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Tasmania breaking news: Baby hospitalised, man charged with grievous bodily harm to child

A man has been charged after a baby was hospitalised with critical injuries on Friday. Latest.

For the latest, follow The Beat, the Mercury’s live breaking news blog with the latest traffic, police, fire and ambulance news across the state.

Police investigate serious assault on child

UPDATE: Police have revealed the child hospitalised on Friday with serious injuries was a ten month old baby.

A 25 year old man has been charged with grievous bodily harm to a child.

December 3, 7:16am:

A 25 year old man has been charged after a child was hospitalised with serious injuries on Friday.

The child remains in a critical condition at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

The man, from Warrane, has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a child.

Investigations are continuing into what happened.

December 1, 4:30pm

Police are investigating a possible assault on a young child after an early morning incident in Warrane.

The child was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital from a home in Warrane after 1am on Friday morning, with critical injuries.

Police were called to the hospital four hours later and are now treating the incident as suspicious.

“Police including officers from CIB, Forensics and Uniform are investigating and conducting examinations. This is expected to take some time,” a Tasmania Police spokesperson said.

“The child remains in the Royal Hobart Hospital in a critical condition.”

It’s not known how old the child was.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Teen charged over robbery offences

December 1, 11:10am

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with a string of offences, including attempted armed robbery and stealing with force, after an alleged crime spree at New Town on Thursday morning.

Tasmania Police said detectives from Hobart CIB had charged the teenager following a “series of theft and robbery matters in the New Town area”.

“Police will allege the youth threatened several other youths at multiple locations in New Town during the morning,” a statement from Tasmania Police on Friday said.

“During one of the incidents a youth was struck to the face with an implement and required medical treatment.”

The 17-year-old has been charged with stealing, stealing with force, attempted robbery, attempted armed robbery, attempted aggravated armed robbery, resist police, assault police, injure property, and unlawful possession of property.

He was detained to appear in the Youth Justice Court on Friday.

Police said anyone who witnessed the alleged offences should contact Hobart CIB on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Firearms seized in North West Coast raid

December 1, 10:15am: Police have seized eight firearms, along with firearms parts and other related items during a raid at a North West Coast property on Wednesday.

Police say three of the guns found were illegally manufactured: two Serbu GB22 pistols and a PCP air rifle.

One of eight firearms seized during a raid on the North West Coast on Wednesday. Pic: Tasmania Police.
One of eight firearms seized during a raid on the North West Coast on Wednesday. Pic: Tasmania Police.
One of eight firearms seized during a raid on the North West Coast on Wednesday. Pic: Tasmania Police.
One of eight firearms seized during a raid on the North West Coast on Wednesday. Pic: Tasmania Police.

A 46 year old man have been charged with several firearms offences, including trafficking in firearms, illegally dealing in firearms, possessing unregistered firearms, possessing a shortened firearm, Possessing insecure ammunition and fail to comply with the safe storage of firearms.

The man will face court at a later date.

Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Abandoned government site hit by arsonist for third time in six weeks

November 30, 7.30am: A former government site that has stood abandoned for a number of years in the Derwent Valley has been targeted by arsonists for a third time in six weeks.

The deliberately lit fire at Carinya Education Park at 103 Blair St, New Norfolk capped a busy night for emergency services, who were also forced to respond to a man armed with a knife on a service station rooftop in the state’s North.

Police said in a statement that emergency services were alerted to the Carinya fire at 1.18am Thursday.

“When emergency services arrived a short time later, the abandoned building was well alight,” the statement read.

“The fire is still burning within the building and Tasmania Fire Service are actively monitoring it.

“The building is owned by the government and has been abandoned for some time, however, the Derwent Valley Council is currently the caretaker of the building.

Carinya Education Park on Blair St, New Norfolk has been targeted by arsonists for the second time in a month, with a ‘deliberately lit’ fire on October 29, 2023 causing an estimated $500k damage. Photo: Damian Bester / New Norfolk News
Carinya Education Park on Blair St, New Norfolk has been targeted by arsonists for the second time in a month, with a ‘deliberately lit’ fire on October 29, 2023 causing an estimated $500k damage. Photo: Damian Bester / New Norfolk News

“The cause of the fire is undetermined at this stage; however, it appears suspicious and will be

investigated.

“The damage caused by the fire is estimated to exceed $500,000.”

It is the third time since October that the abandoned precinct has been targeted.

Fires were lit in the early hours of October 10 and again on the evening of October 29, both times causing significant damage to the precinct.

In the wake of the second attack, state Labor MP for Lyons, Jen Butler, bemoaned the crime wave sweeping the town.

However, she warned it was not just a “policing issue, it’s a lack of services for drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and a lack of services for youth justice as well”.

