As it happened: WA news on Thursday, June 12

The Tactical Response Group and WA Police Airwing were deployed to the state’s Wheatbelt last night to track down a man accused of stealing a gun and firing it in Ghooli, near Southern Cross.

Police responded to a report that a man had entered a property on Great Eastern Highway and allegedly stolen a firearm about 5.30pm on Wednesday, with further reports of gunshots heard nearby putting officers on high alert.

The TRG, regional operations group and airwing were deployed as local police scoured the area for the alleged thief.

Vision from the police helicopter released to media shows a man walking near bush and farming properties while carrying a backpack and what resembles a firearm bag.

Officers soon descended on the 31-year-old man, and the allegedly stolen firearm was seized.

The Carey Park man has been charged with home burglary, stealing, unlawfully possessing a firearm, firing a firearm to the danger of, or in a manner likely to cause fear to, the public or any person, and cannabis possession.

There were no reports of any injuries or damage to property.

The man will appear before Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, June 13.

Water Corporation crews will work through the weekend to repair a damage sewerage system in Perth’s south that has spilled waste into several parks and even out into the Swan River via Alfred Cove and Fremantle Harbour.

The spill started with a burst pipe on Hamilton Road in Spearwood on Friday which inundated Watsonia and Dalmatia parks, while also impacting nearby houses.

It spread to Bruce Lee Reserve in Beaconsfield, forcing the closure of the park and the relocation of the Freo Farmers Markets at the weekend, before spilling into the Swan River via Alfred Cove and the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.

The popular farmers market and Fremantle City Football Club will have to move again this weekend as crews continue to mop up and disinfect the park.

A Water Corporation update on Thursday afternoon said crews at the Hamilton Road site had identified a solution which would avoid the need for more work in the coming months, but would require work to continue over the weekend and into early next week.

Work will shift to Caesar Street, where Bruce Lee Reserve sits, when repairs at Hamilton Road are completed. Wastewater flows at the reserve are currently being managed by tankering operations.

Ponds at Watsonia Park and Dalmatia Park were expected to be drained on Thursday to recover any residual wastewater.

Water Corporation chief executive Pat Donovan said while a permanent repair at Hamilton Road would take longer, it meant no further disruption to affected residents.

“The work is complex with various technical challenges, including working around a high-pressure gas main, but we’re striving to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.

On Wednesday, WA Premier Roger Cook said the pipework at the centre of the spill was “particularly complex”, which led to delays in the repairs.

A 32-year-old man who allegedly drove his car at police before plunging off the Claremont Jetty and into the Swan River has been released on bail this morning, but will remain in hospital for psychiatric treatment.

Perth Magistrates Court heard Alan Adnan had been receiving involuntary psychiatric treatment since his arrest on April 30 after he allegedly drove a Jeep Wrangler into a police car, causing significant damage

Police allege they attempted to negotiate with him before he then drove the car off the jetty.

He was pulled from the water by TRG officers and escorted to a waiting ambulance before he was taken to hospital.

Police also alleged that before the jetty incident, Adnan had approached a woman in a car while wielding a tyre iron, before stealing a personal item from her.

He was charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of criminal damage or destruction of property.

He appeared in on Thursday via video link from Frankland Centre, where he successfully applied for bail but was told he would remain in a civilian hospital to continue treatment.

He received an extended involuntary treatment order and will have to report to Murdoch Police Station twice a week as part of his bail conditions.

The court was told Adnan had no criminal history and his matter was adjourned for four weeks.

We’re bringing our blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us. We will be back soon with more live news coverage, so please join us then.

Here are some of the headlines we covered today:

• Officers from the Tactical Response Group, WA Police and DFES swarmed a Bunnings in Perth’s southern suburbs last night after a man, allegedly armed with a blow torch, threatened to set gas cylinders at the store on fire.

• The state government has this morning promised an additional $20.3 million for the Bunbury Regional Hospital redevelopment to expand capacity and ideally help ease the strain on an under-pressure system.

