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Friday, July 01, 2011
Australian thief caught with stolen safe hanging out of his car
The bungled theft of a Cairns community centre's safe that led to the robber being caught red-handed would make "a good movie", a District Court judge said. Police pulled over Matthew John Davis, 32, on June 24 last year after they saw the safe he stole from his former workplace hanging precariously out the back of his four-wheel-drive.
Davis was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order after pleading guilty in Cairns District Court to breaking and entering. Crown prosecutor Steve Morris said Davis went to Home and Community Care on Hartley St at about 1am and tried to free the safe from the filing cabinet it was attached to with a hammer, but the safe refused to budge.
"That’s when this plan has turned sour for the defendant," Mr Morris said. "He had to wrestle with the filing cabinet to remove it." The safe, still attached to the filing cabinet, was hanging out of Davis’s vehicle when police pulled him over. "One would not have thought that was part of the initial plan," Mr Morris said.
Mr Morris said otherwise, Davis’s operation ran smoothly, with no fingerprints or DNA left at the scene. Defence solicitor Derek Kordick said it was a "very stupid idea" that "screams of being intercepted by police". Judge Philip Robin said the comedy of errors "would make a good movie". Davis was also ordered to pay $600 in compensation for damage to the safe.
Davis was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order after pleading guilty in Cairns District Court to breaking and entering. Crown prosecutor Steve Morris said Davis went to Home and Community Care on Hartley St at about 1am and tried to free the safe from the filing cabinet it was attached to with a hammer, but the safe refused to budge.
"That’s when this plan has turned sour for the defendant," Mr Morris said. "He had to wrestle with the filing cabinet to remove it." The safe, still attached to the filing cabinet, was hanging out of Davis’s vehicle when police pulled him over. "One would not have thought that was part of the initial plan," Mr Morris said.
Mr Morris said otherwise, Davis’s operation ran smoothly, with no fingerprints or DNA left at the scene. Defence solicitor Derek Kordick said it was a "very stupid idea" that "screams of being intercepted by police". Judge Philip Robin said the comedy of errors "would make a good movie". Davis was also ordered to pay $600 in compensation for damage to the safe.
Dead mouse found in pre-packaged salad
A Michigan couple said they were horrified when they found a dead, disemboweled mouse in their bag of Dole Salad. John K. Jones said he sat down with his girlfriend, Ebony Wright, and her 7-year-old son for dinner on Sunday afternoon.
He was shocked to find the gruesome rodent buried in the Italian dressing covered salad. "I moved a couple of leaves and there was a mouse, a dead mouse laying on its back, and you could see the guts hanging out. I immediately got up and ran to the bathroom," Jones said.
"I was shocked, he ran to the bathroom and was throwing up," Wright said. "I said are you sick or something and he said you are not going to believe what's on that plate." Unfortunately, each of them had already eaten some of the Dole "Tender Garden" salad mix that they had purchased from a Kroger grocery store, so they immediately went to the hospital.
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"I know these things carry bacteria and didn't want my son to be sick," Wright said. The couple said that they then called both the Kroger store where it was purchased and Dole. Both companies offered to refund the couple the price of the bag of salad, but the couple feels that's not enough.
He was shocked to find the gruesome rodent buried in the Italian dressing covered salad. "I moved a couple of leaves and there was a mouse, a dead mouse laying on its back, and you could see the guts hanging out. I immediately got up and ran to the bathroom," Jones said.
"I was shocked, he ran to the bathroom and was throwing up," Wright said. "I said are you sick or something and he said you are not going to believe what's on that plate." Unfortunately, each of them had already eaten some of the Dole "Tender Garden" salad mix that they had purchased from a Kroger grocery store, so they immediately went to the hospital.
YouTube link.
"I know these things carry bacteria and didn't want my son to be sick," Wright said. The couple said that they then called both the Kroger store where it was purchased and Dole. Both companies offered to refund the couple the price of the bag of salad, but the couple feels that's not enough.
Man struck by lightning for sixth time
A Seneca man has again disproved the old adage about lightning never striking the same place twice after being struck for the sixth time on Monday. Melvin Roberts, 58, is recovering at Oconee Memorial Hospital after being struck at his home in Seneca on Monday. His wife, Martha Roberts, said that her husband was outside trying to cover his lawn mower when he was struck. Neighbours found Roberts lying unconscious in the yard.
Melvin Roberts said he was struck several times over the last several years, and in the last case in 2007, it was not even raining when it happened. Robert said, "I went to cover my chickens up, and I believe it was clear. But when I woke up, I was all bloody and burned and confused and had my little chickens lying with their feet up."
