Court in the Act

On August 2, the Linda Reynolds and Brittany Higgins defamation trial will begin in WA's Supreme Court. Senator Reynolds is suing Higgins over a series of social media posts she claims were part of a deliberate attempt to ruin her career and reputation. Higgins argues the posts were justified, given how Senator Reynolds treated the junior staffer.  Both women have something to prove and everything to lose. Reynolds has remortgaged her home to cover the enormous legal costs, and Higgins has been forced to sell her home in France to fund her defence.  With careers, reputations and houses on the line, the stakes couldn't be higher. Joining Tim on Court In The Act is former Supreme Court Judge Kenneth Martin. Together they walk through the events leading up to the trial and reflect on why the majority of defamation cases never make it this far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How's about this for a guest list?  The Chief Justice of Western Australia. The Attorney General of Western Australia. The former DPP of Western Australia, turned Supreme Court judge.  Two of the richest people in Australia. The former chairman of the West Coast Eagles. More lawyers. More judges. Former judges.   You would think that only the most pressing and potentially career defining legal issue would command such an audience – after business hours no less.  But last week, this gathering of Perth's lawful Illuminati did not take place in a court, or in an office, but in a theatre.  The Heath Ledger Theatre – to witness the premier of the Black Swan State Theatre Company's production of Prima Facie.   A legal drama, created by playwright Suzie Miller, which has not only taken the theatre world by storm for years.  But has also actually helped shift legal thinking and teaching, on the everlong debate surrounding sexual assault, consent – and how those issues are dealt with within the courtroom.  Joining Tim on Court in the Act this week to discuss the production, the reaction – and the legacy – is Kate Champion, the director of Perth's production of Prima Facie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A decade since Amy Wensley's suspicious death, her family are no closer to answers.  The mother of two little girls was found in her bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Despite first responders' suspicions, within one-hour detectives deemed Amy's death a suicide. What Police did - or didn't do - in those crucial first hours have been the subject of intense scrutiny. Joining Tim on Court in the Act is Anna Davey, Amy's Aunt.  Together they step through the tragic days and hours leading up to Amy's death and the real reason they can't accept the Police case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thirty years ago this coming weekend, The Sunday Times fully exposed paedophile priest Reverend Michael Roderick Painter for the first time.  Painter had been an Anglican priest in Perth and beyond since the early 60s.   He was revered for his charisma and charm, his pastoral skill, his common touch, and was adored by his parishioners and fellow clergy alike.  So much so that when it emerged that he had been accused of – and then admitted – sexually abusing a 16 year-old boy, his church elders could seemingly not do enough to support him.  Until he ended his own life on the same day as his name appeared on the front page, in June 1994.  Despite being a self-confessed paedophile, Archbishop Peter Carnley led a public outcry against the newspaper, for their “exaggerated distortions” in reporting the court outcome.  He clearly claimed the reporting had contributed to Painter's suicide.   Three decades on from that report, another article will appear in The Sunday Times this weekend about Reverend Michael Painter.  It will reveal that finally, the Anglican Church has now finally admitted that Painter was not just a “fleeting” offender – he was the most prolific paedophile priest WA's Anglican church has ever had.  But it will also show that despite their own admissions, the church is still fighting his victims every step of the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who, how and why.  Put brutally, those are the three questions a coroner has to answer when investigating a death.   Seemingly simple questions. But sometimes so hard to answer. Sometimes impossible.  In the coming weeks and months in Western Australia, headlines will be writ large about inquests set to be held.  Cleveland Dodd – the young man who died by his own hand in the custody of WA's Department of Justice.  JC – the young indigenous mother shot by a police officer in Geraldton.  And Lisa Govan – the young woman last seen outside a Kalgoorlie bikie den in 1999. And then never seen again.  All inquiries which all the families involved hope will provide some answers, some truth out of death.  