Resident threatened in targeted shooting at West Hobart home
A shooting in West Hobart where a resident was threatened overnight was targeted, police have revealed. LATEST BREAKING NEWS >>
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- Jari Wise’s grieving mother fights for changes to help recognise male victims
- Melissa Oates will spend eight months in jail after the Huonville road death of boyfriend Jari Wise
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Reports of a shooting in West Hobart
Update - Friday August 6, 10:48am
Tasmania Police are calling for public assistance following a shooting at a West Hobart home on Thursday night.
A resident on Hill Street was threatened around 6:20pm by an armed offender who discharged a firearm before fleeing towards Warwick Street.
Officers say they attended the same residence on June 4 following an assault and believe last night’s shooting was targeted as both parties involved knew each other.
Anyone who was in the area at the time, witnessed suspicious activity or has dash cam or CCTV of the incident is being urged to contact police on 131 444 or get in touch with Crime Stoppers Tasmania anonymously online at crimestopperstas.com.au or call 1800 333 000.
Thursday, August 5 - 10pm
Police attended the West Hobart address in numbers earlier this evening, responding to an alleged shooting.
Sergeant Gavin White told the Mercury that police responded to reports of gunshots in Hill St, West Hobart about 6.30pm on Thursday night.
“Earlier tonight there were a number of calls about some gunshots,” he said.
“No one’s been injured and it appears some shots have been fired at a house here in Hill St.”
Sgt White three shots were believed to have been fired at the front of a house.
“Initial indications will lead us in a particular line of inquiry but at the moment it’s too early to say who we suspect of it,” he said.
He said it was yet to be determined if the shots were fired from a passing car.
“We’re still speaking to the people who were inside the house and getting their version of events,” Sgt White said.
“They are fine. They are shaken, but they are OK.”
A concerned neighbour described the moment she returned home from work to hear the sound of bangs.
“I got out of my car at 6.30-ish ... I got to my letterbox and heard a bang and I thought ‘is that a car backfiring?’,’’ she said.
“And by the time I got to [the front door] there was another bang bang, so there were three [shots].
“I came inside and shut the door and I said to my daughter ‘do you think that was a gun’?
“So we just locked the door and went to the back of the house.”
The woman said she had lived in the area for about four years.
“I do generally feel safe here ... [but] not when there’s gunshots.”
There were four occupants inside the house at the time of the incident, but Sgt White could not say if they were threatened.
“That’s still forming part of our investigation and until we’ve taken formal statements off them, we can’t go into detail until we’ve got it formally from them, what they allege has happened,” he said.
Sgt White said it was being treated as a targeted incident.
“There’s nothing to indicate that this is anything other than targeted activity between people who know each other,” he said.
“This is not the sort of activity that the public would need to be worried about because generally we find this sort of activity has a link to some relationship between the parties.
“It’s not a random incident.”
Police confirmed one of the occupants was threatened and the suspect left towards Warwick Street.
Sgt White said police had been called to the same property recently in a separate incident.
“About a month ago there was an incident here which did require police attendance where a person was injured,” he said.
Uniform police, detectives and forensic officers remain on scene.
More to come...
P-Plater disqualified after speeding near Westbury
Thursday, August 5
A 31-year-old p-plater will be disqualified from driving for four months after he was caught Travelling at 186kmh on the Bass Highway on Wednesday night.
Police from Northern Road & Public Order Services intercepted the man’s driving a blue Holden Commodore travelling east near the Birralee turn-off about 5.10pm.
As well as being disqualified from driving the man will face six demerit points and a fine of $994.75.
Crash on the Southern Outlet - Hobart
3pm, Thursday, August 5
Hobart traffic has been impacted by a crash on the Southern Outlet, Kingston bound.
The Mercury understands the crash involves multiple cars.
Tasmania Police said there were no injuries, but motorists were asked to avoid the area or plan an alternative route until the scene is clear.
16 drivers cop fines after speeding through North West roadworks
12:12pm, Thursday August 5
Police are pleading with Tasmanian drivers to obey road rules through roadwork zones after 16 motorists were snagged speeding at Sassafras and Leith within just two hours yesterday.
Each driver received infringement notices.
