oneperth.com.au | Perth news

STAFF REPORTER

The woman passenger of a Nissan sportscar that careered into a tree last night has lost her fight for life.

Police spokesman Samuel Dinnison said that about 8:00pm a black Nissan 300ZX was being driven north along Black Wattle Parade in Padbury when the driver apparently lost control and crashed into a tree.

Emergency service personnel attended and a 49-year-old woman who was the front seat passenger was cut free from the car.

Mr Dinnison said that the woman and 42-year-old male driver were taken to Royal Perth Hospital by ambulance.

The woman died a short time later as a result of injuries she received.

The driver remains in hospital.

Anyone with relevant information about the crash should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

STAFF REPORTER

Detectives are seeking to identify a man who grabbed a woman as she was jogging along a bicycle track near Canning River in Thornlie on Sunday.

The 20-year-old woman was jogging along the path underneath the Royal Street Bridge when she saw a man walk past her.

After she had run a bit further, a man who she believed to be the same passer-by allegedly grabbed her from behind and put his hand over her mouth.

The woman struggled and the man allegedly struck her several times.

She managed to break free, and ran to a nearby house for help.

The man was olive-skinned, of thin build, 170cm tall, about 20 to 25 years old, with dark brown hair and a goatee beard.

He was wearing dark blue denim jeans, white shoes and an army-style green singlet.

A composite image of the man is pictured.

Anyone with relevant information about the man or the alleged attack should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

CHRIS THOMSON

EXCLUSIVE: An Associate Professor of Edith Cowan University’s School of Computer & Security Science was last year sacked for alleged serious misconduct relating to accusations he did not credit co-authors.

Before he was fired on January 11 last year, Associate Professor Dongguang Li (pictured) had worked at ECU since September 1995.

A Fair Work Australia decision published today reveals Dr Li’s employment was terminated on the alleged grounds of serious misconduct.

This was after ECU accused him of plagiarising five papers and misleading the university as to their authorship.

In today’s decision, Fair Work Australia Deputy President Brendan McCarthy considered ECU had mischaracterised the plagiarism allegations.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Mr McCarthy considered the allegations were related more to who held intellectual property over the papers.

Before Mr McCarthy, ECU contended Dr Li had published papers solely under his own name when clearly others had been involved in the research.

Dr Li claimed he had been solely responsible for researching and writing the papers and that the research and papers had been stolen from him.

He also argued that some of the papers published in his name had not been intended to be published or were published without his consent.

“I do not consider Li’s conduct to be acts of plagiarism but rather a failure to follow academic authorship standards and protocols,” Mr McCarthy noted.

However, he did consider Dr Li was not the sole person involved in researching or developing the papers.

ACTS OF PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT

Mr McCarthy therefore found that Dr Li had committed acts of professional misconduct.

However, when ECU held a Misconduct Committee hearing into the matter Dr Li was not present.

This occurred because he had gone to China in contravention of an ECU direction that he remain in Perth while the matter was being investigated.

Mr McCarthy considered Dr Li should have stayed in Perth, but that the hearing should not have been conducted until he returned.

He therefore found ECU did not give Dr Li a proper opportunity to explain his conduct.

“I find that Li did engage in conduct … constituting misconduct of such a nature that there was a valid reason for his dismissal,” Mr McCarthy noted.

BOTCHED HEARING

However, Mr McCarthy found the dismissal was unfair because the Misconduct Committee procedure had been flawed.

“I do not consider that reinstatement is appropriate in this case,” Mr McCarthy noted.

“I regard the relationship as being soured to the point of it being unrecoverable.”

Mr McCarthy ordered ECU to pay Dr Li compensation of two months pay.

“But for the inadequacy of the Misconduct Committee procedures, I would have found that the dismissal was not unfair,” Mr McCarthy noted.

“Had Li been able to provide his explanations I doubt that the result would have been different, namely that his employment would nevertheless have been terminated.”

STAFF REPORTER

Police are calling for the public help to locate a $10,000 engagement ring that went missing from a Morley gymnasium on February 6.

Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said that about 6:30pm a woman went to the gym on Walter Road to work out.

Ms Usher said the woman put her handbag containing her $10,000 engagement ring (pictured) into a locker.

The woman left the gym about 7:30pm, and a short time later discovered the ring and a credit card missing from her bag.

Police would like to speak to the pictured woman who they believe can assist their inquiries.

If anyone can identify the woman, or witnessed anything suspicious about the time, they should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

CHRIS THOMSON

As if the Innaloo Megaplex were not big enough, it is set to double in size with the addition of a bowling alley, karaoke songhall, Skirmish zone and IGA supermarket.

Government planners have urged that a $50 million expansion floated by national investment company Challenger be approved at a State planning committee meeting to be held on Wednesday night.

A City of Stirling plea that the government reject the project has fallen on deaf ears.

The expanded Megaplex would have space for 1415 cars, and increased traffic is one reason for the city’s opposition.

The Megaplex is already Perth’s largest movie hall – with 16 screens, a Timezone amusement den and five eateries.

However, most of its 6.82 hectare site is made up of ground level, bitumen car park.

If approved on Wednesday night, the project will double the size of the complex.

No more screens are proposed, but 11,000 square metres of floorspace would be added to the existing 10,556sqm.

