Police Report

The rain caused only minor dramas for Police, with road closures being the main thing we had to contend with, but we were by no means complaining.

Unfortunately, as usually happens after a prolonged dry spell, some people forget how to drive in wet conditions with a number of minor accidents reported throughout the area.

Luckily for us, the wet weather did not have that affect on our drivers, as it appears that the water was such a welcome sight that people naturally slowed down.

That is not to say that we have not had our fair share of accidents since our last report.

Two men from Cooma were lucky to survive a horror crash on the Monaro Highway just north of Bibbenluke on February 1. The vehicle rolled a number of times and ended up flat on its roof in a table drain.

The driver managed to crawl out of the wreckage, but unfortunately the passenger was trapped for a period of time before being released by Ambulance Paramedics.

Both men were taken to Cooma Hospital for treatment to surprisingly minor injuries. Police investigations are still continuing in an attempt to determine the cause of this accident.

On February 8 a woman from Canberra came to grief on the Monaro Highway at Nimmitabel when she lost control of her vehicle after a momentary loss of concentration.

She and her car ended up in a ditch, and despite some pretty serious damage to the car, the young lady was not injured. She has been issued an infringement notice for ‘Negligent Driving’.

A Bombala man has also been issued a fine for Negligent Driving after losing control of his vehicle in Caveat Street and travelling across a front yard, colliding with a tree.

In other news, a 43 year old man from Bombala was charged with common assault after an incident in the main street on February 1 left another Bombala man with concussion. The offender appeared at Bombala Local Court last Thursday - the results of which are further along in this report.

Great interest has been shown in the arrest of a man at the Globe Hotel on February 11. Numerous rumours have been circulating as to the reasons for his arrest but in reality it wasn’t anywhere near as glamorous as people would like to believe.

In a fine example of interstate Police working in conjunction with NSW Police, information received from Lakes Entrance Police in Victoria led to the arrest of the man for an outstanding warrant. He was refused bail and appeared at Queanbeyan Local Court the next day.

Police would like to remind anyone thinking of holding a party to be considerate of their neighbours. Last Saturday night I was run ragged between parties in Nimmitabel and Bombala which had become out of control. Facebook really is not the best place to advertise that you are having a party.

A house in Nimmitabel was visited a number of times by not only myself but also Police from Cooma and eventually the party was shut down by Police after numerous complaints of excessive noise and out of control revellers running riot through the area.

A party in Bombala the same night had a similar result, with Police investigations continuing into how a vehicle was damaged out the front of the party house, when alcohol and adolescence became a toxic mix and a fight broke out in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

The vehicle was left at the location after the owner responsibly decided he had consumed too much alcohol and walked home. Unfortunately for him, the irresponsible behaviour of others resulted in significant damage to his vehicle.

It is the onus of the person organising the party to make sure their ‘guests’ are well behaved and do not have a negative impact on the surrounding neighbourhood. That includes ensuring people do not get too drunk and fights do not break out.

Repeated breaches of these responsibilities could see Police action by way of noise abatement directions, or even court against the resident of the house.

Bear this in mind if you want to have a party; there is more to it than stringing up some fairy lights, pumping out some tunes and getting drunk. A little common sense and thoughtfulness towards your neighbours who weren’t invited needs to be included.

It is possible that some of the partygoers from the Bombala party are responsible for damage caused around town the same night.

A sign near the school crossing in Bright Street was damaged and a car in Queen Street was smeared in mushrooms. Beer bottles were also smashed near Lavender House on Mahratta Street.

Bombala Local Court sat on Thursday, February 18, 2010 with the following matters being finalised;

• Terrence Tighe - formally of Delegate, was fined $300 and ordered to pay $76 in court costs after being convicted of a common assault.

• Darren Inglis of Bombala was convicted of possessing a prohibited drug; he will be sentenced on a later date.

• Shaun Cottrell of Bombala received a $1400 fine and $76 court costs after being convicted of mid range drink driving. He will be walking for a while after having his drivers licence disqualified for 10 months.

• Dale Halligan was convicted of common assault and fined $500 with a further $76 in court costs.

• Rhonda Kable of Delegate was convicted of driving whilst disqualified and ordered to perform community service and pay court costs. She was also disqualified from holding a drivers licence for a further two years.

• Glen Matthew Myers was sentenced to 8 months hard labour in gaol with a non parole period of 4 months after being found guilty of making a false allegation against a person. He and his legal representative appealed the sentence and he was given bail until his appeal is heard at Queanbeyan District Court in April of this year.

• Shannon Read was convicted of high range drink driving after he was charged following a motor vehicle accident in Cathcart. He received a community service order, a 2.5 year disqualification from driving and is required to pay court costs.

• Donna Leonie Rugg was ordered to pay $500 in fines and $76 in court costs after pleading guilty to a charge of drive whilst disqualified. She too will be walking for another 12 months after the Magistrate disqualified her from driving for that period of time.

Well that is it for this week’s report. Next week will see the start of a new era in Policing when our new officer Constable Lee Gray starts duty in Bombala. His first shift is Tuesday, March 2, and I am sure you will all make him and his family feel very welcome in our town.

Until next week, please stay safe and drive carefully,

Yours in Crime Fighting

Senior Constable Rebecca Bavister