Dean Hofstee killed by drunk and speeding learner driver

October 1, 2008

Dean Hofstee, a 19-year-old Queensland University student was struck and killed by an out-of-control car outside a Southbank hotel in Melbourne. The car was driven by Puneet Puneet, a learner driver who is studying hospitality management on a student visa from India. Puneet allegedly was driving more than 150km/h in a 60km/h zone and had 0.165 blood alcohol - more than three times the legal limit. Puneet blamed a cat and sore eyes for the crash. Clancy Coker, 20, fellow student of Griffith University was also seriously wounded and is in hospital.

Videos here and here and here.
Photos of Dean Hofstee and crash site here.
Photos and video of surfer tribute and funeral here.

Qld woman stabbed to death at adult shop

Aug 9 2008

... police found the woman with stab wounds at the Everything Adult store in the south Brisbane suburb of Browns Plains about 8.50pm (AEST) on Friday... she died a short time later...

"A struggle has (happened) and the offender has then left the store and taken the victim's white 1993 Toyota Camry sedan," he said...

The alleged attacker has brown hair and is of medium build with an olive complexion. He was wearing dark pants, white sneakers and a light sweater.

Indian student visas on the rise

August 4, 2008

Intensive marketing in India seems to be paying off as upwardly mobile students turn their attention towards Australian universities...

And although Chinese students still make up the majority of the international population in higher education - with 107,071 enrolments last year - Indian students are quickly catching up.

Last year more than 63,600 Indian students came to Australia to study, an increase of 63.9 per cent from the year before. In fact, India now contributes the second largest number of foreign students to the Australian education population, overtaking South Korea by nearly 30,000 students.

Man arrested in Darwin for child porn

Aug 1, 2008

An Indian citizen has been arrested at Darwin International Airport allegedly in possession of images containing child pornography and bestiality.

Customs officials say they seized hundreds of CDs and DVDs and a laptop from the man's baggage when he arrived in Darwin on a flight from Singapore yesterday...

Australian Customs national manager of investigations Richard Janeczko says charges the importation of child pornography is on the rise.

"Customs has found an increase in importations of child pornography and abhorrent pornography," he said.

Man jailed over Melbourne shopping mall sex attack

November 22, 2007

A 31-year-old man illegally staying in Australia has been jailed for two years over the sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl in the change room of a Melbourne shopping centre.

The Victorian County Court heard that Mohammad Sehnawaz Khan, of Springvale, approached the nine-year-old girl and her eight-year-old sister at the Chadstone Shopping Centre on March 14, this year.

The girls were in the toy section of a department store when Khan pressured the nine-year-old to go into a change room and try on a dress that he said he wanted to buy for his niece in India.

He assaulted her in the change room while her sister was present, the court heard.

Alleged rapist banned from youth hostels

January 14, 2008

A 26-year-old Indian man accused of raping an Irish tourist has been granted bail on the condition that he not visit backpacker hostels.

Venkateswara Rao Rallabandi... of Toowoomba... arrested for allegedly raping a 19-year-old woman from Northern Ireland at a hostel in the Brisbane suburb of West End.

It is alleged the woman woke about 7am (AEST) that day to find the man sexually assaulting her.

Taxi drivers riot at Melbourne airport

June 05, 2008

TAXI drivers turned on each other last night outside a Tullamarine cafe, in what appears to have been a racially charged brawl.

According to a witness, up to 30 drivers, some of them brandishing weapons, spilled onto Melrose Drive from the Melrose Lounge.

... witnesses claim the fight began between a Somalian driver and an Indian driver, before mushrooming into a brawl between Indians and drivers from various African nations.

'Dr Death' returns to Australia

July 23, 2008

A man dubbed "Doctor Death" by Australian media has been returned to Australia to face charges relating to the deaths of patients in his care.

Dr Jayant Patel was granted bail by a Queensland court after arriving on a flight from the United States.

Three charges of manslaughter are among the 14 offences with which Dr Patel is charged. The others include grievous bodily harm, fraud and negligence.