Joining Tim on Court in the Act is Noor Blumer – director of Blumer's lawyers whose practitioners are well practised in representing those hoping for answers out of an inquest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a quiet and idyllic street in the leafy suburb of Floreat, in Western Australia, the actions of a man intent on revenge, sent shockwaves throughout the small community and beyond. Mark Bombara had been searching for his estranged wife, instead he found her best friend Jennifer Petelczyc, 59 and daughter Gretl, 18, fatally shooting them both, before turning the gun on himself. A senseless, brutal and cowardly act, which Bombara's daughter Ariel, says was entirely preventable.  Days after the horrifying triple murder-suicide, Ariel gave a television interview claiming they'd feared for their lives, not only warning police about his behaviour but also about Bombara's cache of guns. Arial Bombara also described the harrowing events that culminated in yet another act of domestic violence. In this episode Tim is joined by Family law advocate Nicola Jansen from O'Sullivan Davies Lawyers to discuss why men's violence towards women keeps happening, why laws are failing to protect them and how the process of obtaining Violence Restraining Orders could be changed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serial stalker Kobi Jane Langshaw, whose obsessive contact with two men had chilling similarities with the Netflix smash-hit Baby Reindeer, has been banned for life from ever contacting her latest victims again. This is the TRUE story of a case that has eerie similarities to the Netflix smash hit. Like Martha, Kobi Jane Langshaw had a background in the law, presented as affable, intelligent, and professional.  Also like Martha, her obsessions, compulsions and delusions ravaged lives – and led to a stalker being slowly but surely exposed.  The trial played out in WA's Court, with the Magistrate stating “She is a highly intelligent woman, and she is skilled at lying to take advantage of others.  It is clear that she uses charm to manipulate others for personal gain. She holds a sense of superiority, and is very opinionated. When challenged, she becomes hostile, but can instantly switch back to being sweet and unassuming.” In this episode Tim is joined by clinical and psychologist Professor Troy McEwan, from Swinburne University of Technology to discuss what constitutes stalking. With 400 000 registered cases of stalking in Australia in just one year, they examine who stalkers are, and why their victims often must leap through hurdles to be taken seriously.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December 2020 one WA's most fearsome bikie heavyweights was assassinated in front of hundreds of people at the Kwinana Motorplex, sparking an unprecedented response from both police and politicians.  Taskforce Ravello smashed in doors, raided properties, locked up people in the hunt for Martin's killer.  Meanwhile, Martins lavish and at times bizarre funeral was livestreamed as a procession of bikies followed behind the casket. In this episode Tim is joined by Chief Reporter Ben Harvey, as they outline the events that led to the arrest of the Sniper, and another man, nicknamed The Baker, the alleged mastermind behind the killing. Now in another bizarre twist the case is back before the courts, with Nick Martin's widow lodging a claim for damages – against the State of Western Australia, and the shooter.  Incredibly, the Sniper whose identity is suppressed made an extraordinary court appearance, claiming he doesn't care who knows his name, despite being a marked man. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month, Donald J Trump became the first president, present or former, to face a criminal trial in the United States. And the allegation was that he, and his minions, along with the National Enquirer “orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election”.  A scheme involving a porn star, a publisher called Pecker, and an Australian sports reporter turned gossip king.  Joining us to break down the case of THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK against DONALD J. TRUMP, is Associate Professor David Smith from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.  Judge Juan Merchan has reprimanded the former President for his outspoken commentary about the trial, even fining the 2024 presidential candidate $900 for repeated breaches of a gag order.  The Judge even hinted at prison if he was to continue. However, in this episode we outline the logistical, legal and political reasons Donald Trump will NEVER go to jail. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It began with a man, and then a boy.  The massacre at Bondi Junction. And the stabbing of a bishop during a Wakeley church service.  Both horrific actions were captured in real time, and the images of the knife, of the death, the horror the shock and the grief, then broadcast to the world.  The mainstream media showed what they needed to amid the strict controls which govern what can be shown by an Australian media company.  On social media – no such control.    Australia's e-safety commissioner stood up and called for those images - to be taken down. X, formerly known as Twitter, refused.  