Daily News Roundup

May 17, 2021

 

MONDAY 17th May, 2021

A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly assaulting his partner and later setting fire to a house in Brisbane’s inner north over the weekend.

Curtis Shea Mickan, 34, allegedly torched the bottom of the Wooloowin home, where he lived, in the early hours of Sunday morning, while the two women were inside.

The high-set house was destroyed but the woman and her mother managed to escape unharmed.

Mr Mickan handed himself in to police in nearby Hendra later that morning, before he was charged with two counts of attempted murder and arson, and breaching a police order.

Police said at the time Mr Mickan set fire to the home, he had only just been released on strict bail conditions over an alleged assault on his partner.

He was also charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, common assault and wilful damage offences in relation to that incident.

In the Brisbane Magistrates court this morning, Mr Mickan did not appear during a brief hearing, and did not apply for bail.

Outside court, his lawyer Tam Elabbasi said it was a “terrible” incident.

“It’s a totally unfortunate set of circumstances,” he said.

“Somebody has lost everything – it’s terrible.

“We just need to go through the process.”

The matter will return to court next month.

###

Israeli strikes destroyed the home of Hamas’ leader in the Gaza Strip but just what happened to its key boss remains unknown.

The heaviest fighting since 2014, sparked by unrest in Jerusalem, saw the rivals again trade heavy fire, with predawn Israeli airstrikes on the main road in the crowded coastal enclave of Gaza killed 26 people, including eight children, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said. The number is expected to rise and is believed to be the deadliest attack yet since the latest violence began.

A further 50 were wounded in the attacks that pummelled three buildings, with rescuers racing to free survivors from the rubble.

Israel has reported 10 deaths.

Israel said Sunday morning its “continuing wave of strikes” had in the past 24 hours struck over 90 targets across Gaza, where the destruction of a building housing news media organisations sparked international outcry.

In Gaza, emergency teams worked to pull out bodies from vast piles of smoking rubble and toppled buildings, as relatives wailed in horror and grief.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “dismayed” by civilian casualties in Gaza and “deeply disturbed” by Israel’s strike on Saturday on the tower housing the Associated Press and Al Jazeera bureaus, a spokesperson said.

###

An elderly paramedic has suffered horrific injuries on duty after he was pushed down a flight of stairs while trying to help an injured patient. 

Rob was attending a case outside of Dalby, west of Brisbane on Sunday when he was pushed from behind and into his partner before falling down the stairs. 

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) released photos of Rob’s gruesome injuries  on Facebook. 

QAS revealed Rob would be unable to work for ‘some time’ while he mentally and physically recovered from the fall; which left him with injuries to his face, hands and knees. 

The photos posted by the QAS show Rob shortly after the incident in a bed with a badly swollen black eye.

Members of the public left hundreds of outraged comments calling for those responsible to be charged.

‘Totally unacceptable! Hope that person was charged! Get well soon,’ one wrote.

‘Another disgraceful attack of emergency service members. No doubt a pathetic sentence will be dished out by the Dalby Magistrates Court,’ another commented.

‘No one deserves to be treated poorly like this especially when trying to help someone. Praying for a quick recovery Rob, get well soon,’ a third wrote. 

QAS echoed the public’s concerns, saying their paramedics aren’t able to assist if they don’t feel safe. 

‘We can’t care for you if our officers are in danger themselves,’ they wrote.

‘No matter the reason behind the behaviour, there’s simply No Excuse For Abuse.’ 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.