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Roberts carries a scar on his head from the first time and scars on his legs from the 2007 strike. That strike left him with nerve damage to his left leg and he spent more than a year in a wheelchair. This time he has a wound on his foot and blisters on his ankles. Roberts had to give up his work as a heavy equipment operator due to injuries from previous lightning strikes that have left him permanently disabled.
He said that his love life has paralleled his experience with lightning, but that’s about to change. Roberts said, “I've been married five times and I've been hit by lightning five times. (My wife) says this is the sixth time. I'm not leaving my wife, so I'm going to have to try to do something different."
Melvin Roberts said he was struck several times over the last several years, and in the last case in 2007, it was not even raining when it happened. Robert said, "I went to cover my chickens up, and I believe it was clear. But when I woke up, I was all bloody and burned and confused and had my little chickens lying with their feet up."
YouTube link.
Roberts carries a scar on his head from the first time and scars on his legs from the 2007 strike. That strike left him with nerve damage to his left leg and he spent more than a year in a wheelchair. This time he has a wound on his foot and blisters on his ankles. Roberts had to give up his work as a heavy equipment operator due to injuries from previous lightning strikes that have left him permanently disabled.
He said that his love life has paralleled his experience with lightning, but that’s about to change. Roberts said, “I've been married five times and I've been hit by lightning five times. (My wife) says this is the sixth time. I'm not leaving my wife, so I'm going to have to try to do something different."
'Singing penis' sets noise record for water insect
A tiny water boatman is the loudest animal on Earth relative to its body size, a study has revealed.
Scientists from France and Scotland recorded the aquatic animal "singing" at up to 99.2 decibels, the equivalent of listening to a loud orchestra play while sitting in the front row.
The insect makes the sound by rubbing its penis against its abdomen in a process known as "stridulation". Researchers say the song is a courtship display performed to attract a mate.
Micronecta scholtzi are freshwater insects measuring just 2mm that are common across Europe. On average, the songs of M. scholtzi reached 78.9 decibels, comparable to a passing freight train.
With two audio links.
Scientists from France and Scotland recorded the aquatic animal "singing" at up to 99.2 decibels, the equivalent of listening to a loud orchestra play while sitting in the front row.
The insect makes the sound by rubbing its penis against its abdomen in a process known as "stridulation". Researchers say the song is a courtship display performed to attract a mate.
Micronecta scholtzi are freshwater insects measuring just 2mm that are common across Europe. On average, the songs of M. scholtzi reached 78.9 decibels, comparable to a passing freight train.
With two audio links.
Moth crawls into boy's ear as he sleeps
Not a pleasant way to wake up - by learning that a moth has crawled into your ear. But that's just what happened to a Denver-area boy. 12-year-old Wade Schlote was awoken Sunday night by the pain of the moth that settled in his ear. "I had a moment of panicking. I was in pain," he said. "It was hurting so much I was screaming and crying."
His mother tried to wash it out. When that didn't work, they headed off to the emergency room. Doctors there were skeptical. "They said, 'Yeah, right. There's no moth in there.' But when they looked, sure enough, there was a moth," Max's mother Kathy Schlote said. The doctors said they had never seen a moth in someone's ear before, and they apparently weren't sure how to get it out.
"The doctors tried numbing my ear, thinking it would help with the pain and kill the moth," Max recalled. "That didn't work. Then they tried drowning it. That didn't work. Then they tried irrigating it. That didn't work.
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"Finally, the doctor pulled it out with tweezers and when they did it was still alive and started flying around." The doctors caught the moth, and Max took it home as a souvenir of his unpleasant night. "I am so happy it's over. It was so painful. Every time it moved it hit my ear drum."
His mother tried to wash it out. When that didn't work, they headed off to the emergency room. Doctors there were skeptical. "They said, 'Yeah, right. There's no moth in there.' But when they looked, sure enough, there was a moth," Max's mother Kathy Schlote said. The doctors said they had never seen a moth in someone's ear before, and they apparently weren't sure how to get it out.
"The doctors tried numbing my ear, thinking it would help with the pain and kill the moth," Max recalled. "That didn't work. Then they tried drowning it. That didn't work. Then they tried irrigating it. That didn't work.
YouTube link.
"Finally, the doctor pulled it out with tweezers and when they did it was still alive and started flying around." The doctors caught the moth, and Max took it home as a souvenir of his unpleasant night. "I am so happy it's over. It was so painful. Every time it moved it hit my ear drum."
Chaos as turtles delay flights at JFK
Air traffic at America's busiest international airport has been disrupted after turtles wandered on to the runway in search of a sandy beach to lay their eggs.
The turtles began their stately passage across John F Kennedy airport in New York on Wednesday morning, undeterred by the potentially lethal obstacles between their seasonal breeding grounds.
The creatures delayed flights, shut down a runway and forced staff outside to hurry the slow-moving animals to safer ground. Runway 4L was shut down for an hour as Port Authority teams worked to move the animals.