Dr Dana McKay, Associate Dean of Interaction, Technology and Information in the School of Computing Technologies at RMIT University joins host Tim Clarke to walk through the Government vs Goliath legal battle currently playing out in the Federal Court. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just after 2am on October 12, 2023 an ambulance raced to WA's main maximum security prison Casuarina.   A 16-year-old boy had self-harmed inside his cell at the notorious Unit 18 – the juvenile facility located within the grounds of the adult prison.   The teen was rushed to hospital where was put on life support. One week later, surrounded by family, he took his final breath.   After his death was grief. From his family, his friends and the community.   But there was also outrage. How could this happen? Calls for change became deafening shouts.   An inquiry was held and the revelations uncovered shocked the state.   That boy's name was Cleveland Dodd.   Senior reporter Rebecca LeMay joins host Tim Clarke to walk through the Coronial inquest into Cleveland's death. ***A warning to our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander listeners, this episode contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died. This episode also contains content about suicide and self-harm and may be distressing. If you or anyone you know needs support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 ***See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kimberley Heptinstall was 32, the life of party. Everyone's friend.  She and her partner Travis Barnard met online and got engaged in June 2017.   Until, after a planned elective surgery, Kim lost her life. Suddenly, tragically.  The loss devastated her family. And left her partner bereaved, and apparently grieving.  What Barnard did on the day his partner died in 2019 led him into court this week.  Actions that to anyone who has lost someone too young are hard to hear, and hard to believe.  Criminal lawyer Damien Cripps joins Tim Clarke to discuss all aspects of the case.  For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blood, violence and death seem to follow the name Edhouse.  Father and son Andrew and Robert are both bikies and linked to a string of gruesome crimes – including the disappearance of Kalgoorlie woman Lisa Govan. Andrew Edhouse, one of WA's most notorious bikies in the late 90s,  was a member of one of the “most secretive” bikie clubs in Australia - the Club Deroes. In the late 1990s Perth was in the grip of a war between the Club Deroes and the Coffin Cheaters. One casualty was Coffin Cheater Marc Chabriere, shot dead in his car in Welshpool. Edhouse was accused of his murder but later found not guilty. The son, Robert Edhouse was also a bikie - the Perth leader of a group called Aryan Nations. The neo-nazi was convicted along with his lover Melanie Attwood of the brutal murder of her ex-partner Alan Taylor in 2016. A crime Harvey describes as “full metal psycho behaviour”. The West Australian's chief reporter and Up Late host Ben Harvey joins host Tim Clarke to explore the violent worlds of two members of one family, which collided in one shocking courtroom outburst.  And could come together again before a coroner in a few short months.  For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It started as a way to create memories to last a lifetime. An experienced pilot, two excited 12-year-old girls and a family friend on a joy flight over Broome's iconic coastline. But it quickly turned into every parent's worst nightmare as the Robinson R44 Raven chopper plunged to the ground seconds after take-off, right in front of their loved ones eyes. On board that flight was award-winning tourism operator and Broome identity Troy Thomas, his daughter Mia, her school friend Amber Millar and education assistant and friend of the families Maddison Down. Troy, who was piloting the helicopter and Amber were killed. Mia and Maddison left clinging to life. A community was in shock and an investigation began. What it revealed would shock the tourism industry and leave Amber Millar's grieving family desperate for answers. The Nightly's investigative journalist Kristen Shorten joins Tim Clarke to unpack the case. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Versace is a name dripped with glamour, and wealth, and glitz, and fame.  But the reality of the death of a man who bore it was a lot grimier than the Italian fashion house which made it famous.   Joseph Rodney Versace. A man with bikie links. Shot in the head. Dead – in a shed, north of Perth.  The gunman, Joshua Duperouzel, also with bikie links, made his escape in a black Beemer with the number plate ‘666'.  And he stayed on the run for days, before turning himself in the most bizarre way. Former court reporter for Seven News Perth Syan Vallance joins host Tim Clarke to break down the case of The State of Western Australia vs Joshua Colin Duperouzel. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the case that's dominated the Australian consciousness. The alleged murders of a couple – Jesse Baird and Luke Davies – by another man. A NSW cop. Beau Lamarre-Condon.   