Beach jingle sounds sun safety alarm - NSW

December 12, 2009
The Sunday Telegraph

A BROADCAST warning about the dangers of the sun will be blasted out every hour at beaches this summer.

The Cancer Council NSW initiative will take the form of a five-second musical "sting" written by singer-songwriter Ben Lee and will be played over loudspeakers usually reserved for shark alarms and other danger warnings.

The so-called Sun Sound will be aired at Cronulla and Gosford city beaches from today, with plans to expand the program to all beaches, sporting events, pools, music festivals and playgrounds.

Its message, "be sun sound", aims to remind beachgoers to reapply sunscreen and be conscious of the amount of time they're spending outdoors during peak UV hours. It will be played on the hour between 10am and 3pm and less often outside of those times...

Sutherland Shire Council beach operations manager Brad Whittaker said the jingle would be played at beaches and four leisure centres from today as part of a year-long trial to improve sun safety.

Extra speakers have been installed at the beach...

Rowan Briam killed over neighbour noise dispute

news.com.au
December 01, 2009

A MAN has been charged with murder in Melbourne after a man died following an apparent neighbourhood dispute.

Rowan Briam, 38, of Alamein Road, Heidelberg West, had complained about noise coming from a nearby house eight days ago.

He died after an altercation, police allege.

Homicide detectives charged Tjay Tuncak, 24, of no fixed place of abode, with Briam's murder late yesterday...

Herald Sun

A MAN has been charged with the murder of Rowan Briam, whose throat was slashed after he went to investate a noise in Heidelberg West last month.

Charged was Tjay Tuncak, 24, of no fixed address.

Mr Biram allegedly heard a girl scream on November 23 and went to investigate.

It is alleged he was dragged into the front yard of the Alamein Rd property and his throat was slashed and he died in his neighbour's arms...

Herald Sun
November 22, 2009

HOMOCIDE detectives are investigating the death of a man who is believed to have complained to his neighbours about making too much noise late last night.

A 38-year-old man was found dead in the front yard of a house in Alamein Rd, Heidelberg West, in Melbourne's northeast about 11.50pm (AEDT).

Up to eight people may have been involved in an altercation that resulted in the man's death, Detective Leading Senior Constable Dale McQuarter said today...

Earlier last night police attended the house in response to a noise complaint from what is believed to have been another neighbour.

Sen Const McQuarter said between 12 and 20 people were there at the time, ranging in age from 12 to their mid-50s.

He said officers attended to the matter. A neighbour in Alamein Rd subsequently left his house to investigate the noise and an altercation broke out...

"It's a shocking thing to happen in any street."

Neighbour pulls knife on "that Nazi guy" - Cairns

Courier Mail
December 01, 2009

A SELF appointed unit block vigilante threatened a neighbour with a knife because he believed the man was continually complaining to police about loud music, a court heard today.

Errol Lawrence Lui accused the neighbour of being "that Nazi guy who keeps calling the police" before assaulting him and the neighbour's daughter.

The Court of Appeal in Brisbane, heard Errol Lawrence Lui was preparing dinner in his Cairns unit, in north Queensland, when he heard loud music coming from a car in the driveway, on August 9 last year.

He saw a man, who lived next door to the unit block, approach the car and speak with the driver who apologised and turned down the music.

The court heard Lui then appeared on the scene armed with a 30 centimtre knife and abused the complaining neighbour.

Lui ordered the man off the property and said: "You're the Nazi guy that keeps calling police."

The court was told he grabbed the man's shoulder and held the knife to his chest.

The man's daughter appeared and Lui put the knife away before exhanging insults with her.

As she walked away he thumped her on the right shoulder and said: "I know who you are and I know where you live." ...

In sentencing Lui, Judge Bill Everson said people were entitled to complain about loud music without "some knife wielding drunken lunatic attacking them and threatening to stab them"...

Neighbour bashes party goers - Qld, Stanthorpe

The Chronicle
26th November 2009

A MAN wrongly accused of dobbing in his partying neighbours to police used a large stick to repeatedly bash two party-goers in Stanthorpe.

One of the victims was so severely beaten with the 1.5 metre stick that police believed he had a fractured skull.

Stanthorpe Police acting senior sergeant Tim Dachs said another neighbour had called police on Sunday night to make a noise complaint against a resident who was holding a party.

Police attended the gathering and requested the group to keep the noise down.

Act Snr Sgt Dachs said two party-goers, a man and woman in their 30s, confronted a neighbour in Lock Street about calling the police.

This middle-aged man did not call the police but started a fight with the pair anyway.

He grabbed the stick and repeatedly struck the pair in the head...

Uni of Qld: why city-living dogs bark

By Annabel McGilvray for ABC Science Online
Posted Fri Oct 16, 2009

Australian animal welfare researchers have uncovered why city-living domestic dogs may be prone to nuisance barking.

In this month's issue of Australian Veterinary Journal, a team from the University of Queensland's Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics report a case-control survey of 150 dog owners, including 72 dogs whose owners had sought treatment for nuisance barking.