Ms Butler previously said that between the hours of midnight and 6am there was not a police presence in New Norfolk, and that was when the crime was happening.

The incident in Tasmania’s North involving the allegedly armed man at the Ampol service station on Westbury Rd at Prospect occurred at approximately 11.30pm Wednesday.

When police arrived, they located a 27-year-old Glenorchy man “on the rooftop of the service station in a distressed state,” they said in a statement.

“The man was armed with a knife and made threats to set alight the business. Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Ambulance joined police on scene.

“After a short interaction with police the man was taken into custody without incident or injury and taken to the Launceston Police Station where he was detained for further investigations to be done.

“The man was later interviewed by police and charged with arson, breach of bail, unlawfully

possess a dangerous article in a public place and recklessly discharge a missile to the danger

of another person.”

He was detained to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at 11:30am Thursday.

Drugs, cash, firearms: 17 arrested as part of Taskforce Scelus

November 29, 3.30pm: Tasmania Police has arrested at least 17 people in its Western District, with officers attached to Taskforce Scelus targeting illicit drugs and illegal firearms.

Dozens of charges have been laid, with the operation securing impressive results in its first week.

Taskforce Scelus operations included making three arrests on warrant and seizing a number of firearms and quantities of illicit drugs and suspect cash.

Contraband seized by Tasmania Police officers of Taskforce Scelus, November 29, 2023. Picture: Tasmania Police
Contraband seized by Tasmania Police officers of Taskforce Scelus, November 29, 2023. Picture: Tasmania Police

“Tasmania is a very safe place to live, however there is small minority of people who continue to do the wrong thing, and we will continue to target anyone involved in criminal activity in our state,” Detective Inspector Michelle Elmer said.

“Through this taskforce we have already recovered firearms, and seized quantities of drugs, and cash. The drugs seized are highly addictive, and have no place in our community. If you are seeking to profit by selling harmful drugs to Tasmanians we will target you and your activities.

Contraband seized by Tasmania Police officers of Taskforce Scelus, November 29, 2023. Picture: Tasmania Police
Contraband seized by Tasmania Police officers of Taskforce Scelus, November 29, 2023. Picture: Tasmania Police

“Our goal with this taskforce is to assist in reducing crime, and our members have also been targeting dangerous driving and the ‘Fatal Five’ – which are the five main contributors to serious and fatal crashes.”

Charges laid as part of the operation include possessing a dangerous article in public, evading police, possessing and using a controlled drug, selling cannabis, and high-range speeding.

Contraband seized by Tasmania Police officers of Taskforce Scelus, November 29, 2023. Picture: Tasmania Police
Contraband seized by Tasmania Police officers of Taskforce Scelus, November 29, 2023. Picture: Tasmania Police

Structure fire slows traffic on Brooker Highway

November 28, updated 3.54pm: Plumes of black smoke enveloped parts of Hobart as a house fire raged along the Brooker Highway, forcing one lane of traffic to close.

Tasmania Police as well as Tasmania Fire Service personnel responded to a structure fire on the Brooker Highway at Derwent Park.

Motorists planning on travelling in that area were advised that the left hand lane, heading towards Hobart, was closed while the fire was brought under control, Tasmania Police said.

House fire on the Brooker Highway on November 28, 2023. Picture: Kelvin Ball
House fire on the Brooker Highway on November 28, 2023. Picture: Kelvin Ball

“Motorists are asked to slow down and drive with caution while there is smoke in the area,” a police statement said.

TFS put out a smoke alert for the incident for Goodwood and the surrounding areas, urging people to avoid the area.

“Smoke from this fire is visible in the Goodwood and Surrounding Areas area,” the warning said.

“There is no threat to the general public. People who don’t need to be in the immediate area should stay away.”

People in the immediate area were encouraged to avoid exposure to the smoke.

Structure fire, Brooker Highway, Derwent Park. Picture: Chris Kidd
Structure fire, Brooker Highway, Derwent Park. Picture: Chris Kidd

Inspector Jim Semmens, who spoke to media at the scene, said the fire had broken out on the upper floor of a two-storey residence.

The occupants, who were at home at the time, were alerted to the fire after their smoke alarm went off.

They were then able to call TFS and evacuate.

“It’s pretty good evidence that a working smoke alarm actually saves lives,” Inspector Semmens said.

There were no injuries as a result of the fire.

Inspector Semmens said after TFS had conducted their assessments, they would then be able to tell them more about the “circumstances” of the fire.

Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/tasmania-breaking-news-tfs-attend-structure-fire-at-brooker-highway-derwent-park/news-story/b46dfbabc07f95c145e7f654b088ea28