A double homicide, in Jesse's home. In cold blood. With a gun, that was police issue. Jesse Baird was allegedly Mr-Lamarre Condon's obsession. A love interest spurned, which has allegedly led to the unthinkable.  Seven Network senior reporter Robert Ovadia joins Tim Clarke to discuss the case.   For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au  *** If you or someone you know needs support: 1800RESPECT, 1800 737 732 ***See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Greste – the journalist who spent more than a year locked up in an Egyptian prison – has said the Australian government took too long to finally call for the release and return of Julian Assange. Assange took his final appeal against extradition to the United States to the UK's highest court this week – a last bid to stop him being sent across the Atlantic to face espionage charges. Those charges stem from the Wikileaks releases of hundreds of thousands of US military documents in 2010 and 2011. And since then, Assange has fought off allegations that he put lives at risk with his online leaks, alongside allegations of sexual assault against two women in Sweden. The Swedish allegations fell away as Assange hid away in Ecuador's embassy in London. But the US have never gone away, and this week argued that Assange should be sent to their country to face their justice system. Greste joins host Tim Clarke to discuss the many intricacies of this long-running case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a spin-off from the original drama Brittany Higgins versus Bruce Lehrmann. Veteran TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson took on her former employer Network 10 over her decision to get her own lawyers. And over what those lawyers cost. It all stems from the interview Wilkinson conducted with Higgins on The Project in 2021, where Lehrmann was accused of rape. And that Logies speech, which forced the delay of the criminal trial of Lehrmann. There was more explosive testimony from Wilkinson, revealing the inner workings of the TV station, in a bid to make her former employers pay. Jenna Clarke, associate editor of The Australian joins host Tim Clarke to discuss the latest spin-off in the case that has consumed Canberra and Australia's media. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was one of the biggest figures in Melbourne's Underbelly. She was his lawyer. And, as it turns out, the biggest snitch of all.   Tony Mokbel is widely regarded as the organiser of Melbourne's methamphetamine business. And in 2006 he became Australia's most wanted man, escaping the country on a yacht bound for Greece. He was caught a year later, wearing what would become the most famous wig in Australian crime. Beside him through all of it was Nicola Gobbo. A prominent Melbourne lawyer she acted for many of the underworld, including Carl Williams. But unbeknown to them, she was simultaneously acting for another- Melbourne Police. Years of informing on her clients earned her the nickname Lawyer X and the police several high-profile collars. But she couldn't stay secret for long. The scandal rocked Australia. Criminals started appealing convictions, on the basis Gobbo's evidence was tainted. Including Mokbel, in court this month appealing his sentence for serious drug charges. Criminal lawyer Katherine Dowling joins Tim Clarke to comb through the history of Tony Mokbel and his extraordinary claims about the lawyer who used to defend him.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 1, 2000 two shots rang out in the darkness in the middle of nowhere. The handful of Gypsy Jokers sitting around a campfire near the pub in the tiny Goldfields town of Ora Banda hit the deck. One wasn't so lucky. Billy Grierson caught a bullet in the chest and bled to death. The owner of the pub, former CIB detective Don Hancock insisted he had nothing to do with the death. The Jokers were not convinced. Bombing after bombing followed Griersons death. Hancock refused witness protection. And then came the act that rocked the State & changed WA forever. The West Australian's bikie whisperer, chief reporter and host of Up Late, Ben Harvey, joins Tim Clarke to dissect the murder of Billy Grierson, and the terrifying fallout which followed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A decorated policeman is revealed to be a murderer. Detective Roger Rogerson was once a legend of the NSW police force. He scooped up robbers, shot up bad boys, solved murders and never said sorry. But as it turned out, he was as corrupt as they came. And even committed murders himself. Roger Rogerson died on January 21, 2024 aged 83, after suffering a brain aneurysm in his cell at Long Bay prison in Sydney. With his death one of the most notorious law enforcement chapters in Australian history was finally buried, along with many secrets.   Tim Clarke is joined by author and former detective Duncan McNab to detail Rogerson's spectacular fall from grace. And how he became known as the most corrupt police officer the nation has ever known. