Kenyan wins his third City to Surf

Some ran for a cause, others just for fun - over 48,000 people took part in this year's Chevron City to Surf.

2013 City to Surf. Winner of the men's marathon, Luka Chelimo, celebrates with a friend. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: PerthNow

LUKA Chelimo has made a mockery of the damp conditions to win his third City to Surf marathon in record time.

The Kenyan romped home in the men's marathon in a time of 2hr 13min 15sec, a good three seconds quicker than his winning time in 2011.

Chelimo said he had "trained better this year" and his knowledge of the course helped him run faster today.

"You just get past that hill and just keep going," he said.

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Chelimo said his next event was in Canada in October and he hopes to come back to Perth and run again.

2013 City to Surf. Winner of the women's marathon, Tsega Reta, crosses the finish line. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: PerthNow

The first woman across the line in the marathon was Tsega Reta, finishing in 2hr 41min. More than 1400 took part in the marathon.

Overall, 48,000 people took part in today's events, among them the 28,000 people who have just begun the most popular event of the morning, the 12km run.

Full coverage of today's Chevron City To Surf

Ian Baker, 16, said he ran the 12km to help inspire his school teacher to finish the half-marathon.

"We basically tried to beat him," he said.

The Glen Forest boy, who has never competed in the race before, said it was a great run.

"The hills are pretty spread out and it felt really good," Ian said.

"I really enjoyed it."

2013 City to Surf. Winner Luka Chelimo with second and third place-getters Lilan Kennedy and Chamba in the men's marathon. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: PerthNow

Forensic investigation for Mandurah body

Police are still investigating the identity of a badly decomposed body that was found in Mandurah. Picture: file image Source: PerthNow

WEST Australian police are still investigating the identity of a badly decomposed body, found floating in a canal near Mandurah on Saturday.

About 10.15am on Saturday, a member of the public reported seeing the body floating in the canal behind Genevieve Court, Halls Head.

Police retrieved the body of a man, which is believed to have been in the water for some time.

Detectives are now awaiting a forensic examination of the body, which will include DNA and dental analysis, which it is hoped will identify the man, and whether he had any injuries.

A police spokesman said WA's Major Crime Squad would treat the death as suspicious until it can be determined otherwise.

Couple mugged, bitten in gang attack

A husband and wife were attacked by a group of people in Queens Park overnight. The male victim shows where the attackers bit him. Picture: supplied Source: PerthNow

A husband and wife were attacked by a group of people in Queens Park overnight. The male victim shows the scratches on his neck where he was assaulted. Picture: supplied Source: PerthNow

A HUSBAND and wife were attacked by a group of people in a south east Perth suburb overnight.

About 11.30pm the 24-year-old man and 37-year-old woman were walking at Mariana Park, on the corner of Gibbs Street and Whitlock Road in Queens Park, when they were approached by two men and two women.

The man was repeatedly bashed with a pole by the men and a female bit him multiple times while the woman was punched in the head and also bitten.

The group then stole an amount of cash and jewellery from the couple, including items they were wearing.

The offenders are described as:
- Male, dark skinned with a thin build, 26-32-years-old, 170cm tall unshaven with a pony tail wearing a dark coloured jacket, jeans, Nike shoes and a black cap.
- Male, dark skinned, large build, 180cm tall, curly short hair and a beard wearing a brown jacket with a big red emblem on the left side.

- Female, dark skinned, large build, 30 to 40-years-old, about 170cm tall with black hair and a black spot on one side of her face. About three of her top teeth are missing.
- Female, dark skinned, thin build with black hair, about 170cm tall.

Anyone with information about the incident or who saw a group matching the description in the area should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

No batons, pepper spray at Banksia Hill

Corrective services Minister Joe Francis inspects security improvements to Banksia Hill Detention Centre in Canning Vale. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

DEMANDS for teen prisoners in Western Australia to be guarded by batons and pepper spray will not be granted by the state government.

The Barnett government is preparing to reopen the repaired and beefed up Banksia Hill youth detention centre, following a riot in January which virtually destroyed the facility.

That led to young prisoners being housed in an adult high security prison, a move that was challenged legally and led to furious opposition from human rights campaigners.

It also led to calls from youth custody officers to demand more measures to protect themselves - but Corrective Services Minister Joe Francis said he would not sanction batons and pepper spray at the centre.

"Some of these kids are here for significant offences, such as murder and rape,'' Mr Francis said.

"But this government will not at any time allow youth custodial officers to use pepper spray and batons.''

Mr Francis also attacked some officers, who he said were "taking the mickey'' out of the state with continued work absenteeism.

He claimed almost half of the youth custody officers rostered to work on Saturday failed to show.

