STAFF REPORTER

A bouncer has been charged after allegedly tackling a patron he was evicting from a bar in Murray Street in the Perth CBD early this morning.

Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said that about 1:30am, police on foot patrol were told a man had been injured.

Ms Usher said the 31-year-old bouncer was evicting a 25-year-old man when he was struck by an unknown object, causing a wound to the bridge of his nose.

Ms Usher said the bouncer allegedly assaulted the man he was evicting, tackling him to the ground.

The man lost consciousness and was taken to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment.

The bouncer has been charged with ‘acts with intent to cause assault occasioning bodily harm’.

He will appear in Perth Magistrates Court on March 9.

Police inquiries are continuing and Ms Usher said further charges may be laid.

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

STAFF REPORTER

A security guard employed by the City of Perth has been charged with 21 counts of stealing as a servant from various automated paying machines around the Perth CBD.

Police spokeswoman Naomi Smith said the 48-year-old man of City Beach allegedly undertook the thefts between January 13 and February 7.

The man was employed as a security guard by the council and allegedly used keys to access different machines in Perth.

Sergeant Smith said that more than $28,000 was stolen during this time.

The man was arrested at Perth International Airport this morning after returning to Australia from an overseas business trip.

He will appear in the Perth Magistrates Court today.

STAFF REPORTER

Six people associated with the Rebels bikie gang have been charged after a family was allegedly attacked at a Rockingham nightclub.

Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said that on Saturday, December 17, a man was out with his brother, 22-year-old sister, and other family members.

Ms Usher said that about 2:00am the man saw another man allegedly punch his sister in the face.

Both brothers went to the young woman’s assistance and were allegedly punched and kicked by the man and his friends.

The woman received a perforated ear drum and bruising to her body.

Her 34-year-old brother received a fractured rib, punctured lung and a dislocated jaw.

Her 21-year-old brother received bruises to his body.

The three required medical treatment for their injuries.

Police also allege that, soon after, the alleged offender punched and kicked another woman.

It is not known what injuries she received and police would like her to come forward and speak to them.

Yesterday, police executed five search warrants resulting in the arrest of six people in relation to the violence.

A 29-year-old Falcon man has been charged with two counts of acts or omissions causing bodily harm or danger, and one count of assault causing bodily harm

A 25-year-old Falcon woman has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, carrying an article to cause fear, and failing to comply with orders.

A 36-year-old Waikiki man, 19-year-old Cooloongup man, 25-year-old Rockingham man and 25-year-old Port Kennedy man have all been charged with acts or omissions causing bodily harm or danger.

Police inquiries revealed the alleged offenders where patched members, nominees or associates of the Rebels.

All six will appear in Rockingham Magistrates Court on Thursday, March 8.

STAFF REPORTER

A woman drove her car into the Canning River near the Mount Henry Bridge in Como last night.

Police spokesman Paul Kosovich said the freak accident occurred around midnight.

Inspector Kosovich said police became concerned for the woman’s welfare, as she was disoriented and started swimming back into the river.

A police aircraft and ground officers co-operated to got the dazed woman back to shore.

Photo: Nachoman, Wikimedia Commons

CHRIS THOMSON

Plans to drag development-starved East Fremantle into the 21st Century look set to be approved by the state government.

WA government urban planners have recommended the pictured six-storey project on Canning Highway beside the historic East Fremantle town hall be given the nod.

The so-called St Peter’s Square development would see a 1980s block of brick shops and the Royal George Tavern demolished.

In their place on a 6673sqm block would rise 90 apartments, 15 offices, cafe, 10 shops and 359sqm rooftop tavern with cinema called the Sky Lounge.

A 1121sqm square between the four planned buildings would be fully accessible to the public.

The plans have been lodged by the shops’ owner Russell Quinn.

In giving St Peter’s Square their endorsement, the planners say it displays an unusual degree of urban design sensitivity.

On Tuesday night, a government committee will decide whether to approve the big buildings.

STAFF REPORTER

Most Perth houses have changed very little in 200 years – except to abandon their most energy efficient traits – a University of Western Australia researcher has found.

A survey of 400 Perth homes by Masters of Environmental Design researcher Dirima Cuthbert found many Perth project homes were not energy efficient.

Ms Cuthbert also found that building regulations did not encourage home builders to change.

Energy-saving verandahs, deep eaves and high ceilings had all but disappeared in new housing developments, she noted.

In their place, were massively bigger floor spaces, dark roofs, low ceilings and double-brick walls that made air conditioning a necessity.

And as people spent less time at home, the efficiencies of being able to open windows had been replaced by the energy consumption of an average two-hour return trip to work for many people who had built homes in new outer suburbs.

Comparing cars to houses, Ms Cuthbert said small cars had become an acceptable status symbol − but small homes had not.

“If people chose their houses like they choose their cars, we might see project homes − which now represent 80 per cent of new houses being built in Perth − develop new ways of reducing energy consumption,” she said.

Ms Cuthbert said that Australian building codes, that included setbacks from the street and neighbours, and consistency in streetscape appearance and building type, restricted the ability of house designers to reduce energy consumption.

Preliminary survey results suggested the answer was not to encourage people to ‘do the right thing’ and reduce energy consumption for the sake of climate change.

Instead, somehow changing people’s desires from their “4WD” home to a “trendy five-door hatch” would be the way to go, Ms Cuthbert said.

CHRIS THOMSON

An experienced security guard who left a loaded semiautomatic handgun in a petrol station toilet and did not return for 45 minutes has been banned from carrying firearms.

Antonio Aquilia had been on duty on April 20 last year accompanying a technician who was servicing automatic teller machines.

The security guard of 14 years standing was carrying a Glock semi­automatic handgun fitted with a magazine containing 10 rounds of ammunition.