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the contentious murder investigation everyone has an opinion about. Lloyd Patrick Rayney vs The State of Western Australia. One of the most scrutinized murder trials in living memory ended with Mr Rayney being acquitted of the murder, and manslaughter of his wife Corryn. Mr Rayney also won one of the biggest defamation payouts in Australian legal history AGAINST the WA Police.  In part 2 of our series on Lloyd Rayney, Former British Detective Superintendent Robin Napper joins host Tim Clarke to talk about the fallout of the multiple court cases. And share their theories about what happened the night of August 7, 2007. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a case that rocked WA's legal community and etched itself into the State's memory. A toxic marriage on the rocks, allegations of phone tapping, gambling, cheating and murder. Multiple court cases. A family in pieces. On the evening of August 7, 2007, Corryn Rayney, a Supreme Court registrar and mother of two, went boot scooting. She was never seen again. A week later after a tip from the public, her body was discovered buried in Kings Park. Rumours spread like wildfire through Perth. Her husband, prominent lawyer Lloyd Rayney became the police's number one suspect. Their “prime suspect” as Detective Jack Lee told the media. It took a year before he was charged with her murder. What happened next, was truly astonishing. Former British Detective Superintendent Robin Napper joins host Tim Clarke to cut through the case of the State of Western Australia vs Lloyd Patrick Rayney. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are plenty of fish in the sea, so the saying goes. But looking for love online can sometimes  be a terrifying and dangerous experience. Just ask one of the Perth victims of “campaigns of terror and punishment” at the hands of a serial dating app stalker. Adam Geoffrey Rybicki looked like any other young man looking for love on apps like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Red Hot Pie, WhatsApp, Snapchat Instagram and Facebook. Exchanges began innocently enough, but at the first sign of rejection, the 33-year-old would “flip out” and begin bombarding his victims, subjecting them to a reign of terror. In the last episode for 2023, The West Australian's court reporter Sarah Steger joins host Tim Clarke, to tell him how she broke the story and found herself the target of Rybicki's vitriol. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial continues and this week has featured the most explosive evidence from the woman who conducted the interview with Brittany Higgins.   Journalist, editor, presenter and author Lisa Wilkinson.   She, along with her employer Network Ten, are being sued by Mr Lehrmann, who alleges they defamed him with that piece on The Project in February 2021.  She, and they deny they did, on two grounds. Qualified privilege – that is they did all could to ensure what they aired was accurate.  And truth – that Mr Lehrmann did rape Ms Higgins in the office of Senator Linda Reynolds after a drunken night out in March 2019.  Media intersecting with the law and politics, colliding with a media superstar – with layers of #MeToo on top.  Jenna Clarke, associate editor of The Australian – who now writes about media daily but has spent many days in the Canberra bubble- joins host Tim Clarke to pick through the week's revelations of Bruce Emery Lehrmann vs Network Ten Pty Ltd and Lisa Wilkinson.   For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stewart Sinclair Gorham is 54-years-old. In the last 33 years, he has only spent 100 days in the community. The rest have been spent in prison, locked up for truly hideous crimes. His history is so bad, that even he says he should never again be released from prison. He may well be Western Australia's most dangerous man. Join host Tim Clarke and one of Australia's leading legal minds Tom Percy KC as they outline Gorham's vile history and his terrifying plan to ensure that if he is released, he winds up either dead, or back behind bars. Plus, they explore the controversial and continuing debate over detaining people after their sentences are served -- and whether a balance is being struck between protecting the public and punishing beyond the pale. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au   *** A warning this episode contains detailed discussion of child sexual abuse, sexual abuse and assault. If you or someone you know needs support: 1800RESPECT, 1800 737 732.  If you or someone you know is being abused, report it to the Western Australian police on 131 444, the Child Protection Hotline on 1800 700 250 or Crimestoppers 1800 333 000.***    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was meant to be the trip of a lifetime for Perth mother Avril Croft and her teenage daughter, sailing around Australia on a yacht. Instead they were murdered – and their bodies dumped into shark and croc infested waters. Garry Whitsed was charged with strangling his lover, shooting her daughter and disposing of the bodies to cover up his horrible crimes. And he came up with an incredible tale of how he said they died. Without the bodies, police and prosecutors had to prove that Whitsed's explanation was a pack of lies. Tim Clarke is joined by Dr Claire Ferguson - Associate Professor at the School of Justice at Queensland University of Technology – a specialist in cases where there's been a murder, but no body is found. And she delves into the difficulties of proving such cases – and what the history of them tells us about the perpetrators and the police who hunt them down. