crime In Focus
Serious jail time for carjacker’s terrifying crime spree
A knife-wielding man committed three violent carjackings – including dragging one driver from her car – before engaging in a dangerous two hour highway pursuit.
‘Frightening’ number of children abused while in care
A shocking new report reveals the extent of abuse of children in care in Australia, with children from one group particularly over-represented.
Were druggie thugs trying to hide their murders?
Hundreds of fatal drug overdoses in Adelaide are being reviewed by detectives to check if they were actually murders by drug dealers over unpaid debts.
More Stories
Was ‘Jockey’ Smith Australia’s best or worst armed robber?
Some say James Edward ‘Jockey’ Smith was Australia’s best armed robber. The only problem was when confronted or cornered, he almost always lost his head, which meant he spent more time in prison than out of it. NEW LIFE & CRIMES PODCAST — LISTEN NOW.
How botched ransom plot ended beside backyard grave
Unemployed loser Darren Saltmarsh should’ve stuck to gambling at his local Melbourne TAB. But he thought he could land a bigger payday by pulling off an international ransom plot. He was wrong.
Notorious gangland hitman menaced Lawyer X
The late hitman Andrew Veniamin menaced the secret police informer known as Lawyer X over suspicions that she was too close to police at the height of Melbourne’s gangland war, raising speculation about who sent him.
Victoria’s most dangerous and crooked cop
Paul William Higgins was a violent thug, standover man and a rapist, and he did it all while wearing a badge. He was a ruthless, brutal and very, very corrupt cop, writes Andrew Rule.
The abduction of innocence that rocked Rosebud
Little Sheree Beasley cut a picture of innocence as she rode her pink bike along a Rosebud street on June 29, 1991. Until paedophile Robert Arthur Selby Lowe pounced in what a judge described as “every child’s fear and every parent’s nightmare”. NEW LIFE & CRIMES PODCAST — LISTEN NOW.
Lawyer X betrayal torched the underworld rule book
In the underworld, secrets that don’t stay secret can get you killed or locked up. Yet cunning criminals who would hardly trust their mothers, mostly trust lawyers the way churchgoers used to trust priests. At least, that’s the way it was until Lawyer X torched the rule book with a string of betrayals, writes Andrew Rule.
Who killed police chief Colin Winchester?
David Eastman has been cleared of murdering Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Colin Winchester after claiming the Calabrian mafia did it. But, writes Keith Moor, there’s various strands of evidence suggesting otherwise.
How Comancheros boss rose to the top
WHAT does it take to lead one of Australia’s most feared bikie gangs, the Comancheros? He might be a thug but Mick Murray is a highly-organised one, writes Andrew Rule.
How a cop faced off with a hitman — and survived
NOT many people survive receiving the Last Rites from a priest. Even fewer face a stone cold underworld killer’s gun and live to tell the tale. But Melbourne cop Michael Pratt did.
How the Bandidos bikie gang was born
BORN from the ashes of their former Comanchero colours, the Bandidos have carved a bloody history of public shootings, tit-for-tat violence and brutal acts of retribution.
Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/crimeinfocus/page/41