This was published 8 months ago
Good afternoon readers, and thanks for following along this week.
Plan to get all your jobs done tomorrow while it’s fine, because the Bureau is predicting Sunday has a very high chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm.
Stay safe and dry and we’ll see you on Monday with a fresh live blog.
Richmond beware – West Coast players will have Harley Reid’s back if the Tigers attempt to go after the young Eagles star in Saturday night’s cellar-dweller clash at Optus Stadium.
Reid produced his best display of the season in last week’s 26-point loss to Port Adelaide, tallying a team-high 27 disposals and six clearances to go with a goal.
But the performance didn’t come without controversy, with Reid fined $6250 for a kick-trip on Travis Boak that Essendon legend James Hird said deserved to be a three or four-week suspension.
Reid’s heated battle with Port star Jason Horne-Francis was also a big talking point.
A small update now on the crash along Tonkin Highway on Thursday which resulted in the death of a man in his 40s, whose body was found on the road.
The man was found around 2.25am with significant injuries.
A woman who was taken into custody by police on Thursday afternoon to assist with inquiries has since been released pending further investigation.
Major Crash investigators are urging anyone with any information relating to this incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperswa.com.au.
You likely have seen the news that’s gone viral this morning – the chief executive of a US tech company has been caught in a suspected affair with a colleague after the “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert broadcast them embracing to a crowd of thousands.
If you have missed that, you can check out the full story here.
Plenty of organisations have jumped on the story, turning the couple into a meme, including WA’s own Department of Fire an Emergency Services.
“Looks like it’s not just the Coldplay concert that’s getting wild,” they wrote on Facebook.
“A strong cold front is heading our way from Sunday, bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, but unlike this unfortunate couple, we saw it coming.”
The opposition is calling for a full investigation into the WA Police’s $35 million firearms registration portal after it was revealed a former sports shooting club member was able to access information about his old club’s firearm safes.
But acting Police Minister Don Punch dismissed the concerns as “fearmongering”, describing the incident as a technical issue.
Legalise Cannabis MP Brian Walker first raised the issue, saying a former member of the Jarrahdale Shooters Club could access firearms and licence data linked to the club’s corporate licence.
WA Police has since temporarily halted access to the portal as it addresses the issue.
Turning to crime news and officers from the Regional Operations Group and Hillarys Police have charged a 26-year-old man following an evade police incident that occurred in Perth’s northern suburbs overnight.
About 1.25am, police attempted to stop an Audi hatchback travelling on Seacrest Drive in Hillarys.
The driver allegedly failed to stop and accelerated away from police.
He then allegedly drove recklessly and at speed through several suburbs, including Kingsley, Padbury, and Ocean Reef.
With the assistance of Police Air Wing, the vehicle was tracked to Eddystone Avenue, where the accused was arrested.
The 26-year-old man from Hillarys has been charged with failing to comply with a direction to stop, reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, breaching a family violence restraining order, and threatening to kill in circumstances of aggravation.
He is due to appear in court today.
Earlier this week, we brought you the news that residents in the City of South Perth were fighting for the removal of six tiny trees along the foreshore which they claimed would block their “million-dollar views”.
It turns out they’re not the only council dealing with issues surrounding newly planted trees.
The City of Melville has revealed around 40 native trees have not just received complaints, but been vandalised after being planted in the past year, including along Blackwall Reach.
The City is at a loss about the motive, claiming their trees were not going to block any million-dollar views.
For those who live south of the river, or spend many of their nights out in Fremantle (or have fond memories of doing so) we have some sad news.
The area’s go-to late night joint Nick’s Place, the kebab shop, is closing after 40 years of business in the historic town’s centre.
In a Facebook post, the local establishment thanked “the many generations for all the support over that time”.
Commenters on the post lamented the news and discussed some of their favourite memories.
A Nollamara mother and father have been jailed for nine years for their part in a multimillion-dollar drug syndicate after attempting to help smuggle 56 kilograms of cocaine worth $18 million into the state from Switzerland.
The couple, Harland Luders, 60, and his wife Natalia Luders, 52, were sentenced on Thursday.
The judge said the pair were taken advantage of by a friend – Lloyd Mercer – agreeing to store luxury car tyres with the drugs inside at their home.
He said while they didn’t know exactly what was inside the tyres, they would have known it was illegal.
But their children spoke with media after the sentencing to say their parents were innocent.
You can hear more below.
Tributes are flowing for Perth father James Nowland, who died while BASE jumping in the Italian Dolomites.
Italian media organisation ANSA reported his parachute likely failed to open due to a technical issue after the 42-year-old jumped from the summit of Sass Pordoi on Wednesday afternoon Italian time.
He crashed 400 metres from his designated landing point. A rescue team and helicopter were sent to the scene, with fellow BASE jumpers raising the alarm, but he could not be saved.
“Rest in peace … Hope you’re soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever,” his brother, Adrian Nowland, posted to Facebook on Thursday.
Nowland had been competing in an international competition Pordoi BASE Race – where competitors race to become the world’s fastest.