speedy’s murderer to stand trial · chopper pilot injured in ‘rough landing’ ... morgan of...
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www.katherinetimes.com.au KATHERINE TIMES, WEDNESDAY APRIL 2 2014 3
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Drunkman triesto avoiddonkeyson highway,rolls carseveraltimes
A MAN was taken tohospital after he rolledthe car he was travellingin on the notoriouslydangerous Roper High-way near Mataranka onSunday morning.
Katherine Superinten-dent Sachin Sharma fromthe Arnhem and WesternDivision said the rolloverhappened at 2am near theJilkminggan turn off, 20minutes west ofMataranka.
The man, 25, and hismale passenger, 20, weretravelling in a Land-cruiser east on the high-way, and police said thedriver swerved to avoiddonkeys on the road.
The man lost controlover the vehicle andovercorrected beforecoming off the road androlling the car severaltimes.
The driver returned apositive roadside breathtest and was taken to hos-pital for precaution.
The 20-year-old pas-senger escaped the crashwithout injuries.
The crash is the sec-ond rollover on theRoper Highway in oneweek.
Police urge travellersto drive to the conditions,check their vehicles,have enough rest beforegetting on the road anddon’t drink and drive.
> Read about thefuel tanker that
rolled on the RoperHighway on page 4.
A HELICOPTER pilot was injured ina crash near Cape Crawford on Thurs-day.
CareFlight director Ian Badham saidthe man, aged in his 30s, performed a“rough landing”.
A combination of resources from theBorroloola Health Clinic, the McArthurRiver Mine’s Emergency Response
Team and paramedic as well as policeand Emergency Services crews fromacross the Katherine region responded tothe crash.
“After the alarm was raised anotherhelicopter in the region reached the in-jured pilot and flew him to the McArthurRiver Mine Medical Centre,” Mr Bad-ham said.
Paramedics and nurses from Bor-roloola Health Clinic treated the man atthe mine’s medical centre and werejoined by a CareFlight doctor and nursewho carried out extensive treatment andplaced the man in an induced coma be-fore medivaccing him to Royal DarwinHospital.
Mr Badham said it is believed the
pilot did not wear a helmet at the time ofthe crash.
Katherine Superintendent SachinSharma from the Arnhem and WesternDivision said a crime scene had been es-tablished at the crash scene.
“Investigations to determine the exactcircumstances surrounding the incidentare still ongoing,” he said.
Chopper pilot injured in ‘rough landing’
ABOVE: Naomi Donaldson, with daughter Nathalie, weeps after facing her husband’skiller in court. BELOW: Flowers have been laid at Ryan Park where ‘Speedy’
Donaldson (pictured, right) was bludgeoned to death.
THE man who was charged withthe murder of local man Ron‘Speedy’ Donaldson faced court inKatherine ton Thursday morning.
Dressed in blue jeans and a red-collared black Wrangler shirt andwith his head shaved, Justin Os-borne, 37, appeared in Katherinecourt.
The widow of his victim, NaomiDonaldson and the couple's two yearold daughter, Nathalie, were also incourt, surrounded by family andfriends.
Mrs Donaldson could not holdback tears when Mr Osborne enteredthe room.
Mr Osborne watched her fornearly a minute before turning hishead away.
During the entire preliminary ex-amination he did not give Mrs Don-aldson another glance.
It was ruled there was enough ev-idence to put Mr Osborne on trial.
No bail application was made andMr Osborne was remanded in cus-
tody until April 14 when he willstand trial in the Supreme Court.
Mr Osborne was charged with themurder of Speedy Donaldson in De-cember last year.
Ron Donaldson, 69, also knownas ‘Speedy the Fencer’ died in an al-tercation at Ryan Park at 11am onDecember 3.
Police said he was beaten to deathwith a small, 40cm sledgehammer inan unprovoked attack.
Detective Senior Sergeant LeeMorgan of the Major Crime Squadsaid police officers who had been pa-trolling the area arrived at the grue-some scene within 60 seconds afterthe attack and apprehended the of-fender.
“It is a horrific crime - and ex-tremely sad,” Det Sen Sgt Morgansaid at the time.
The detective, who has been withpolice for more than 15 years, saidthe extend of the injuries that lead toMr Donaldon's death were “some ofthe worst” he had seen in his career.
Speedy’s murderer to stand trial
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