• Premier Roger Cook and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti were in Innaloo this morning making another pre-budget announcement – this time around a $113 million northern suburbs road package.
• Cook also played down concerns over the Trump administration’s review of the AUKUS pact, suggesting the components he’s counting on to pump billions into the state’s economy will survive whatever conclusion it reaches.

• A 32-year-old man who allegedly drove his car at police before plunging off the Claremont Jetty and into the Swan River was released on bail this morning, but will remain in hospital for psychiatric treatment.

• Water Corporation crews will work through the weekend to repair a damage sewerage system in Perth’s south that has spilled waste into several parks and even out into the Swan River via Alfred Cove and Fremantle Harbour.

• Western Australia’s workplace arbiter has granted 300,000 of the state’s lowest-paid workers a $34.40-a-week pay rise.

• The Tactical Response Group and WA Police Airwing were deployed to the state’s Wheatbelt last night to track down a man accused of stealing a gun and firing it in Ghooli, near Southern Cross.

Thank you again for tuning in today. We’ll see you back here tomorrow for more news you need to know.

The Tactical Response Group and WA Police Airwing were deployed to the state’s Wheatbelt last night to track down a man accused of stealing a gun and firing it in Ghooli, near Southern Cross.

Police responded to a report that a man had entered a property on Great Eastern Highway and allegedly stolen a firearm about 5.30pm on Wednesday, with further reports of gunshots heard nearby putting officers on high alert.

The TRG, regional operations group and airwing were deployed as local police scoured the area for the alleged thief.

Vision from the police helicopter released to media shows a man walking near bush and farming properties while carrying a backpack and what resembles a firearm bag.

Officers soon descended on the 31-year-old man, and the allegedly stolen firearm was seized.

The Carey Park man has been charged with home burglary, stealing, unlawfully possessing a firearm, firing a firearm to the danger of, or in a manner likely to cause fear to, the public or any person, and cannabis possession.

There were no reports of any injuries or damage to property.

The man will appear before Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, June 13.

Water Corporation crews will work through the weekend to repair a damage sewerage system in Perth’s south that has spilled waste into several parks and even out into the Swan River via Alfred Cove and Fremantle Harbour.

The spill started with a burst pipe on Hamilton Road in Spearwood on Friday which inundated Watsonia and Dalmatia parks, while also impacting nearby houses.

It spread to Bruce Lee Reserve in Beaconsfield, forcing the closure of the park and the relocation of the Freo Farmers Markets at the weekend, before spilling into the Swan River via Alfred Cove and the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.

The popular farmers market and Fremantle City Football Club will have to move again this weekend as crews continue to mop up and disinfect the park.

A Water Corporation update on Thursday afternoon said crews at the Hamilton Road site had identified a solution which would avoid the need for more work in the coming months, but would require work to continue over the weekend and into early next week.

Work will shift to Caesar Street, where Bruce Lee Reserve sits, when repairs at Hamilton Road are completed. Wastewater flows at the reserve are currently being managed by tankering operations.

Ponds at Watsonia Park and Dalmatia Park were expected to be drained on Thursday to recover any residual wastewater.

Water Corporation chief executive Pat Donovan said while a permanent repair at Hamilton Road would take longer, it meant no further disruption to affected residents.

“The work is complex with various technical challenges, including working around a high-pressure gas main, but we’re striving to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.

On Wednesday, WA Premier Roger Cook said the pipework at the centre of the spill was “particularly complex”, which led to delays in the repairs.

We have a sad update to our post from earlier this morning.

WA Police have confirmed that whilst formal identification is yet to take place, they believe they have found the body of Finn Coyle, 21, who went missing six days ago.

The body was found at a property in Carmel, in the Perth Hills, around 8.30am this morning.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Coyle was reported missing on Friday afternoon, and there has been an extensive search to find him involving police and SES volunteers.