Police Wrap - 7 January

1. Beware the man with a brick in his hand!

ACT Policing has arrested an 18-year-old man after an assault on a 25-year-old man in Kambah today (Wednesday, January 7).

About 12.18am police attended Conolly Place in response to a disturbance. On arrival they observed blood on the driveway. The alleged offender was in front of the house and was quickly apprehended by police.

The victim was sitting inside the house with a laceration to his head. It is alleged the victim was hit over the head with a brick during a confrontation with the alleged offender over damage to the victim’s vehicle.

ACT Ambulance officers treated the victim at the scene and then conveyed him to The Canberra Hospital where he stayed for observation.

AFP Forensic Services also attended the scene at Conolly Place.

The alleged offender was arrested and conveyed to the Regional Watch House where he was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and property damage.

The alleged offender will appear before the ACT Magistrates Court this morning (January 7).

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2. Mark Colbran remains unable to distinguish between some motorists, and all motorists:

The Australian Capital Territory has the second highest number of drink-driving apprehensions on its record, with 190 drivers found to have an excessive blood-alcohol reading during December 2008.

The December tally is just 2 less than for the territory’s worst drink-drive month on record – March 2008.

In the six months from July 1 to December 31 2008, police apprehended 932 drink drivers, compared with 711 for the same six-month period in 2007.

ACT Policing’s Traffic Operations Superintendent Mark Colbran said he was astounded motorists continued to drink-drive despite the numerous warnings and targeted police operations.

“Our statistics on fatal accidents show that every drink driver we take off the road potentially saves a life in Canberra,” Supt Colbran said.

“We are doing our part but drink driving will not stop until the community, as a whole, decides that this is a completely unacceptable practice in the 21st Century. All Canberra motorists should make it clear to family and friends that there is no excuse for drinking and driving.”

The 2007-08 financial reporting year resulted in the ACT’s highest number of drink-drive apprehensions at 1584. This was 231 more than for the previous reporting year (2006-07).

Supt Colbran added that police again will dedicate significant resources to conducting a targeted operation against drink-driving this weekend (January 10 & 11) but would not give Canberra motorists the luxury of a prior warning of the intended location.