Cop of the Year arrested for drink-driving

July 11, 2011

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THE Gold Coast's Police Officer of the Year has been arrested for drink-driving and faces a court date as well as possible disciplinary action.

Senior Constable Michael Froggatt was nabbed while off-duty and in a private vehicle in Surfers Paradise about 5am on Sunday after working a night-shift.

The 34-year-old officer was breath-tested by colleagues and allegedly recorded a blood alcohol concentration of .085 per cent. He was given a notice to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

A police spokeswoman said disciplinary action was also being considered.

Sen-Const Froggatt is a detective, now working in uniform in Surfers Paradise, who has worked on some of the Gold Coast's biggest criminal cases.

He has also been undertaking a criminology degree part-time at Bond University where he serves as a 'campus cop', giving students crime and public safety advice.

Last August, Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson presented Sen-Const Froggatt with the Rotary Gold Coast Police Officer of the Year award for efforts including implementing a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. His reign is due to end next month.

After a spate of police were caught drink-driving, Mr Atkinson last year introduced tougher discIplinary penalties for his officers, including dismissal for high-range blood alcohol readings above .15 per cent cent.

However, a Sunshine Coast officer who was sacked after blowing .235 per cent successfully challenged his dismissal in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal which ordered his reinstatement.

Last month, Mr Atkinson said random drug and alcohol testing for Queensland police was 'inevitable'.

This followed a Crime and Misconduct Commission investigation into Gold Coast police taking drugs and drinking free alcohol in nightclubs.

Police caught on CCTV tape manhandling teenage woman in country station

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COMPLAINTS against police using physical force against citizens have reached their highest level in nearly a decade.

The statistics come as police yesterday launched an investigation to find the whistleblower from within their own ranks who leaked police CCTV footage of a group of officers arresting an 18-year-old-woman at a country station.

The footage shows Jennifer Lee Ruppelt being pushed against the charge counter by an officer while her arms are pinned, even though she appears to be compliant and non-aggressive.

Ruppelt is facing three charges of assault police while police conduct their own internal investigation into the officers' conduct in the arrest.

Latest figures from the Police Complaints Authority show there were 127 complaints against police using physical force between July 2009 and April 30, 2010.

There were 124 complaints in 2001-02 and 117 in 2002-03.

No figures were available for May and June 2010, however, if the average number of complaints per month for that year continued, it would eclipse the decade-high 2003-04 figure of 146.

Opposition police spokesman David Ridgway has demanded the officers involved in the arrest of Ruppelt be stood down while a PCA investigation proceeds.

"The police - the four sworn officers who witnessed the (incident) as well as the officer who repeatedly (kicked the legs of) the woman - must be stood aside pending the outcome of this investigation," he said.

"I demand Mr Foley give us his personal guarantee . . . that a top-level investigation is underway."

Police Association of SA president Mark Carroll said Mr Ridgway's calls for immediate disciplinary action would "fly in the face of natural justice" against the officers involved.

"The entire incident is before the courts, so the community can have confidence that this matter will be thoroughly examined," he said.

A spokesman for Police Minister Kevin Foley said the minister had received a briefing from Acting Police Commissioner Madeleine Glynn.

He said it would be "totally inappropriate for anyone to comment further until the PCA inquiry was completed."

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Road Safety Minister Tom Kenyon asked people to reserve their judgment until the incident was fully investigated.

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Policewoman suspended over drug use claim following investigation by CMC

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July 09, 2011

A QUEENSLAND female senior constable has been suspended from duty over allegations of illicit drug use.

The 37-year-old senior constable from South Eastern Region has been suspended following a Crime and Misconduct Commission inquiry, a police media statement said.

The suspension relates to a number of allegations including the use of illicit drugs.

Last month two Queensland police officers were suspended from duty over allegations they improperly used the service's computer system.

A male sergeant from Far Northern Region and a male constable from Northern Region were stood down from following a separate Ethical Standards Command investigations.

The Police Union has been sought for comment.

Ex-policeman Kenneth Keeys charged with murdering wife to plead guilty to manslaughter

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July 05, 2011

A FORMER policeman charged with murdering his wife would now plead guilty to manslaughter, a court heard today.

The trial of Kenneth Malcolm Keeys, now 57, was listed to start in the Supreme Court in Brisbane next Monday.

Mr Keeys was charged with murdering Leonie Keeys, who was allegedly smothered in their Alderley home in Brisbane's inner north on August 14, 2007.

He has been on bail since being committed to stand trial nearly three years ago.

However, at a mention hearing in the Supreme Court in Brisbane today, prosecutor David Meredith said the Crown had received submissions from defence lawyers.

Mr Meredith said the submissions had been whether Mr Keeys had a defence to murder of lack of intent and diminshed responsibility.

He said after lengthy research the Crown had decided to accept a plea to manslaughter on the basis of lack of intent.

Tony Glynn, SC, said the sentence hearing would be lengthy and asked it be held on Monday or Tuesday week.

Police stand down constable for alleged driving behaviour

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July 04, 2011

A 44-YEAR-OLD male senior constable from the North Coast has been stood down from duty with the Queensland Police Service after an internal investigation.

The decision comes after the alleged driving behaviour of the officer during a police pursuit on the Sunshine Coast last year.

More to come.

Bill Heffernan blames emotional distress on accidentally shooting bullet through car door

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CHECK for a loaded rifle before jumping into a car with Bill Heffernan.

The NSW Liberal senator has been known to accidentally shoot a bullet through the door of his vehicle.

He blamed the clumsy action on his emotional distress at having to shoot his cattle.

Senator Heffernan says that's the kind of stress facing hundreds of Australian farmers who can't sell their cattle because of the live export ban to Indonesia.

He said he had to go through the heart-wrenching task of shooting his cattle during a drought.

"I didn't shoot them all, I couldn't go through with all, it was too much," Senator Heffernan told the Senate.

"And I drove out of the paddock and I thought; 'No, I'm not going to do this anymore'.

"I drove off the paddock and I had the rifle under the seat of the car and I shut the door.

"That's what it does to you. I have experienced that."

"I thought; 'S---, did I unload the rifle?' I pulled the trigger and the bullet went out through the door.

Senator Heffernan told his story after hearing news that one cattle farmer from Moola Bulla station in Western Australia plans to start killing his animals because he can't afford to keep them alive.

"I have to tell you it's not a very nice thing to go through and I regret that what's going to happen at Moola Bulla," he said.

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Off-duty female police officer caught urinating on Sydney war memorial

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June 17, 2011

AN off-duty female officer will face court in August after committing an offensive act on the War Memorial.

The officer was observed by a security guard to urinate on the War Memorial in Hyde Park South at about 11pm last night, a statement from Police Media said..

The constable, attached to a Central Metropolitan Region command, will be served with a future court attendance notice regarding the offence of “commit offensive act on a War Memorial.”

She will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on August 5 2011