Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Archive for March, 2019
NT residents shelter in path of cyclone
Residents from communities in the north are sheltering in Darwin and Katherine in the largest evacuation before a cyclone in the NT’s history. March 22, 2019 The last family has been evacuated from the tiny Northern Territory town of Borroloola ahead of Cyclone Trevor, as the powerful weather system intensifies to category three and picks up speed. Speaking […]
Sunken Qld trawler’s rigging snagged
An inquest into the death of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard its net snagged and rigging broke before the boat rolled. March 20, 2019 Two fishermen may have died after a simple turnbuckle broke when their net snagged, rolling their prawn trawler in dark, heavy seas off Queensland. […]
Sunk Qld trawler fished dangerous waters
A Queensland inquest into the deaths of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard the vessel should not have been fishing off Fraser Island. March 20, 2019 Two Queensland men lost in rough seas when their prawn trawler sank should never have been fishing in the treacherous stretch of ocean […]
Busted screw might have sunk Qld trawler
A Queensland inquest into the deaths of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard a common screw breaking could have caused the tragedy. March 20, 2019 A simple turnbuckle breaking under load in heavy seas could have caused the deaths of two Queensland men who disappeared when their converted prawn […]
Ropes stop sunken Qld trawler’s lifeboats
A Queensland inquest into the death of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard ropes stored near lifeboats may have stopped them launching. March 20, 2019 Two fishermen may have died after a simple turnbuckle broke when their net snagged, rolling their prawn trawler in the dark, in heavy seas […]
Loose freezer flies as Qld trawler rolls
A Queensland inquest into the death of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard a loose freezer could have contributed to the tragedy. March 20, 2019 An unsecured kitchen freezer on board a Queensland trawler that sank with the loss of two men could have become a missile inside the […]
Trawler’s emergency hatch welded shut
A Queensland inquest into the deaths of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard the vessel had an out-of-date safety system. March 19, 2019 When FV Cassandra sank, killing the two men aboard three years ago, it had a skipper who didn’t know the notoriously rough seas, its forward escape […]
Qld inquest to explore trawler deaths
An inquest in Gladstone is set to begin investigating the deaths of eight fishermen from two trawlers that sank in rough seas off the Queensland coast. March 19, 2019 The fate of two Bundaberg men who went out prawn fishing on a trawler three years ago and never returned is set to be explored in […]
Trawler’s escape hatch welded shut
A Queensland inquest into the deaths of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard the vessel had an out-of-date safety system. March 19, 2019 When FV Cassandra sank, killing the two men aboard three years ago, it had a skipper who didn’t know the notoriously rough seas, its forward escape […]
Inquest into sinking of Qld trawler
A Queensland inquest into the deaths of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard safety wasn’t the priority onboard the vessel. March 19, 2019 KEY POINTS FROM INQUEST INTO RV CASSANDRA’S SINKING ON APRIL 4, 2016 IN A DANGEROUS STRETCH OF OCEAN OFF FRASER ISLAND WHAT WE KNEW AT THE […]
Qld trawler ‘sank with safety gear unused’
An inquest in Queensland into the deaths of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard the vessel sank with its safety gear unused. March 19, 2019 Lifesaving equipment aboard a prawn trawler that sank killing two Queensland fishermen three years ago was tangled in rigging and failed to deploy, an […]
Sunk Qld trawler refitted by amateur
A Queensland inquest into the deaths of two fishermen on a trawler that sank in rough seas has heard the vessel was refitted by an unqualified boatbuilder. March 19, 2019 A fishing vessel that sank, killing two Queensland men, had just been converted into a prawn trawler by an unqualified boat builder, an inquest has […]
Qld man who killed wife ‘lying about body’
A Queensland man convicted of killing his wife and interfering with her corpse is lying about where she’s buried, her father says. March 18, 2019 A man who lied about killing his wife for almost two decades is still lying about where he buried her body, her outraged family says. Edmund Ian Riggs, 59, was […]
Inquest to explore Qld trawler deaths
An inquest will explore what caused the trawlers FV Cassandra and FV Dianne to sink off the Queensland coast resulting in eight deaths. March 18, 2019 Two Bundaberg men went out prawn fishing on a trawler three years ago and never returned. Their fate will be scrutinised in Gladstone this week at an inquest investigating […]
Accused wife killer lied about body
A Queensland man convicted of killing his wife and interfering with her corpse is lying about where she’s buried, her father says. March 18, 2019 A man who lied about killing his wife for almost two decades is still lying – this time about where he hid her body, her outraged family believes. Edmund Ian […]
Drought-hit Qld city eyes Brisbane water
A drought-stricken Queensland regional centre is considering tapping into Brisbane’s water supply. March 14, 2019 A drought-affected Queensland city may be forced to take millions of litres from Brisbane’s water supply via a yet-to-be-used pipeline. Toowoomba’s three dams were at 35.7 per cent on Thursday – the lowest level since before the 2011 floods. When […]
Drought-hit Qld shire cuts water supplies
A drought-stricken Queensland shire has been forced to introduce extreme water restrictions after then region’s main dam level fell below 10 per cent. March 14, 2019 The severe drought in southern Queensland has forced an inland rural community to introduce extreme water restrictions. About 35,000 residents in Southern Downs Regional Council, which borders NSW in […]
Qld man ‘laughed’ before fatal stabbing
A Queensland man accused of murder allegedly laughed as he told his victim he was about to stab him, a court has heard. March 13, 2019 A Brisbane man accused of murder laughed at the jealous lover of a woman he supplied drugs to before fatally stabbing him, a court has heard. Darren James Lawler, […]
Qld man gave ‘evil laugh’ before stabbing
A Queensland man accused of murder allegedly laughed as he told his victim he was about to stab him, a court has heard. March 13, 2019 A Brisbane drug dealer accused of murder laughed at the jealous lover of a woman he’d had sex with before fatally stabbing the man, a court has heard. Darren […]
Accused Qld puppy thief walks from jail
A man accused of stealing two newborn puppies from a Brisbane home has been granted bail after spending the weekend in custody. March 11, 2019 A drug-addicted man who allegedly stole two tiny puppies in Brisbane has been released on bail after a weekend in jail amid fears he would self-harm. Ben Alex Worgan, 23, […]
Qld man tortured son before killing him
A Queensland man who killed his toddler by throwing him against a timber bedhead admits he also punched the child in the face when he woke and cried out. March 11, 2019 An angry Queensland father who killed his toddler by slamming him against a bedhead often punched his son in the head if he […]
Qld dad jailed for abandoning toddler
The father of a little boy left behind in a Brisbane park and never seen again has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for manslaughter. March 7, 2019 A man who abandoned his toddler son in a Queensland park and lied about it for a decade has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for […]
Qld priest’s trial told of student pics
The trial of a Catholic priest accused of indecent treatment of a student at an Brisbane boy’s school allegedly photographed a second boy semi-nude. March 7, 2019 A Catholic priest accused of intimately touching a Brisbane schoolboy and coercing him to strip nude for photos had another student pull down his shorts for the same […]
Qld priest had multiple victims trial told
The trial of a Catholic priest accused of indecently dealing with a student at an exclusive Brisbane boy’s school has heard victims were photographed together. March 7, 2019 A Catholic priest accused of groping a Brisbane schoolboy and coercing him to strip nude for photos also forced students to touch each other, a court has […]