Barking can be classified as being a nuisance when it causes distress or interruption to the life of the dogs' owners or neighbours.

The results suggest dogs most likely to become nuisance barkers are young dogs from herding breeds such as collies and kelpies, those bred in a home environment, and those that have access to the indoors or live with other dogs.

The co-author of the report, Professor Clive Phillips, says the work was prompted by the high number of public complaints and inquiries about nuisance barking, with studies suggesting approximately a third of dog owners possess at least one nuisance barker.

Professor Phillips says barking may be caused by separation anxiety, perceived threats in the environment and can sometimes be simple social interaction, canine-style. But human actions and responses also play a role.

In sub-tropical Brisbane, "more people may be outside and so it may be that they are more likely to notice dogs barking," Professor Phillips said.

Young exuberance

The survey showed the greatest risk factor was the age of the dog. More than a quarter of those dogs that had been classified as nuisance barkers were less than a year old.

Professor Phillips says this is not surprising as at that age many dogs use barking as part of the learning process. The preponderance of young barkers may also occur because those dogs who are nuisance barkers at a young age do not remain in the home into old age.

The fact that herding dogs were more likely to bark also fits with the character of those breeds. Cattle dogs, German shepherds, border collies and other 'herding' dogs generally require more stimulation than other breeds.

Separation anxiety

In many cases dogs are very loyal to their owners, increasing the likelihood of separation anxiety, the study's authors write.

The researchers were surprised to find that dogs bred at home were more prone to be nuisance barkers.

"We had thought that dogs from shelters would be more likely to be nuisance barkers because they often arrive in shelters because of behavioural problems," Professor Phillips says.

"It may be that homebred dogs are greater barkers because of greater separation anxiety."

Animal behaviour specialist and author of A Modern Dog's Life, Dr Paul McGreevy of the University of Sydney, has studied canine separation anxiety and says barking is the most common way dogs have of coping when owners leave the house.

"People worry and recognise them as problematic if the neighbours are complaining. That's the key step," he said.

"A dog that's quietly melting in distress in the backyard, or in the home, is rarely identified as a dog suffering separation anxiety."

Dr McGreevy says while the sample size of the study affects the wider relevance of the results, it is a much-needed addition to research on the topic, which is responsible for the most dog-related complaints to local councils.

RMIT: Neighbourhood din can make you sick

October 09, 2009
Daily Telegraph

... Scientists have found that noise has a physiological effect, including a potentially dangerous change to the heart's activity.

The neighbourhood racket also has people picking up their phones, with 25 per cent more calls about noise made to the Environment Department's hotline in the past four years.

Airconditioning, pool pumps, alarms, animals, power tools and traffic were the most common causes of complaint.

And with good reason, according to RMIT Associate Professor of Biosignals Dinesh Kumar whose research linked noise to physical changes.

"Even though the noise level may not seem very high, it has an impact on the body," he said.

One of Professor Kumar's PhD students measured the responses of 20 participants to white noise, a mixture of individually unidentifiable sounds, ranging between 60dB and 95dB.

Professor Kumar said the controlled conditions experiment showed long periods of low-level noise had the same effect as much higher levels of noise.

The as-yet unpublished research will be presented at a conference in Brazil in 2010.

Joseph Durrant killed by neighbour over barking dog

No justice for `barking dog’ Mt Pritchard murder victims: Parents
11 Jun 09
Fairfield Advance

THEY didn’t want revenge, only justice for their son who was stabbed to death at Mt Pritchard over an argument about a barking dog.

But former Liverpool mayor Joseph Durrant and his wife Jackie feel the just hand of the law has alluded their son Joseph `Joey’ Durrant, 47, after the sentencing of his killers in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday.

Katrina Megan Whitmore, 26, was sentenced to at least 10 years in jail for the murder of Mr Durrant.

Her brother, Frederick Reyon Whitmore, 35, was sentenced to four years after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Mr Durrant, who stood up in disbelief when the sentences were handed down, said the punishments did not fit the crime.

"I am very disappointed with the judicial system and angry with the judge,’’ he told the Leader.

"The sentences were too light.

"They took 20 to 40 years of my son’s life who will never see his children or grandchildren again."

Mr Durrant was stabbed in the back after an argument over Ms Whitmore’s barking dog in Mt Pritchard in 2007.

In April a jury found Ms Whitmore guilty of Mr Durrant’s murder.

Ms Whitmore’s defacto Steven Spiro Sotiropoulos, 34, was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges.

In sentencing Katrina Whitmore, Justice Michael Adams described her actions as "an impulsive act of fury"’ but said he was not satisfied she was the one who stabbed Mr Durrant with the fatal blow.

"I do not accept she had a knife,’’ he said.

"I do not accept she inflicted the lethal wound.

"Her involvement was with any reflection a spontaneous act of rage.’’

Mr Whitmore admitted to having a knife at the time of the argument but denies delivering the lethal blow.

