Saturday, July 22, 2006
SYDNEY MORNING HANDGUN
Armed unilateralism catches on at the Sydney Morning Herald:
A Sydney Morning Herald employee has been charged after allegedly threatening another man with a handgun outside an inner-Sydney hotel.
A 25-year-old St Peters man was approached and threatened with the weapon on Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills about 5am (AEST) today.
Just around the corner from News Ltd. headquarters. Hmm.
A 34-year-old Redfern man attended Surry Hills police station about 1.30pm today where he was charged with assault and possessing a prohibited firearm.
But who is he? His bosses aren’t saying:
In a statement released late today, the company said it would provide the employee with whatever assistance was appropriate.
"Obviously the criminal justice process will proceed, and any assistance we can provide our employee to help him deal with personal issues, we want to do so,” the spokesman said.
He would not name the man or his job title.
And the SMH accuses the Howard government of evasiveness and secrecy! Mystery gunman is due in court August 14.
UPDATE. It’s (allegedly) my old mate (and former News Ltd. staffer) Stephen Gibbs:
A Sydney Morning Herald reporter allegedly pulled a gun on another journalist after an argument at an inner-city pub yesterday.
Stephen Gibbs, who writes about police and crime for the Herald, allegedly threatened Daily Telegraph sub-editor Steven Jackson with a silver revolver outside the Evening Star hotel, in Surry Hills, about 5am.
Not for the first time is a sub-editor (allegedly) threatened at the Evil Star, a venue at which Gibbs has a colourful (and usually friendly) history.