Following complaints made to Tasmania Police about speeding on the Bass Highway along the North West Coast, several operations targeting high-range speeders have been conducted in the area.
Senior Sergeant Darren Woolley said locals need to slow down and consider the safety of road workers.
“Despite clearly marked roadworks zones and speed reduction signs displayed, police detected motorists exceeded the speed limits and endangering the lives of workers carrying out improvements to the Bass Highway.
“Driver behaviour needs to change so that road workers can work in a safe environment.”
Police are urging anyone who witnesses dangerous driving to report it by calling 131 444 or contacting Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
Two fined for Stay at home order breach
Two Tasmanians have been fined for not staying ‘at home’ as directed by the director of public health.
A 39-year-old woman from Northern Tasmania who recently returned from Queensland breached the order by attending a family gathering on Saturday while a 52-year-old Launceston woman who had also recently returned from Queensland was fined after police received information that she had attended a shopping complex without wearing a mask.
The penalty for failing to comply with the stay-at-home order is $778.50.
Police said neither woman had been in a high-risk premises while in Queensland, and the risk to the community was low.
Inspector John Toohey from the State Police Operations Centre said Police will continue to conduct both targeted and random checks of those subject to the order.
“The changing Covid environment with the Delta strain has presented significant challenges in mainland states and we need to ensure the community complies with directions,” he said.
“To date we have taken an educative approach which is still very important to continue to influence behaviours, but where a blatant act is identified in breach of a Public Health Direction, those disobeying the order should expect to be issued with a $778.50 fine.”
The stay-at-home order will be in place until 4pm on Sunday August 8.
Anyone who has arrived from one of the 11 specified Local Government Areas in Queensland on or after 17 July is required to ‘stay-at-home’ except for limited reasons and wear a mask when leaving home.
Anyone arriving after 4pm on 31 July 2021 is now subject to 14 days quarantine.
Fire deliberately lit at Launceston warehouse
Investigations are underway after a fire was allegedly deliberately lit at a Launceston warehouse overnight.
Two crews from Rocherlea and Launceston attended the blaze at the vacant building on Invermay Road in Mowbray around 10:13pm.
The Tasmania Fire Service said the blaze caused around $7000 worth of damage.
More to come.
Man faces court over pub smash-up
A man who police claim went on a rampage in the West Coast town of Queenstown on Monday afternoon smashing windows at the Empire Hotel and letting off firecrackers has appeared in court.
Lewis Gabrielle O’Connor, 37, was remanded in custody after appearing briefly before Magistrate Tamara Jago in the Burnie Magistrates Court.
O’Connor has been charged with several offences including unlawfully destroying property,
unlawfully using a dangerous article in a public place and letting off a firework.
O’Connor did not enter a plea nor apply for bail.
He will reappear via video link on August 17 at 11.15am.
Serious crash at Gawler
A driver has been flown to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a serious condition after a crash at Gawler in the north west of the state overnight.
Police believe the Holden Commodore the man was driving verged off Top Gawler Road and crashed head on into a tree around 10:50pm.
Tasmania Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash
Kayaker rescued in Northern Tasmania
A casual paddle turned into a nightmare overnight ordeal in freezing conditions for a Turners Beach kayaker on Sunday night, who was rescued without injury.
Tasmania Police Search and Rescue received a call around 4pm on Sunday afternoon from the 20 year old man’s kayaking companion after the pair got into trouble kayaking along on the Wilmot River in the state’s North West.
Senior Constable Joshua Peach from the helicopter crew said the male companion raised the alarm after their kayak had overturned in rough rapids and they had become separated, with the companion making it to dry land while the other man was stuck in the water.
Mr Peach said the helicopter was deployed Sunday night but when it arrived in the area the conditions were already too dark for searching, so the crew had to set off again at 6am on Monday to recommence the search at first light.
The man spent a short period of time in the water and was able to “self rescue”, spending the “freezing cold” night stuck on a steep and rocky corner of the Wilmot Gorge canyon where he was unable to climb out.
Mr Peach, who was a part of Monday’s search which recovered the man, said the man was well aside from suffering from mild hypothermia with the weather being zero degrees on Sunday night.
“After a very brief search in the Wilmot River we first found the kayak and then about 3-5 minutes after that we saw the 20 year old male … clinging to rocks waving for help,” he said.