He said that was hardening the government's view to a possible privatisation of the facility.

"They are clearly taking the taxpayer for a ride,'' Mr Francis said.

Some of the teen prisoners in the adult Hakea Prison will remain there until Christmas, despite work on the state's only youth detention centre being nearly complete.

A cell inside the Banksia Hill Detention Centre in Canning Vale, which has been renovated after riots earlier this year. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

After seven months, the works to repair and upgrade security, some youngsters will begin to move back in the coming weeks - but they will find a different atmosphere.

Additional bars on windows have been coupled with higher fences and more security, to ensure a repeat of the January 20 riot does not occur.

Mr Francis said the repairs and upgrades have cost about $1.5 million, out of a total of about $3.6 million the riot cost the government.

"I don't want it to look like a maximum security prison - in fact I want it to look more like a high school,'' Mr Francis said.

New grilles are among the security improvements to Banksia Hill Detention Centre in Canning Vale. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

The perimeter wall at the Banksia Hill Detention Centre in Canning Vale, which has been renovated after riots earlier this year. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

Bus services canned for working-class

Plans to build Bus Rapid Transit services across Rockingham and Mandurah and in Alkimos have been dumped in favour of western suburbs services. Picture: Richard Hatherly Source: PerthNow

BUS services have been ripped out of working-class suburbs and moved to the posh western suburbs under a redesigned public transport blueprint for WA's future.

Department of Transport documents obtained by The Sunday Times reveal plans to build Bus Rapid Transit services across Rockingham and Mandurah and in Alkimos by 2031 have been dumped.

The department is proposing a BRT route in the western suburbs to run down Stirling Highway from the University of WA to Fremantle.

It will run along the same areas as the Fremantle train line and includes Premier Colin Barnett's electorate of Cottesloe.

The documents, which include the original draft public transport plans for the metropolitan area by 2031 and an updated version, show proposed routes for a BRT to service areas around Rockingham, Baldivis and Mandurah have been scrapped.

A BRT to connect Rockingham and Cockburn Central train stations has also been flicked while another BRT service connecting the northern suburbs of Alkimos and Eglinton is also no longer in the plans. Opposition transport spokesman Ken Travers said any plans to rip up BRT services out of fast-growing areas in the southern and northern suburbs and putting them through the western suburbs would be a "recipe for disaster".

"Having the BRT along the Stirling Highway will just duplicate the railway line and is extravagant when so many suburbs lack even decent bus services," he said.

"This is another example of the Barnett Government's transport planning being driven by politics and not about building a transport network for the 21st century.

"The western suburbs are already very well catered for with respect to public transport, so putting more into them and taking it out of the fast-growing outer suburbs of Perth is, in my view, just a recipe for disaster."

The updated blueprint  which was obtained as part of a Freedom of Information request by The Sunday Times  includes new plans for a BRT to connect Fremantle to the Canning Bridge and a service from Whitfords to Wanneroo.

The Sunday Times sent the Department of Transport and Transport Minister Troy Buswell a series of questions this week about the plans contained in the discussion paper.

Mr Buswell declined to comment while a department spokeswoman said the papers were only draft documents.

"A decision on bus rapid transit and routes has not yet been made," she said.

"The final Public Transport Plan is under consideration by government and addresses public transport issues into the future."

Youths face court over car chase

Watch the dramatic pictures of a high speed police chase through Perth's southern suburbs.

THREE teenage boys appeared in court yesterday over charges stemming from the pursuit of a stolen car through Wattle Grove and Kenwick on Friday.

Police will allege that four teenagers were inside a Ford Territory that was allegedly stolen from a house in Mullaloo the day before, when the vehicle was spotted by officers about noon and a short pursuit ensued.

Police deployed a stinger tyre deflation device, stopping the vehicle. Two offenders fled the car but they were tracked down by Polair and officers on the ground.

Four teenagers, aged 15 to 19, were charged over the incident. Three of them appeared in court yesterday.

Man killed in Gt Northern Hwy crash

Police are investigating the death of a man killed when his car hit a tree on Gt Northern Hwy last night. Source: PerthNow

A 53-year-old man has been killed after crash his car into a tree last night.

The man was driving south along the Great Northern Highway, 1km north of the Mogumber-Yarawindah Road, last night when he lost control of the vehicle on a bend and crashed into a tree.

He was the sole occupant of the car, a Ford Fairmont, and died at the scene. The time of the crash is not yet clear.

Local police are investigating the crash.

In West Leederville, a 54-year-old man is in hospital with head injuries after being hit by a car.