YouTube link.
JetBlue reported the turtle migration on Twitter around 9.40am. "Running over turtles is not healthy for them nor is it good for our tyres," the airline said.
The turtles began their stately passage across John F Kennedy airport in New York on Wednesday morning, undeterred by the potentially lethal obstacles between their seasonal breeding grounds.
The creatures delayed flights, shut down a runway and forced staff outside to hurry the slow-moving animals to safer ground. Runway 4L was shut down for an hour as Port Authority teams worked to move the animals.
YouTube link.
JetBlue reported the turtle migration on Twitter around 9.40am. "Running over turtles is not healthy for them nor is it good for our tyres," the airline said.
Police hunt for missing hungry, ‘unfriendly’ 7.5ft boa constrictor
Children have been warned to stay indoors after a "hungry" and "unfriendly" snake escaped from a house in Ipswich. The 7.5ft (2.3m) boa constrictor, called Diva, was last seen in a tank at her owner's home in Broom Crescent on Wednesday morning.
The owner described the snake as "unfriendly" and said it might bite if approached, but it was not venomous. Suffolk Police have advised people to keep children and pets indoors.
A police spokesman said: "The snake was last fed about three weeks ago and is due a feed. Suffolk Police cannot rule out a risk to the public and residents are advised to keep children and pets indoors.
"However, our understanding is that this snake will only feed on small animals such as mice and rats." It is thought the breeding season could have encouraged the boa constrictor to go out hunting.
The owner described the snake as "unfriendly" and said it might bite if approached, but it was not venomous. Suffolk Police have advised people to keep children and pets indoors.
A police spokesman said: "The snake was last fed about three weeks ago and is due a feed. Suffolk Police cannot rule out a risk to the public and residents are advised to keep children and pets indoors.
"However, our understanding is that this snake will only feed on small animals such as mice and rats." It is thought the breeding season could have encouraged the boa constrictor to go out hunting.
Council apologises for labelling councillor 'Hitler'
A council has apologised after a councillor was given the title "Hitler" in a document on its website. The label given to Isabelle Campbell remained on Highland Council's website for three weeks before being removed.
A council spokesman said the password used by the operative to get into the computer system had "randomly attached itself" to Ms Campbell's name. He said he was not sure why the person used "Hitler" as a password, but the error was not intended as malicious.
The PDF file posted online listed the names and positions of each elected member along with their expenses. The spokesman said the council had been unaware of the mistake and had removed it as soon as it was pointed out.
"This is just a very regrettable and unfortunate technological glitch," he said. "We will be apologising to Councillor Campbell for any embarrassment that this error has caused."
A council spokesman said the password used by the operative to get into the computer system had "randomly attached itself" to Ms Campbell's name. He said he was not sure why the person used "Hitler" as a password, but the error was not intended as malicious.
The PDF file posted online listed the names and positions of each elected member along with their expenses. The spokesman said the council had been unaware of the mistake and had removed it as soon as it was pointed out.
"This is just a very regrettable and unfortunate technological glitch," he said. "We will be apologising to Councillor Campbell for any embarrassment that this error has caused."
Jail for man who broke into fish merchant's to "smoke himself some haddock"
An Arbroath man who broke into a fish merchant wearing an apron and rubber gloves while high on drugs to "smoke himself some haddock" has been jailed for eight months. Frankie Melvin's failed attempt to get a late dinner was "more of a farce than anything else," said defence agent Gary McIlravey.
Appearing from custody, Melvin, 25, of the High Street, admitted that on June 16 at B. and A. Swankie Fish Merchants, East Mary Street, he climbed the perimeter wall of the yard, smashed windows in the doors and tried to break the padlock securing, thus attempting to break in with intent to steal.
Depute fiscal Hazel Anderson said Melvin was "heavily under the influence of something" when he was discovered in the yard at 8.30pm and police were called.
Mr McIlravey said, "His intention was to go in and smoke himself some haddock. It was more of a farce than anything else." Sheriff Derek Pyle told Melvin, "You've got a dreadful record," before sentencing him to eight months in jail, backdated to June 20.
Appearing from custody, Melvin, 25, of the High Street, admitted that on June 16 at B. and A. Swankie Fish Merchants, East Mary Street, he climbed the perimeter wall of the yard, smashed windows in the doors and tried to break the padlock securing, thus attempting to break in with intent to steal.
Depute fiscal Hazel Anderson said Melvin was "heavily under the influence of something" when he was discovered in the yard at 8.30pm and police were called.
Mr McIlravey said, "His intention was to go in and smoke himself some haddock. It was more of a farce than anything else." Sheriff Derek Pyle told Melvin, "You've got a dreadful record," before sentencing him to eight months in jail, backdated to June 20.
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