Perth bikie admits shooting at rival gang member on suburban street
A Perth bikie caught on CCTV shooting at a member of a rival gang has pleaded guilty in Perth Magistrates Court this morning.
Jacob William Hughes.Credit: Facebook
Rebels member Jacob Hughes, 26, was accused of attempting to strike a person with a projectile following an altercation on a Baldivis street in October.
CCTV footage showed a firearm being discharged on Amazon Drive, as Mongols member Adam Wragg ran across the road and jumped over his neighbour’s fence.
At the time, police described the incident as “inter-gang conflict”.
Hughes will be sentenced in the Perth District Court at a later date.
Port Hedland struck by earthquake
Port Hedland was struck by a 3.1 magnitude earthquake in the early hours of this morning.
Geoscience Australia said the quake occurred at 2.17am and was 10 kilometres underground.
So far, more than 47 people have reported feeling a light to moderate level of ground shaking, however there are no reports of any damage.
“Woke me up. Windows shaking. First thought was earthquake but it was weird. Happened twice maybe 20 seconds apart,” wrote one resident.
The location of the earthquake. Credit: GA Australia
A tiny Perth council’s plan to abandon Australia Day celebrations
One of Perth’s smallest local councils wants to abandon its Australia Day celebrations in favour of hosting a community event in October.
The Shire of Peppermint Grove is considering whether to pull out of its usual Australia Day commitments, held jointly with the neighbouring councils of Cottesloe and Mosman Park, to instead hold a biennial event which would celebrate the date the shire was gazetted in 1895.
The council is home to some of Perth’s most wealthy residents. Credit: iStock
The proposed change follows claims the council, home to around 1500 residents, gets “lost in the larger populations of the other two local governments” during Australia Day events.
While there hasn’t yet been any consultation with the community, the proposed new ‘Peppermint Grove Day’ would likely include a citizenship ceremony, and citizen of the year awards.
It comes as the January 26 date for Australia Day continues to divide councils, with at least 12 local governments choosing to hold their citizenship ceremony on a different day and others choosing to downgrade their Australia Day celebrations.
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Perth tech entrepreneur buys Wildcats for $40m
Perth tech entrepreneur Mark Arena has just confirmed his purchase of the Perth Wildcats basketball club for $40 million.
“I absolutely love this team and I see huge potential for both basketball and for the City of Perth with the return of local ownership. I believe the Western Australian basketball community can make an even greater impact on a global stage – and that’s good news for everyone,” he said.
Mark Arena has purchased the Perth Wildcats for $40 million.
“I intend to bring my technology and business growth skills to the table to deliver an unprecedented experience for both fans and our sponsors and to reinvigorate the authentic basketball culture that I first fell in love with inthe 90s.”
Arena’s family trust, MT Arena Capital Investments Pty Ltd, has purchased 52.5 per cent of the club ahead of the next season, with plans to acquire 100 per cent by 2028.
Arena, who lives in City Beach with his family, has been a Perth Wildcats supporter since childhood.
SEG, helmed by media personality Craig Hutchison, is selling the club three years after reportedly purchasing it for $8.5 million.
Use of illicit drugs have hit record highs in Australia, according to the latest wastewater monitoring report from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
The data covering the just-passed summer, from December 2023 to February 2024, shows cannabis continues to be the most popular illicit substance, while cocaine use is on the rise across the country, and methamphetamine use increases in Australia’s cities.
Wastewater monitoring recorded the highest cocaine use since the program began in 2016.
Regional Western Australia has the highest consumption nationally of methylamphetamine, with recent usage also reported as ‘relatively high’ in Perth and Melbourne.
Perth, along with Sydney and Melbourne, also recorded a higher heroin consumption rate when compared to other capital cities, with the report finding the usage in the west was “unusually high” compared to previous results.
Australia’s methamphetamine was the second highest per capita in a sample of 29 similar countries, only trailing the US. Similarly, MDMA use is on the rise, recording its highest levels since 2020.
The wastewater tracking program began in 2016. It assesses 56 sites around the country for the presence of 12 illicit substances. The samples represent just over 50 per cent of the population, covering both regional and urban areas.
WA flight delayed after passenger arrested for ‘smoking in toilet’
To overnight news now and a Rex flight that was due to depart Perth Airport overnight was delayed after a passenger allegedly sneaked into the plane’s toilet to smoke a cigarette.
The Australian Federal Police were called, and the person was escorted off the Perth to Melbourne flight at around 12.30am.
The passenger could be facing a whopping fine if charged with smoking on an aircraft.
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Across the nation and overseas
Here’s what’s making news this morning.
Australia is the land of the fair go, according to the Productivity Commission, with most people able to earn more than their parents, but early signs suggest generation-on-generation income growth is stagnating.
Alice Springs residents are cautiously waiting to hear if a snap curfew will be lifted after renewed clashes threatened to extend a three-night lockdown.
A shattered Alex de Minaur has withdrawn from his blockbuster Wimbledon quarter-final with Novak Djokovic because of a “freak” hip injury that he risked making worse.
Overseas, British police said they have found the man suspected of killing the wife and two daughters of a well-known BBC radio commentator near London in a brutal crossbow attack.
Louise Hunt, Carole Hunt and Hannah Hunt were found dead in their home in Hertfordshire.Credit: Facebook
And in yet another damaging blow to Joe Biden, former Democrat House speaker Nancy Pelosi has refused to explicitly endorse the US President, while long-time supporter George Clooney has directly called on him to step down.
Today’s weather
This morning in Perth
Good morning and welcome to another edition of WAtoday’s live and local news blog.
This morning, we’ve learnt that a fifth man has been arrested in connection to the murders of Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, who were killed during a surfing trip in Mexico in April.
And Radio 6PR Mornings presenter Gary Adshead says a Perth family’s trauma shows social media has polluted our society after a grief-stricken father was exploited in the wake of his son’s death.
Levi Tracy said online criminals created a fundraising page for his 19-year-old son within days of his death, targeting donations from well-meaning people.
To something a little lighter now, and Perth garden goddess Sabrina Hahn has spoken about the things she loves most about WA, including her links to radio, Kings Park and an unexpected heirloom.
Stay with us as we bring you all the news as it happens.