Justice Adams said despite the sibling’s previous assault convictions they had a good chance for rehabilitation.

But the victim’s mother described the sentencing as a "complete farce’’.

"She (Katrina) will be out by the time she’s 37 and have her whole life ahead of her.

"She will get to see her family while we go to Joey’s grave site every week.’’

Katrina Megan Whitmore killed neighbour Joseph Durrant over barking dog
April 01, 2009
news.com.au

A WOMAN has been found guilty of fatally stabbing a man after he complained about her barking dog.

On his way home from alcohol-fuelled Australia Day celebrations with a friend in 2007, Joseph Durrant, 47, argued with his neighbour about her dog.

The dog's owner, Katrina Megan Whitmore, 26, threatened Mr Durrant before physically attacking him over his comments.

Whitmore's co-accused Steven Spiro Sotiropoulos, 34, joined in the fracas at Mt Pritchard, in southwestern Sydney, and Mr Durrant was fatally stabbed.

The jury at their New South Wales Supreme Court murder trial began deliberations on Monday morning and today found Whitmore guilty of murder.

Mr Sotiropoulos was found not guilty of the same charge.

Parents waiting for justice
Liverpool Leader
01 Apr 09

FORMER Liverpool Mayor Joe Durrant and his wife Jackie hope a jury will reach a verdict today in the trial of two people accused of murdering their son.

Joseph “Joey” Durrant, 47, was stabbed to death at Mt Pritchard after an argument over a barking dog on January 27, 2007.

Katrina Megan Whitmore, 26, and her de facto, Steven Spiro Sotiropoulos, 34, of Sadleir, have pleaded not guilty to the murder.

The jury hearing the case went into its second full day of deliberations yesterday and is expected to continue deliberations this morning.

Yesterday Mr Durrant, of Warwick Farm, said the death of his “lovable larrikin” son - and now the gruelling three-week trial - had taken its toll on his family.

“Joey is not here to speak up for himself and tell us what happened,” Mr Durrant said.

“But someone killed him and we just want justice for our son ... Joey deserves that.”

During the joint trial at the NSW Supreme Court, the jury heard how Mr Durrant suffered several stab wounds during a brawl involving several people, including the accused, and Katrina’s brother Frederick Reyon Whitmore.

But it was an attack to the back which killed Mr Durrant.

Crown prosecutor Chris Maxwell QC alleges Ms Whitmore delivered the fatal blow.

Mr Durrant and his housemate Guy Marrett were walking to their Phyllis St home about 1am after Australia Day celebrations.

The jury heard Mr Durrant and Mr Marrett shouted ``shut up’’ at a barking dog.

Ms Whitmore confronted the two men over the way they spoke to her dog and they were followed by Mr Sotiropoulos and her brother before a fight erupted.

Witnesses told the court they heard a female threaten: ``I’ll stab you in the eye.’’

But the accused couple denied they had a knife at the time of the fight, and claim it was Frederick Whitmore who stabbed and killed Mr Durrant.

The evidence of key witness Adam Duncan, who was also involved in the struggle, has played a vital part in the trial.

Mr Duncan told police he heard Ms Whitmore say: ``I’ll stab you in the neck personally’’ and saw her stab Mr Durrant.

But Mr Duncan’s friends have given different accounts of what they witnessed.

Mr Duncan admitted he’d taken the drug ice and was drunk on the night in question and now had trouble recounting the events.

Defence lawyers Ray Hood and Mark Dennis claimed Mr Duncan was not a credible witness and the prosecution’s case was riddled with conflicting evidence.

At the time the Leader went to print the jury were continuing their deliberations.

Son's murder 'changed family's status'
The Age
May 22, 2009

A former suburban Sydney mayor says his son's murder, sparked by an argument over a barking dog, left him heartbroken and changed his family's status in the community.

The NSW Supreme Court heard sentencing submissions on Friday for Frederick Reyon Whitmore, 35, who has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Joseph Durrant, 47, in the early hours of January 27, 2007.

Mr Durrant was on his way home from alcohol-fuelled Australia Day celebrations in 2007 when he complained about a noisy dog in Phyllis Street in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Mt Pritchard.

He was fatally attacked with a knife...

Mr Durrant's father, Joseph Durrant Snr - a former Liverpool Lord Mayor - read victim impact statements for himself and his wife Jacki Durrant, including that his son "Joey" was a dog lover.

"I'm angry that the aggressive, senseless actions of these offenders took the life of a light-hearted larrikin," Mr Durrant read on his wife's behalf.

"He would have always turned around and had a beer with them rather than had a fight.

"I want them to realise the preciousness of what they have stolen from (us)."

The court also received statements from one of Mr Durrant's three daughters Jessica, 19, and his brother Michael Durrant.

"There is now a stigma attached to us ... when someone in your family is murdered it is assumed you are bad people," Mr Durrant told the court.

He went on to say that as a religious family, "we don't want revenge, all we want is justice".