Wednesday, 6 September, 2023
/PakenhamBerwickGazette
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Fatal hit-run driver jailed A Narre Warren driver has been jailed for failing to stop after fatally striking a pedestrian on the Princes Highway in Berwick last year. George Varghese, 32, pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to failing to render assistance and failing to stop after a road accident. Other charges included obtaining a financial advantage by deception from his car insurer. Just after midnight on Saturday 26 November, Varghese’s BMW side-swiped father-ofthree Darrin Pierce, 44, who was walking home against the flow of traffic in the highway’s left lane. Varghese will serve 12 months in jail, followed by a three-year community corrections order. STORY PAGE 5
Diminishing cop presence
Men on a mission The Cardinia Casey Biggest Blokes Lunch returned to Gumbuya World on Friday 1 September for its eighth year of fundraising entertainment. The prostate cancer fundraiser saw 400 blokes show
up for men’s health, helped along by appearances from NRL great Billy Slater, comedian Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann and AFL legend Tony Shaw. STORIES PAGES 6-7, 52-53
Billy Slater with John Barclay and Dave Emery at the 2023 Cardinia Casey Biggest Blokes Lunch. 357231
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Concerns over an inadequate police presence in Lang Lang have resurfaced after claims emerged of the State Government winding up one-officer police stations for regional towns. MPs have claimed officers of small towns are being relocated to cover wider regions, mirroring an ongoing experience in Lang Lang. Lang Lang residents are concerned for the future of their police station as it is rarely manned, prompting concerns that the small town is without adequate police presence, that response times are slow and crime rates are up. STORY PAGE 5
Children at risk More than 90 per cent of child car restraints checked in Cardinia between May and July this year were incorrectly fitted or used, according to data released by leading safety agency Kidsafe Victoria. The concerning statistic, compiled from checks of 89 child car restraints in Cardinia,
has prompted an urgent call from Kidsafe Victoria for parents and carers to organise a free child car restraint safety check. A breakdown of the 81 incorrectly fitted restraints revealed 43 needed complete refits, while 35 restraints required adjustments and three required replacement.
The Cardinia figure mirrors state figures over the same period, where 87 per cent of more than 6000 child car restraints checked across Victoria were incorrectly fitted or installed. Kidsafe Victoria chief executive Melanie Courtney said the concerning trend elevated
the risk of transport-related injuries. “Research indicates that the risk of lifethreatening injuries increases by four to six times when child car restraints are not installed or used correctly,” Ms Courtney said. STORY PAGE 3
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