It is believed the man was hit by a Lexus on Cambridge Street at around 9.45pm after leaving a bar on the same street, a police spokeswoman said.

The Quinns Rocks man was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with head injuries and fractures.

The Lexus was being driven by a 51-year-old woman.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Court picks step-mum over parents

File photo. A court has sent three WA children to live with their step-mother after finding that their biological parents are unfit to care for them. Source: PerthNow

A WA judge has ordered three children to live with their former stepmother after finding both of their natural parents were unfit to care for them.

In a rare move that bypassed any biological claims for the sake of the children, Justice John Walters granted the kids their wish to live with their father's ex-partner who they said was more a "mother figure" than their own mum.

During the recent WA Family Court hearing it was revealed the children a girl aged 13 and two boys aged 12 and 11 had been back and forth between their parents after they split about eight years ago.

At first they lived with their mother, but started living with their father and his new partner in late 2004. During that time the dad and the stepmum had another child.

The mother started a new relationship with a man who it was later revealed had been jailed for accessing child pornography.

In late 2009 the dad and the stepmum broke up, sparking a dispute between the biological mum and dad over custody.

Both parents started legal proceedings. Meanwhile, the kids lived with the stepmum.

Eventually, it was decided the children should live with their natural mother.

But, in early 2011 she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disease causing chronic pain.

The girl went to live with her dad while the two boys stayed with their mum and her live-in boyfriend who also had two sons from another relationship.

By the middle of 2011, the daughter returned to her mother and all three lived with her for the next year.

Justice Walters said that it was the "best interests of the children" that mattered the most. He ordered they live with their stepmum, but that all three have equal shared parental responsibility.

Record rise in WA homicides

A record number of murder cases in the past year has clogged WA's court system. Source: The Daily Telegraph

A RECORD number of murder cases in the past year has left the state's court system reeling.

The Sunday Times can reveal the Department of Public Prosecutions had to handle 59 homicide cases in 2012-13, a 40 per cent rise over the previous year.

Despite the increase the DPP has not been given any extra resources and its funding will rise only marginally.

A DPP spokeswoman confirmed that "last year was the highest ever" number of new homicide indictments.

A homicide indictment is any case in which somebody is accused of murder, manslaughter, unlawful assault causing death, dangerous driving causing death, assisted killing or any variations of the charges.

The spokeswoman also said the number of overall court appeals handled by the DPP had risen. Appeals rose 26.6 per cent in 2010-11 and a further 25.6 per cent the next year before settling in the past financial year.

The DPP has been allocated $33.7 million for 2013-14 for criminal prosecutions. Forward estimates show it plans to spend about $35.6 million in 2016-17.

Attorney-General Michael Mischin said the DPP's total budget was expected to increase by 6 per cent between 2013-14 and 2016-17.

State Budget papers show staff numbers are expected to remain about the same.

Criminal Lawyers Association of WA president Linda Black said more murder cases would increase pressure on the system without extra resources.

"I accept government cost cuts have to be made, but it seems to me the proper and efficient running of our criminal justice system should be one of the areas that you do your utmost to avoid making cost cuts," Ms Black said.

"We're talking about accused people who are unconvicted and unlikely to get bail, and about extremely distressed friends and family of the deceased who want to, and are entitled to, see a swift resolution."

She said it was typical that criminal lawyers had to wait four to five months for disclosure reports from the DPP. Sometimes it took a year.

She said the courts had done all they could to make the process more efficient by establishing the Stirling Gardens Magistrates' Court to deal with matters that would eventually proceed to the Supreme and District courts.

But the system was let down by the prosecution shortfalls.

Teacher Jenny a class act for Mum

Teacher Jenny Archer and her mother Sue with their Year One students at Hollywood Primary School. Jenny has taken over teaching the class while her mother undergoes treatment for breast cancer. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

JENNY Archer's devotion to her mother and the teaching profession saw her put plans for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday on hold for these plucky kids.

Her mother, Sue Archer, is the year 1 teacher at Hollywood Primary School in Nedlands.

But in February, the 57-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Like any committed teacher, her first thoughts were for the wellbeing of her 23 students.

That's when her teacher daughter stepped in.

"She was going overseas on a working holiday and was ready to leave in April and she just said, 'I can't go, Mum, I wouldn't be happy'," Mrs Archer said.

"It's made a huge difference just knowing that someone could step in and take over."

Ms Archer was living in the eastern states, but dropped everything to return home when she learnt her mother was sick.

The pair share a striking resemblance. So it's little wonder the pupils are equally besotted with the 28-year-old and her mother.

"She looks really pretty and she's really nice," six-year-old Zoe Welch said.

"She's always happy and she always says nice things to the class," Patrick Hardin, 6, said.

