Assailant sets officer on fire in attack at police station

By Calvin Palmer

A series of attacks on an Australian police station escalated in the early hours this morning when a police officer was set on fire.

The latest violent attack at Warwick police station, in northern Perth, occurred when the officer was patrolling the rear of the station.

Sergeant Greg Lambert said the officer discovered a man loitering near the parked vehicles, confronted the man and a struggle ensued during which the officer was doused with an unknown flammable liquid.

The man then lit a cigarette lighter which caused the police officer’s clothes to catch on fire, along with the attacker.

The officer extinguished his burning clothes and tried to help the man, but he had already fled the scene.

The officer was admitted to Royal Perth Hospital with burns to his lower body, but he is in a stable condition.

Police believe the assailant would have sustained burn injuries on his arms and chest in the attack.

The attack follows several assaults on the same police station.

Last week, the tires of several police cars and private vehicles were slashed at the police station, which is unsecured from the general public.

In December, two vehicles were set on fire. That incident followed one at Joondalup police station, also in Perth’s northern suburbs, where a utility vehicle was driven up to the front entrance and set on fire.

Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan told ABC radio that investigators were “fairly confident” about finding the offender this time.

“The detectives have pursued quite a number of lines of inquiry, obviously they have been targeting people who might have a grudge to bear against the Warwick police,” he said.

“The Joondalup attack is slightly different, it’s not the same person, we’re quite confident of that.

“But in the Warwick case, detectives have done a fair amount of work and have looked at a number of people whom they think might have a grudge to bear against the Warwick detectives or the Warwick police.

“This time we’re a little bit more confident of resolving the issue because, without going into any detail at this stage, material has been left behind at the scene at Warwick police station that might lead to an identification.”

[Based on reports by  WAtoday.com and the Melbourne Herald Sun.]

Sculpture tribute to Heath Ledger embodies his style and love of chess

By Calvin Palmer

Australian actor Heath Ledger has been commemorated with a three-piece sculpture at a park where he played as a child.

Ledger’s family picked a site Point Heathcote Reserve in the City of Melville, part of Perth’s southern suburbs, for the polished concrete and marble sculpture by artist Ron Gomboc.

Two of the pieces incorporate chessboards in tribute to the late actor’s love of the game. The third piece features a yin and yang design that embodies his spiritual beliefs.

Gomboc, a long-time family friend, said yesterday that the sculpture was a fitting tribute to Ledger, who used to relish playing chess at parks around the world when he had down-time from filming.

Ledger’s mother Sally Bell said the family had chosen the site, which overlooks the Swan River, because because her son had cared about the environment and spent much of his youth in the Applecross area, walking with friends.

“He truly loved it there,” she said.

“As for the chess theme, not many people know that Heath was passionate about chess and was close to becoming a Grand Master.”

Father, Kim Ledger, said the sculpture was in keeping with Heath’s subtle and laidback style, and his friends and family now had a place to visit that was imbued with his presence.

“People who visit the site can remember him by using and enjoying the tables, as he would want them to,” he said.

Ledger’s family flew from Perth bound for Los Angeles yesterday to attend the Oscar ceremony and spend time with his daughter Matilda.

The Perth-born actor is widely tipped to take out the best supporting actor award for his portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight, the last film he completed before his death.

Ledger was working on The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus when he died, aged 28, on January 22 last year in his rented Manhattan loft apartment after consuming a deadly cocktail of prescription painkillers and sleeping pills. His death was declared an accidental overdose.

[Based on reports by The West Australian and Melbourne Herald Sun.]