Murder trial
Nicholas Munn will stand trial for the alleged hammer-murder of North Shore father Jason Fry, whose body was discovered in a car boot last April.
Mr Munn, 40, entered a plea of not guilty during a committal hearing in Geelong this week, with the accused to remain in custody until his trial at a date yet to be fixed.
Senior ‘clipped’
Police are seeking witnesses after a car knocked over a 96-year-old man at Queenscliff on Sunday, leaving him with a suspected broken hip.
Police described the incident as a “clip”, saying the driver might remain unaware that their car, possibly small and orange, had collided with the man.
‘Playmaker’ extended
“Exciting playmaker” Brandan Parfitt has signed a contract extension with the Geelong Cats, the club has announced.
The 20-year-old midfielder was now contracted until the end of 2020 after the Cats selected him with pick 26 in the 2016 draft, the club said.
Sex charges
An ex-policeman allegedly tried eloping overseas with a 14-year-old girl he was sexually abusing in Geelong around 10 years ago while married with two children, a court has heard.
Mario Simon Didulica, who faces 20 charges including sexual penetration of a child, quit the force in 2010 and moved to Croatia in 2013 while under police investigation, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard this week.
Crash ‘escape’
A woman had a “lucky escape” when her Ford Territory ploughed through a barrier and plunged off a bridge near Lara, according to police.
The driver suffered only a minor graze but was still taken to hospital for observation after the crash off the Princes Fwy and into Hovell’s Creek on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Crossing call
A railway boom-gate failure at North Geelong demands an “urgent” State Government inquiry, according to federal MP Sarah Henderson.
She called for the probe this week after Corio’s Caroline Bull said she almost collided with a freight train at a level crossing when the boom gate failed to activate.
Visitors campaign
A campaign encouraging friends and family to visit foreign students in Geelong could capitalise on Avalon Airport’s new international flights, according to Deakin University.
The campaign would seek to build on Deakin’s 3000 international students already averaging 1.7 visitors for 17 nights a year to create additional business for Avalon and other local tourism operators, the university said.
Sails down
Entries are down 10 per cent on last year for Geelong’s historic sailing regatta, organisers have revealed,
Festival of Sails this week announced a fleet of “more than 270” boats would compete in this long weekend’s regatta, with organisers calling the entries on “on par” with last year’s 300-plus.
