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ROSIE SPEAKS OUT FINALS FEVER Timely advice for victims Footy, netball gets serious PAGE 3 Wednesday, 31 August 2016
FOOTY LIFTOUT
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Station stalkers By Alana Mitchelson SUSPICIOUS characters in black hooded jumpers have been preying on Pakenham school girls as young as 13 while walking to and from the train station. A 17-year-old girl encountered a suspicious character on her way home from Pakenham train station last week. She was on the phone walking south from the train station about 4.15pm on Monday 22 August when she noticed a man following her. “He was walking behind me at first, then I slowed down to let him pass while I was on the phone,“ she told the Gazette. “Then he was walking ahead of me and kept turning around to look at me every five seconds. I turned a different direction and he completely stopped, just looking at me. “He was acting really strange, taking his jumper off and putting it back on again about eight times while standing there staring at me.“ She was able to eventually slip away from his line of sight on Main Street where there were more people out and about. But the 17-year-old spotted the same man at Pakenham station again two days later while getting off at the platform. “It looked as though he had got off the train because he was amongst the crowd of passengers and I noticed him behind me. But thinking about it afterwards, I wasn’t sure if maybe he was already waiting there at the station,“ she said. “I was a bit wary because I’d seen him before. I walked home a different way but he appeared at the corner where I needed to turn and started tak-
ing his jumper on and off again. “I was pretty scared.“ The man was described to be of African appearance and was dressed entirely in black on both occasions; the first time in a black hood and the second time wearing a longer black jacket. In another incident, on the morning of Monday 22 August, a 13-year-old girl walking through streets towards Cardinia train station noticed a man peering in to a car, but she kept walking. The man continued to look at her and, feeling somewhat spooked, she decided to abort her journey to the station and instead walked back home in a different direction. When she turned around, the suspicious character was with another two men. The 13-year-old ran off as soon as the men lost sight of her and the incident was reported to the police. The first man was described to be of African appearance, 6 foot tall, skinny build with a white T-shirt and black hoody. Another was Caucasian, medium height and build, with a chubby face and brown hair shaved on the sides. He also had a red backpack, muddied pants and a black hoody. The other man was described as African, large masculine build, with white dirty shoes and a black hoody. Police did not have evidence as to whether these incidents were related. Anyone with information or those who have had a similar experience have been urged to contact Pakenham police on 5945 2500. *The school girls’ names have been withheld from the article to protect their identities.
The man accused of murdering Kylie Blackwood will face a committal hearing on 1 May 2017.
Commital set for Blackwood murder trial By Aneeka Simonis
Parade strikes a pose for White Ribbon PAKENHAM’S inaugural Op Shop Fashion Parade raised awareness for the quality of second-hand garments at thrift shops and acknowledged the hard work of unsung volunteers. Prominent members of
the Pakenham community modelled outfits for various occasions, encouraging audience members to guess the surprisingly cheap costs of clothes and accessories. Harcourts’ Marcus Washington strutted a tight-fitting
Marcus Washington strutts a formal number at Pakenham’s Op Shop Fashion Parade to raise awareness for family violence and the thrift shop community. Picture: GARY SISSONS formal dress suitable for A Day at the Races, raising further awareness for not only op shops but also White Ribbon’s Walk A Mile in their Shoes campaign against domestic violence.
Read more on Page 7.
REMOTE witness facilities will be used to hear evidence from additional witnesses prepared to testify in the Kylie Blackwood murder case. Scott Alan Murdoch, 38, from Morwell appeared from jail via video link at the County Court of Victoria on Tuesday 30 August. Murdoch has been ordered to start a five-day contested committal hearing on 1 May next year. Two additional witnesses will provide evidence from remote facilities on the fourth day of the hearing, the court heard. A third will provide DNA evidence. Prosecutors earlier told the court 80 witnesses have provided information about Kylie’s death and about 20 witnesses were expected to give evidence. At the committal mention on Tuesday 16 August, the court also heard that the accused’s DNA was allegedly found on Kylie’s clothing. Kylie’s body was discovered in her McCaffrey Rise, Pakenham home by her twin daughters on 1 August 2013. Murdoch was arrested and charged with murder in April this year after the release of CCTV footage showing a car driving in Kylie’s neighbourhood the day she was killed. The outcome of the May 2017 hearing will determine whether the case goes to trial.
Rock solid respect for veterans PAGE 12