He had been suffering bowel problems and went to a service station to use its public toilet.

Mr Aquilia entered the toilet.

HYGIENE REASONS

He removed the gun from its holster for hygiene reasons because its weight had dragged his pants on to a particularly dirty floor.

He put the firearm on top of a wall cabinet.

A decision published today by State Administrative Tribunal member David Aitken said that when Mr Aquilia left the toilet he forgot to take the gun with him.

He did not realise he had left the gun behind until 20 minutes later – by which time a member of the public had handed it to service station staff for safe keeping.

Mr Aquilia returned to the service station, arriving about 45 minutes after he had left.

He retrieved the gun from the service station manager who had secured it in a safe.

He immediately told his employer and on April 25 last year ceased employment with the security company.

LAPSE

On July 25 he was contacted by police and in an interview that day admitted the incident was a lapse in concentration.

Mr Aquilia was charged on August 31 with failing to ensure safekeeping of a firearm.

He pleaded guilty to the firearm offence and was fined $300 and handed a spent conviction.

Police decided on September 2 not to grant a firearm endorsement on the grounds Mr Aquilia was not a fit and proper person to keep a gun.

He appealed that decision before Mr Aitken who heard police testimony that Mr Aquilia’s actions were reckless and careless.

The police argued that had the gun fallen into the wrong hands, the incident could have been very different.

Mr Aitken dismissed an appeal from Mr Aquilia against the firearm ban.

Photo: Ildar Sagdejev

STAFF REPORTER

The state government has tweaked funding arrangements to attract a former Rhodes Scholar to the role of Solicitor General.

Attorney General Christian Porter said today that Grant Donaldson SC would start as Solicitor General for Western Australia on Monday.

“Mr Donaldson’s varied breadth and quality of legal and courtroom experience make him an ideal permanent appointment to the position,” Mr Porter said.

“He has an appreciation of wider public policy issues as well as experience in commercial, private and criminal law litigation.”

Robert Mitchell SC had been acting in the role since June 2011.

“Mr Mitchell has contributed a great deal during his time as acting Solicitor General,” Mr Porter said.

“His legal knowledge and expertise have proved invaluable on a wide range of matters.”

The former Solicitor General, Mr Robert Meadows QC, retired from the position on July 18, 2011.

On June 28, 2011, Mr Mitchell was appointed on an acting basis for 12 months or until a permanent appointment was made.

Mr Donaldson was admitted to practice in WA in 1987, having completed a Bachelor of Jurisprudence and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from The University of WA, and a Bachelor of Civil Law from Oxford University.

He was the WA Rhodes Scholar in 1986, and is a member of the Football Club Board of the mighty Fremantle Dockers.

Since 1998, he has practised as a barrister at Francis Burt Chambers and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2004.

Mr Donaldson’s salary, determined by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal, has been adjusted to take account the retention of his right to limited private practice.

Mr Porter said this was a slight change to previous practice and had been designed to allow the government to attract the most senior counsel from the bar.

STAFF REPORTER

The Fair Work Ombudsman is prosecuting the operator of a Perth business for allegedly sacking a 16-year-old because the boy’s mother queried his pay.

Facing court are Port Kennedy man Stephen Ashley and his Willetton-based company West Coast Propellers Pty Ltd, which repairs, services and sells aeroplane propellers.

Mr Ashley allegedly hired the teenager in November, 2010 and told him he would be paid $5.32 an hour.

Court documents claim the boy’s mother contacted the Fair Work Infoline and received advice that the pay rate should be more than $7 an hour.

On her son’s behalf, the woman met Mr Ashley during her son’s first week at work to query the pay rate he had been offered.

After the meeting, Mr Ashley allegedly told the boy not to come to work until the matter was resolved – and then wrote to him telling him he was no longer employed.

Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson says a decision to prosecute was made because the dismissal allegedly constituted a serious breach of workplace law.

“Under the Fair Work Act, it is unlawful to dismiss or take any other adverse action against an employee for exercising a workplace right, such as querying or complaining about pay rates,” Mr Wilson said.

Mr Ashley was allegedly involved in his company committing two breaches of workplace law. The maximum potential penalty per breach is $6600 for Mr Ashley and $33,000 for West Coast Propellers.

The case is listed for July 10 in the Federal Magistrates Court in Perth.

STAFF REPORTER

Perth Zoo’s latest breeding success – two Red Panda cubs – made their first public appearance today as veterinarians gave them a health check and vaccinations.

Until today, the cubs had been tucked away in their nest box under the care of their mother Tiamat since their birth on 20 December.

Perth Zoo senior veterinarian Simone Vitali said the eight-week-old cubs looked to be strong and in good health.

The cubs are not expected to venture out of their nest box for another six to eight weeks.

“Red Pandas are susceptible to diseases similar to those seen in cats and dogs so it is important that they are vaccinated,” Dr Vitali said.

“We have confirmed today that we have a male and a female and that they each weigh around 700 grams which is a healthy weight for their age.

“They are suckling well and will start to wean over the next two to three months.”

The zoo has bred 16 Nepalese Red Pandas since 1997 as part of a regional breeding program for the endangered species.

The species is classified as endangered with habitat destruction and poaching the major threats to its long-term survival.

Feeding almost exclusively on bamboo, Red Pandas are found in mountainous terrain from Nepal through to northeast India and Bhutan and into China, Laos and northern Myanmar.

They share part of their range with giant pandas.

Red Pandas are nocturnal. Like Giant Pandas, they have a false thumb that helps them hold bamboo stems and leaves.

They also have partially retractable claws and are very good climbers.

Red Pandas mature sexually at 18 to 20 months.

The gestation period for a Red Panda ranges from 110 to 145 days.