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a case that sent shockwaves around Australia and has captured the imagination of a nation for almost three years.  And the bombshells have kept on coming in the latest instalment - a defamation trial brought by Bruce Lehrmann in Sydney's Federal court this week. It's a complex he said, she said case. And the job of the judge to get to the bottom of the matter, according to specialist defamation and media lawyer Nick Stagg, co-founder and principal of law firm Steedman Stagg. He joins legal affairs editor Tim Clarke, to walk him through the first week of this explosive trial.  The case began in 2021, when The Project aired an interview with Brittany Higgins, a young parliamentary staffer who alleged she had been raped by a colleague in Parliament House.  Her alleged rapist was not named, but according to him, and later his high-powered and highly paid legal team, anyone who knew him could put the clues together and come up with his name.  The allegations set off a chain of events that had a seismic impact at the highest level of politics, the Liberal party and the law.  A criminal prosecutor of Mr Lehrmann went ahead in Canberra, but fell apart in spectacular fashion last year.  And now, it's Mr Lehrmann making the allegations - that Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson defamed him in the most serious of ways.  For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been more than 5 years since a Canberra toddler named Safa Annour died in a suspected murder. There have been no arrests, no answers, no justice. No closure. Safa was a striking, smiling little two-year old girl. Her eyes twinkling. And her happy little wave to the bus driver who dropped her off on Monday April 30, 2018,  would melt your heart. That very same day, at just before 2pm, Safa was taken to the Canberra Hospital with horrific injuries. Which killed her. It was a case that should have had all of Australia talking. But it was 6 months before anyone found out about the little girl's death. The West Australian's Dan Jervis-Bardy has made it his mission to find out what happened to Safa. He walks host Tim Clarke through the mysterious case, because someone, somewhere knows something. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was one of WA's sporting heroes. An AFL legend. But he was also a sexual predator. And a paedophile. Barry Cable preyed on the children of his neighbour - a 12 year-old-girl- frequently, brazenly and for years. After years of abuse, an inability of police to lay charges and a secret appearance WA's Kennedy Royal Commission into potential police corruption, it seemed the woman's story would go unheard. And Cable would go unpunished. Until 2018, when the law changed, removing the time limit for sexual abuse survivors to sue their abusers. And that woman called the offices of lawyer Michael Magazanik, of Rightside Legal. Magazanik joins host Tim Clarke to tell her story and her fight for justice. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au  *** A warning this episode contains detailed discussion of child sexual abuse and sexual abuse. If you or someone you know needs support: 1800RESPECT, 1800 737 732.  If you or someone you know is being abused, report it to the Western Australian police on 131 444, the Child Protection Hotline on 1800 700 250 or Crimestoppers 1800 333 000.***  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 39-year-old mother-of-four leaves her house in Duncraig on the morning of March 18, 1986. She is never seen again. Four devastated children. Puzzled family and friends. Many public appeals. The disappearance of Sharon Fulton resulted in a decades long investigation by police, determined to find out what happened to the devoted mother. A 77-year-old man has now been charged with murder. The West Australian's senior crime reporter Phil Hickey takes host Tim Clarke through the many twists in the long and winding police case – including the links to some of Australia's most infamous serial killers, the Birnies. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rachel Michael was much loved – by her mother. By her sister. She was well liked – particularly at St Pats Community Centre in Fremantle, where her face was familiar.   She was planning a big celebration for her 40th birthday but she would never see that birthday, or that party because she was murdered in a cruel and callous way.  Police set about catching her killer, Adam Vidot, in one of the more exceptional pieces of police work in WA in recent years.  