Australia: Multiculturalism weaves yet another magical golden thread into Australia’s “rich and diverse tapestry” of “cultural diversity”

Mass brawl closes Westfield shopping centre, Mt Druitt

By Katherine Danks
The Daily Telegraph
February 04, 2011
SOCIAL networking sites like Facebook helped tip-off police about a planned brawl in Mount Druitt last night.

Police intercepted online chatter between two gangs and learned of their plans two days before the pre-organised fight, Acting Assistant Commissioner Wayne Cox said.

Mt Druitt police also received a number of tip-offs from elders in the Pacific Islander community and called in the Public Order and Riot Squad, Dog Unit, mounted police and commuter crime unit.

Up to 100 teenagers and young men armed with crude weapons made with glass descended on the Westfield Shopping Centre about 7pm.
There were general scuffles and fights between individual persons or one person on six people or vice versa,'' Mr Cox told reporters.
There was a whole range of different incidents occurring at the one time. Police were able to pull those incidents apart and grab the main offenders and then arrest and charge them.''

The fight began over ``general insults'' traded between the groups, one of which is linked to Mount Druitt and the other from the Granville area. He said both groups have Pacific Islander backgrounds.
There has been some banter between the two groups in relation to insults being traded and this is obviously turned in to a ridiculous outcome for them,'' he said.

Mr Cox said police were waiting and prepared for the fight when it broke out. Thirteen people were arrested at the scene and police believe they will make more arrests after looking at security vision from the shopping centre
When you have large groups like that, they have that mob mentality where they really don't care about other people and that's why we were there,'' he said. We read the situation correctly and certainly had the resources to deal with it affirmatively.''

Police seized two baseball bats and a number of home-made weapons from the scene.
Those arrested ranged in age from 16 to 22 and they have been charged with a combination of affray, assault police and resist arrest offences.
One of the juveniles, aged 16 will appear in Parramatta Children's Court today, while three of the men, aged 20 and 19, will appear at Mt Druitt Local Court later today.

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Australia’s Finest:"I MET this really amazing girl." Corporal Richard "Rich" Atkinson.

 

Love, loyalty and loss of our Digger Richard Atkinson

Gemma Jones and Ian McPhedran
The Daily Telegraph

February 04, 2011

"I MET this really amazing girl."

Corporal Richard "Rich" Atkinson had a shy "little boy" look on his face as he told his friend about meeting karate instructor and school teacher Dannielle Kitchen.

 

"He was cute, he had that cute little boy look on his face. He was so in love. I thought, 'This is the best thing.' They were perfect together. They couldn't wait for the wedding," his friend Stephanie Heazle- wood recalled.

Shortly before the 22-year-old was deployed to Afghanistan in October with the Darwin-based 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, Cpl Atkinson asked Ms Kitchen to marry him. The answer was "Yes".

His family said he was looking forward to starting a family.

But an insurgent bomb ended those dreams at 9.25am on Wednesday in a cold valley in Afghanistan, a long way from the balmy Darwin sunsets the couple enjoyed before he went to war.

One of his sapper mates from Darwin was badly wounded by the blast.

Ms Kitchen was yesterday devastated, along with his parents Dr Ross Atkinson, a Launceston GP, his wife Kate and their son James.

"We are just so sad," Mrs Atkinson said from the family's home in Tasmania.

Mr Atkinson said his son loved the army and had a real knack for adventure.

"He enjoyed being deployed," he said.

"He was just a lovely boy. He was funny. He loved playing sports. He was a much-loved son and a loved brother to James."

He was a family man who was very close to all of his relatives and was looking forward to coming home at the end of his tour about June to spend time with them in Tasmania.

The young sapper joined the army in 2007 and his natural leadership skills took him quickly through the ranks.

"He was a dedicated soldier with career aspirations," his family said.

"He shared a strong mateship with those he left behind in Afghanistan and all his mates in Australia. He will be missed by all and not a day will go by that he won't be thought of."

Mr Atkinson said the family was in shock and still battling to come to terms with their loss.

"We're just getting our heads around that he's not coming back. It's hard. It's all pretty unreal," he said.

Acting Defence Chief Lieutenant-General David Hurley said it was unclear whether the blast had been remotely detonated, but he conceded the area had become a "hot spot" for Australian soldiers.

"It's a difficult area for us, yes," he said yesterday.

Cpl Atkinson was the 22nd Australian soldier to die in the bloody war in Afghanistan.

Australia: Corporal Richard Edward Atkinson killed in Afghanistan.  Video

 

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