“From there we commenced a winch operation where a flight paramedic was winched to the scene and he recovered the gentleman in what we call a rescue strop.”
“They were what we call at least grade four rapids so it is pretty rough water and during the events during some of those bends and negotiating those rapids he has come out of his kayak.”
While the gentleman was well prepared from a warmth perspective, wearing an immersion suit which contained dry clothing underneath, he was not carrying a personal locator beacon which is recommended, Mr Peach said.
Hospital wards close over gastro
TWO wards remain closed to visitors and new admissions at the Launceston General Hospital because of a gastroenteritis outbreak.
Rehabilitation ward 3R was closed in the middle of last week and Surgical Ward 5A was quarantined on Friday.
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Two patients on 3R remain symptomatic and there are seven patients unwell on 5B.
No staff or students have been affected over the weekend.
Infection Control Guidelines dictate that wards must be symptom free for 48 hours before they can be reopened after thorough cleaning.
Senior staff continue to monitor the situation.
“Quarantining the wards means visitors are not permitted. The closure measures are standard operating procedure during a potentially infectious outbreak,” LGH Executive Director of Nursing, Helen Bryan said.
“All visitors to hospitals in Tasmania must currently wear masks in accordance with Covid safety Public Health guidelines.”
Kayaker spends night in the bush
A very cold kayaker has been picked up by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter from the Wilmot River near Sheffield.
Police had been looking for the man since Sunday when he became separated from his kayak and swam down river.
He reached the shore but became stranded on the river bank.
The 20-year-old had been kayaking with a mate who raised the alarm.
The other man remained in his kayak and made it to shore late Sunday afternoon and called emergency services for assistance.
The rescued man was flown from the area on Monday morning. He was physically uninjured but cold from a night exposed to the weather.
Police said both kayakers were wearing safety equipment including life jackets and helmets.
Court news
Jari Wise’s grieving mother takes inquest fight to Supreme Court
THE grieving mother of Jari Wise, whose life was cut short on a Huonville roadside last year, is fighting for an inquest into her son’s death.
In May, Faith Tkalac contacted Tasmania’s Coronial Division asking for an inquest to be opened to determine exactly what led to the tragedy.
But last week, Ms Tkalac received a response from Coroner Simon Cooper that an inquest was “not necessary or desirable in the interests of justice” and was “unlikely to reveal any additional, significant information about the death”.
On Friday, Faith Tkalac filed an application for the Supreme Court of Tasmania to reconsider Mr Cooper’s decision.
She has also lodged a complaint about Tasmania Police’s handling of the investigation into her son’s death with the Integrity Commission.
Mr Wise, 29, died almost instantly in February last year when he was struck by a car driven by his on-again, off-again girlfriend Melissa Oates.
The 35-year-old mother-of-four was not charged with causing Mr Wise’s death.
However, Oates is currently serving an eight-month jail sentence, having pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving and failing to stop and assist in an accident.
She was later convicted in the Hobart Magistrates Court of two more crimes against Mr Wise – common assault and injuring property.
Oates is likely to be a free woman again in November.
“It has never been established by any court the cause of Jari’s death,” Ms Tkalac said in her affidavit lodged in the Supreme Court.
“While the (Supreme) Court in Oates’ sentencing hearing accepted that the collision was the event that caused the death of Jari, it has never been established whether Jari stepped out in front of Oates’ vehicle or alternatively whether Oates deliberately caused the collision with Jari thereby causing his death.”
Ms Tkalac also questioned Tasmania Police’s handling of the investigation into Mr Wise’s death, including the “veracity and reliability” of two witnesses who claimed her son had “previously stepped out in front of vehicles”.
Also this week, Ms Tkalac received correspondence from the Integrity Commission after complaining the Tasmania Police investigation was “deficient”.
In its letter of response, the Integrity Commission told Ms Tkalac it had referred the complaint to Tasmania Police Professional Standards for investigation.
Grandma ‘completely lost control’ when threatened, court hears
A Hobart grandmother has disputed facts in a case alleging mistreatment of her grandson, including allegations she had a power obsession.
Everybody appearing at Hobart Magistrates Court, Tuesday, October 8
Here is a list of people appearing at Hobart Magistrates Court on October 8.