It involved intensive surveillance by real undercover cops, an introduction to a fake crime lord – and the use of a scenario which had previously helped solve one of the most infamous child murders in Australian crime history.  For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team or cases you'd like explored, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was a regular and regarded criminal lawyer in Perth. Busy representing drunk drivers, drug dealers and COVID breachers.  But in 2018, Gary Rodgers was arrested and charged himself – accused of plotting with former Rebels bikie Steven Wayne Taylor, his mother Christine Taylor and another man, Simon Curry to pervert the course of justice. Rodgers, who denied the allegation, was convicted and sent to jail. He served 15 months in prison until being the State's highest court said he was not guilty of the crime prosecutors alleged.  Rodgers joins host Tim Clarke to tell how he proved his innocence while locked up with violent prisoners and convicted rapists. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A three-year-old boy dressed in a Spider-Man suit goes missing while playing at his foster grandmother's house in rural NSW in 2014. His name is William Tyrrell and he is never seen again. Today, barrister John Hammond joins host Tim Clarke to step through the serpentine search for William Tyrrell, the disturbing developments, the shocking police tactics, and the ongoing legal process.  They will discuss the ramifications of when a legal process turns into soap opera -- and what that can mean for the guilty and innocent alike.  For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some killers are pathetic. Some are genuinely sorry. And then there are a few – rare but always memorable – that are truly evil.  To the outside world, he was a young, urbane, university educated qualified psychologist.  A nice boy, and a good next-door neighbour. When in fact, he was the devil next door. Over Easter weekend 2021 Luke David Fawcett murdered his next door neighbour Maree Collins and her brother Wayne Johnson for no apparent reason. The details of their murders, and the things he did during, in between and after the crimes sent shivers up the spine of everyone in the courtroom. The West Australian's Police Editor Shannon Hampton was inside the courtroom. She joins host Tim Clarke as they go through the details of the chilling crimes. **WARNING: This case is very graphic and contains details which may disturb some listeners ***  For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feral and fascinating. Arrested, but still arresting. The membership and movements of WA's bikie gangs and the plans authorities have to crackdown on them are always in the headlines. None more so than Dayne Brajkovich, former sergeant at arms of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. Michael Tudori, partner at law firm Tudori Hager Grubb, is one of the busiest barristers in Perth, partly because of his client list including a decent number of heavy-set motorcycle enthusiasts.  He joins Tim Clarke to talk all things Brajkovich, what it's like to represent other bikies and tells us what he thinks of the government's new bikie laws. Plus,  as his a former lawyer, Tudori gives an insight into what slain Rebels boss Nick Martin was really like. For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Step into any court, in any town or city, on any day and within an hour you'll hear the word drugs.  Today's case is one of the strangest in recent memory and involves 1 tonne of illicit drugs destined for Western Australian shores. It also involved wrong numbers, rotten weather, a yacht from Madagascar, a skipper from France, a crewman from Wales – and a whale which began the downfall of a smuggling plot.  Join host Tim Clarke and one of Australia's leading legal minds Tom Percy KC, as they go through blunder after blunder which saw the Abrolhos drug smuggling case foiled, discuss the mistakes that drug dealers often make and whether the war on drugs is really working. Plus, Percy reveals one of the strangest cases he's experienced in his career.  For all the latest on courts and crime visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynn Cannon was murdered by her estranged husband Paul in December 2022. He was recently sentenced to 19 years in prison for the horrific crime.   It is just one of the many tragic domestic violence cases that flood our court systems.   Join host Tim Clarke and veteran barrister Bernard Standish, of Albert Wolf Chambers, as they discuss the Cannon case and ask what can be done about the scourge of domestic violence.  For all the latest on courts and crime, visit thewest.com.au. If you have a question for the team, please get in touch. Email courtintheact@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you live and breathe true crime? Want the inside story? All the juicy details? You're in luck. Court in the Act with Tim Clarke goes inside the courtroom with an in-depth look at the cases happening right now. Join Clarke and Australia's leading legal minds for all the twists and turns of the nation's most interesting cases.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.