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A glamorous Instagram model has been jailed for robbing a string of cafés and convenience stores in Sydney's northern beaches. Monique Marina Agostino, 24, was convicted of a multiple charges stemming from a crime spree in which she helped to rob four shops in under an hour in November last year.    The former northern beaches schoolgirl was also sentenced on a second spate of charges for crimes committed at Blacktown Westfield Shopping Centre in May this year. Monique Marina Agostino, 24, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for her role in a spate of burglaries, which included breaking in to four premises in less than one hour Those charges were for offences including possessing three diazepam tablets - a restricted benzodiazepine once known as Valium, possessing the prohibited drug ice,  possessing a knife in Target, and stealing a $90 jacket from budget clothing retailer Supré. The aspiring actress and model represented herself before the … [Read more...] about Instagram model and mother is jailed over crime spree on Sydney’s northern beaches after breaking into cafes, stealing cash and buying McDonald’s with a stolen credit card

Sunday evening at Labour party conference provides some incredible answers to the question “what would you rather do than watch comeback sex addict Tiger Woods clinch his first tour win in five years?” How about a four-hour simulation to wargame a radical government? Here’s the rubric: “In a game based on the acclaimed novel A Very British Coup, 50 players take on the roles of the different factions of the 1980s Labour party. They must compete and collaborate to ensure that their preferred policies are prioritised by the new government. Others are playing the malign forces of the deep state whose task is to frustrate and sabotage the realisation of Labour’s socialist programme.” Or as one participant reflected after it was over: “I played as the military but immediately fucked up by making a deal with the Fabians without realising they opposed siting American bases on British soil.” D’oh! To Labour’s annual gathering, then, … [Read more...] about Welcome to Labour conference, where deep state paranoia and Momentum robots run amok

Joseph McCann was convicted of a horrific campaign of kidnappings, rapes and sex attacks Serial sex attacker Joseph McCann has today been jailed for a minimum of 30 years for attacking 11 women and children in a two-week rampage after being freed from prison by mistake.  Convicted burglar McCann, 34, released after a probation service error, was handed 33 life sentences. He abducted, raped and assaulted victims aged between 11 and 71 in Watford, London and the North West. He snatched some victims off the street, forcing them into his car at knifepoint in a 15 day cocaine and vodka fuelled rampage, just two months after he was freed. He allegedly used a 'support network' across the country to evade police, despite being identified as a suspect on the day of his first attack. McCann, who had addresses in Aylesbury and Harrow, refused to attend his Old Bailey trial and hid under a prison blanket rather than give evidence. It was claimed on his behalf that the women he … [Read more...] about Serial rapist Joseph McCann is jailed for at least 30 years for attacking 11 victims during two-week rampage after being freed from prison in error

A photograph of Aaron Collis regularly appeared in the press while he was on trial. It showed a young man in a crowd of friends, whose faces have been pixelated to preserve their anonymity, and it appears to capture a moment of celebration. The group are bunched together, arms in the air, all wearing the same white shirts and roughly knotted blue-and-red striped ties. They could be in school uniform, or party costume. Collis is looking up at the camera, a wide smile exposing a top row of pointed teeth. The photo was taken in a dark room with the flash on, so his face is starkly lit and every pock and mole visible. His eyes are narrowed to slits and his nose seems abnormally large. You can see why the image was used: Collis’s face is distorted, and disturbing. It is a fitting portrait of a paedophile. In October 2009, Collis, then 24 years old, was convicted of committing 11 offences of sexual abuse against five children. He was given an indeterminate sentence, with a minimum … [Read more...] about What should we do about paedophiles?

Rob and Paul Forkan's lives fell apart on Boxing Day 2004 when both their parents were killed in the devastating tsunami. The brothers, along with their younger siblings, Rosie and Matt, had spent the previous four years travelling the world with their mum and dad, Kevin and Sandra. The devoted parents had worked hard on their social enterprise business but this meant they had little time to spend with their young family. So, they decided to sell up and take their six children on the trip of a lifetime. Initially, the Forkans were only planning to be away for six months but as they travelled around India, this stretched into years. Paul said: "We went to villages where they had never seen white people, we did a lot of volunteering, we went to the slums and played a lot of cricket. "We would meet up with other travellers. It was a really great life journey. "We got to eat in different restaurants and go to different beaches and nature reserves." But at the heart of everything the family … [Read more...] about Tragedy and a festival hangover took brothers from tiny flat to kings of fashion