An east-west street would be inserted to link Liege Street and a future extension of Odin Road.

A six-storey building at the northeast corner of the site, fronting both Liege Street and the high street, would have 7550sqm of lettable floor area.

In this building, a 150sqm cafe fronting Liege Street and the internal street would compete for customers with the Megaplex’s existing Dome cafe.

A 1500sqm house of fun – including bowling alley, paintball, games and karaoke would be built beside the northern side of the centre fronting the new street.

A 950sqm IGA supermarket would be ‘bolted on’ to the northwest edge of the existing complex.

Eateries and other shopfronts would fill 1050sqm of new space beside the centre’s existing northern edge.

The plans were advertised locally in January and received nine objections, one expression of support, and another supporting comment that objected to the IGA only.

STAFF REPORTER

Police are seeking witnesses to a chaotic car crash that left a 71-year-old man with serious head injuries this morning.

Police spokeswoman Ros Weatherall said that about 10.30am today an 81-year-old woman was driving a Hyundai Getz in the forecourt of the Caltex Woolworths service station at Grand Promenade in Dianella.

Ms Weatherall said the man walked from the service station shopfront toward his parked car when he was allegedly hit by the woman’s car.

Ms Weatherall said the woman allegedly continued driving over kerbing, and onto the southeast-bound lanes of Grand Promenade.

Her car then careered over the raised centre island before hitting a steel bollard and entering the northwest-bound lanes of Grand Promenade.

The Hyundai came to rest after colliding with the back of a Transperth bus.

The woman received minor injuries.

The man received serious head injuries and was taken to Royal Perth Hospital.

Anyone who saw the crashes should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

STAFF REPORTER

Liquor enforcement officers shut down the Sovereign Arms Tavern in Joondalup last night after a 19-year-old man was slashed in the neck with a middy glass.

Police spokesman Samuel Dinnison said that about 10:45pm the young man and a second person bumped into each other while entering the main bar area.

Mr Dinnison said that the pair exchanged words and the 19-year-old was struck to the neck with the half-pint glass.

The glass smashed causing several cuts, and the teen was struck a second time with the smashed glass.

Mr Dinnison said the man was also punched several times in the face, which caused a tooth to be dislodged.

Bouncers intervened and the man was taken to Joondalup Hospital by St John Ambulance.

His assailant was a tanned, slim male between 20 and 30 years old and 165 to 175cm tall.

Liquor enforcement officers closed the faux English pub while order was regained.

Half an hour later the bar was allowed to reopen. However, the area where the attack took place remained closed to the public.

Anyone who witnessed the violence should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

STAFF REPORTER

Local Government Minister John Castrilli today directed the Department of Local Government to probe governance at the City of Canning.

Mr Castrilli says the inquiry follows a request from Canning mayor Joe Delle Donne to initiate a review of matters associated with staffing and administration.

“The information I received since that request led me to the view an authorised inquiry is necessary,” Mr Castrilli said.

Issues to be probed include:

• governance by the elected council and relationship with executive staff;
• human  resources recruitment processes;
• procurement of goods and services, including tender processes and contract management; and
• general performance.

“The authorised inquiry under Part 8 Division 1 of the Local Government Act 1995 will thoroughly examine matters related to these issues and any other matters the investigative team discovers during its inquiry,” Mr Castrilli said.

“I have initiated this inquiry to ensure the City of Canning is operating in the best interests of its community

“It is anticipated the inquiry will require about six months – essential if this task is thoroughly undertaken.”

STAFF REPORTER

There is nothing wrong with a sea lion seen on the beach at Mindarie Keys marina over the past few days, the Department of Environment and Conservation has assured.

The sea lion (similar in bulk to the one pictured) was first spotted and reported to DEC on Saturday and has since been monitored daily by wildlife officers.

DEC’s Wildcare Helpline has been inundated with calls from people concerned about the health of the aquatic mammal.

Senior wildlife officer Rick Dawson said the beast was in good health and simply resting.

“People should not approach this animal as they can be aggressive and they are able to move surprisingly quickly,” Mr Dawson said.

“Male sea lions grow to about two metres long, can weigh up to 300 kilograms, and are very strong.”

The Australian sea lion is a threatened species and is one of the rarest sea lions in the world.

Mr Dawson said it was natural for sea lions to laze around on sandy beaches, occasionally taking a dip in the water and repeatedly waving their flippers in the air.

“This behaviour may appear as though the animal is in distress but it is how they regulate their body temperature,” he said.

“This sea lion has hauled up at the marina for a rest.

“It does not require any assistance.”

STAFF REPORTER

A neighbour who allegedly tried to break up a party last night by pulling a gun has been charged with several offences.

Police spokeswoman Naomi Smith said that at 10.50pm her colleagues were called to a home in Birdland Lane, Ballajura, where a soiree was in full swing.

Acting Sergeant Smith said the 28-year-old neighbour allegedly became involved in a fight with the home’s occupants and guests over noise from the party.

The man allegedly threatened the occupants with a gun before returning to his home.

Police searched the man’s home where they allegedly found the gun and several cannabis plants.

The man was charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear, aggravated possession of a firearm, possessing an unlicensed firearm, possessing unlicensed ammunition and possessing prohibited drugs.

He will appear in Midland Magistrates Court on February 10.