"She likes to be around us and she likes to do stuff with us."

Ms Archer said she was extraordinarily proud of her "brave" mum.
 

Firefighter injured in Oakford blaze

Fire crews at the scene of an Oakford property where a firefighter suffered steam burns. Picture: Ten News / Twitter Source: PerthNow

A FIREFIGHTER is being treated at Armadale Hospital after suffering burns in a house fire.

He was injured when attempting to stop a blaze burning an Oakford home.

The fire broke out about 1pm and fire officers and volunteers from the Armadale, Oakford and Murdoch units were sent to the scene.

The cause of the blaze is unknown. A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said the building was "gutted".

The firefighter is being treated for steam burns to his hands.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

Woman, 84, missing from Gwelup

Eleanor Manford, 84, is missing in Gwelup. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

POLICE are searching for an elderly woman from the northern suburb of Gwelup.

Eleanor Manford, 84, was last seen at 12.45pm today at the Mount La Verna Retirement Village on North Beach Road.

She is described as having pale skin, approximately 160 to 162cms tall with white hair.  She was wearing a light blue cardigan, pants, socks and sandals.

Police believe Eleanor may have become confused, forgotten how to get home and become lost.

Anyone who may have seen Eleanor or has any information regarding her whereabouts should call police on 131 444.
 

Barnett: Let's get on with election

WA Premier Colin Barnett votes in the March state election, accompanied by his wife Lyn (centre) and deputy federal opposition leader Julie Bishop. Picture: Richard Hatherly Source: News Limited

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says that after months of feeling like the nation is in election mode, it's finally time to ``get on with it''.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced today that the federal election will be held on September 7.

Mr Barnett said there had been "months and even years of uncertainty'' with the federal government and it was time for the public to make their choice.

"I think many Australians feel they have been in the middle of an election campaign for at least 12-18 months, so there is an appetite to get on with it,'' he told reporters today.

Mr Barnett also said there was merit in having a fixed election date structure.

WA Opposition leader Mark McGowan said he is pleased the election date has been set so that "we can resolve the outcome of the country's leader quickly."

"I think the big issue for West Australians is leadership - who do you want leading the country, Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott?

Fine-dodgers to be named and shamed

WA's worst fine defaulters will be named and shamed under new laws. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

WEST Australia's top 100 fine defaulters will be named and shamed and their vehicles will be clamped and licence plates seized.

The new laws target thousands of people who owe a total of $259 million in unpaid infringements and court fines, with the most serious fine defaulters owing $67 million.

Under the new laws, the Sheriff's Office can wheel clamp vehicles for 48 hours or seize licence plates for 28 days if a person has more than $2000 in unpaid fines and infringements.

WA Attorney General Michael Mischin said clamps would be removed and licence plates returned after fines were paid, or offenders made a time-to-pay arrangement with the Fines Enforcement Registry.

In the worst cases, the removal of licence plates could be permanent, he said.

The Attorney General said there were 4976 people with more than $2000 in unpaid infringements, particularly serious speeding and red-light camera offences, owing a total of $17.3 million.

There are also 9635 people who have more than $2000 in unpaid court fines totalling $49.7 million.

"The public has had enough of these fine bludgers who have flouted the law and refused to pay what they owe the state, leaving law-abiding West Australians to foot the bill,'' Mr Mischin said.

WA's top 100 fine defaulters will also have their names, suburbs and amount of outstanding fines published on a state government website to be launched soon.

The laws come into effect on August 21.
 

WA seats could decide election result

THE fate of the 15 federal seats in WA could be pivotal to the overall result. Source: NewsLocal

THE nation's eyes could once again be on Western Australia come election night.

If polling is correct, and this election result is close, the fate of the 15 federal seats in WA will be pivotal to the result.

Put simply, Kevin Rudd must win all three seats Labor currently holds in WA if he is to maintain government.

As he said during a recent trip to Perth, Labor must hold Perth, Fremantle and Brand and try to win at least Hasluck or Swan.

But the task won't be easy.

At the height of Kevin Rudd-mania in 2007, Labor won just four federal seats in WA.

Three years later, Julia Gillard won just three.

It is worth remembering that just five months ago Labor was trounced during the state election.

All indicators are that the conservative vote will once again be strong this federal election.

The election in WA will be fought primarily on infrastructure spending.

Kevin Rudd has already pointed out that his Government will fund passenger rail infrastructure in WA whereas Tony Abbott will not.

The challenge for Kevin Rudd will be to address the perception that under a Federal Labor Government, WA will continue to be a cash-cow for Canberra.

This is despite the fact that Tony Abbott will not lift a finger to get WA a better GST deal.

If the result on election night is close in the eastern states, then results in WA could well decide the fate of Mr Rudd and Mr Abbott.

THE 6 SEATS TO WATCH

Hasluck
Held by Liberal MP Ken Wyatt. Margin 0.6 per cent.
The Labor candidate is Adrian Evans, the deputy state secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia.
A resurgent Labor sees Hasluck as winnable, with the Perth seat having changed hands at every election since its creation in 2001.
Labor sources say unprecedented money is being spent by Evans to win Hasluck. He has the financial muscle of the union behind him.

Brand
Held by Labor MP Gary Gray. Margin: 3.3 per cent.
The Liberal candidate is real estate agent Donna Gordin.
The Liberals believe they can win this seat, after halving Gray's margin at the 2010 election.
Gordin ran in 2010, with the Liberal Party then claiming it was always going to be a two-election campaign to seize the seat.

O'Connor
National Party MP Tony Crook is retiring after one term.
Margin: 3.6 per cent.
Katanning-born William Witham, the former head of the Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission, is running for the Nationals this time.
The Liberals believe they can win back O'Connor, with candidate Rick Wilson having had plenty of time to ready himself. He was endorsed in 2011.
The Liberal Party believes Crook's refusal to join Tony Abbott's Coalition will backfire on the Nationals.

Perth
Labor's Stephen Smith is retiring after 20 years in Federal Parliament.
Margin: 5.9 per cent.
When Smith announced his retirement, the Liberals were rejoicing, believing candidate Darryl Moore could win Perth.
But the mood quickly deflated when former Labor minister Alannah MacTiernan announced her candidacy.
MacTiernan's popularity will make it hard for the Liberals to snatch this seat from Labor.

Swan
Held by Liberal MP Steve Irons
Margin: 2.5 per cent.
Labor is having a crack in Swan one of the most marginal seats in Australia announcing John Bissett as the candidate.
Bissett is deputy mayor of the Town of Victoria Park.
Irons has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately, admitting he was forced to pay back some of his taxpayer-funded travel allowance to the commonwealth after a "self-audit''.

Durack
Incumbent Liberal MP Barry Haase is retiring.
Margin is 13.7 per cent.
The list of candidates for this seat makes it worth watching.
City of Geraldton councillor and local business owner Shane Van Styn has been selected as the Nationals' candidate for Durack.
Laywer Melissa Price, who contested Kalgoorlie at the March state election, will run for the Liberal Party and the ALP has preselected Daron Keogh, the bassist with Kimberley country-rock band Fitzroy Xpress.
Des Headland, a premiership player with Brisbane and old favourite with the Fremantle Dockers, is the high-profile name to headline the group of WA candidates endorsed by the Palmer United Party.

CONSIDERED SAFE

Fremantle
Held by Labor's Melissa Parke.
Margin: 5.7 per cent.
Liberal candidate Matthew Hanssen ran for the Liberals in the March state election.
Under Julia Gillard, polling showed Labor could lose Fremantle. But the party is now confident Fremantle won't change hands.

Canning
Held by Liberal MP Don Randall.
Margin: 2.2 per cent.
When former Labor minister Alannah MacTiernan ran for the seat in 2010, Canning recorded a 2.2 per cent swing to Labor, the only WA seat to record a swing to Labor at that election. This time there is no MacTiernan.

Stirling
Held by Liberal MP Michael Keenan.
Margin: 5.6 per cent.
Labor is running small business owner Dan Caddy against Keenan.

Cowan
Held by Liberal MP Luke Simpkins.
Margin: 6.3 per cent.
It is too big a margin for Simpkins to lose.
The Labor candidate is Tristan Cockman, a commercial lawyer specialising in property and finance.

Forrest
Held by Liberal MP Nola Marino.
Margin: 8.7 per cent.
It is too big a margin for Marino to lose.
The Labor candidate is John Borlini.

Pearce
Incumbent Liberal MP Judi Moylan is retiring.
Margin: 8.9 per cent.
The only interest in this seat is that former WA treasurer and attorney-general Christian Porter is contesting the seat for the Liberals.
The Labor candidate is Madeleine West.

Moore
Incumbent Liberal MP Mal Washer is retiring.
Margin: 11.2 per cent.
Ian Goodenough, a local councillor for 13 years, will most likely replace Washer in Federal Parliament.

Tangney
Held by Liberal MP Dennis Jensen
Margin: 12.3 per cent.
Liberal victory virtually assured. The Labor candidate is Luke Willis.

Curtin
Held by deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop
Margin: 16.2 per cent.
Liberal victory virtually assured. The Labor candidate is Daryl Tan.