WA news LIVE: Body found in Hillarys lake; Perth shivers through cold morning

Nearly a month on since a Floreat mother and daughter were murdered inside their home by their friend’s estranged husband, police are yet to release any findings from an internal probe into how officers dealt with the killer’s family flagging domestic violence concerns in the weeks prior.

In announcing tougher gun laws commencing in WA in March, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said a review into the tragedy was ongoing, and may not be released publicly.

“The investigation is ongoing, I don’t have a date that it will be completed,” he said.

“The investigation requires witness statements and statements to be taken by those involved, some of those involved are grieving … so it will take as long as it takes to do it.”

The lack of an update comes on the same day Jennifer and Gretl Petelczyc are being laid to rest in a private funeral at Karrakatta Cemetery – 27 days after being fatally shot by Mark Bombara, 63.

Bombara legally owned 13 guns, and used two in the killings, despite his daughter Ariel claiming she had warned police about a handgun that was missing as she and her mother fled their Mosman Park family home with police assistance in April.

Ariel said she contacted police on three occasions, once in person at a station, once over the phone, and again during a police escort to the home, to tell police she felt her father was a threat to her and her mother’s lives. No action was taken against Bombara as a result.

The new gun laws will empower police to remove firearms from a person at the first hint of domestic violence issues – a last-minute amendment added in the wake of the double-murder suicide.

A Perth carer who admitted leaving an autistic, non-verbal 25-year-old trapped inside a car on a blistering hot day has narrowly avoided jail.

Tsz Wing Tam, 38, was sentenced in Joondalup Magistrates Court this morning after pleading guilty to endangering the life, health and safety of Jefferson Do, and also to stealing his money.

Tam admitted leaving Do in the back seat of a car at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre for more than two hours on January 13, as the outdoor temperatures reached 40 degrees, while he used his client’s money to buy himself lunch.

Emergency crews forced their way into the car to rescue the man after members of the public saw he was in distress and beating his chest.

Tam, who was Do’s carer for eight years, said he had been asked by his wife to buy an item that was on sale at Kmart, and that it was “easier to do” without Do.

During the shopping trip he also purchased hot chips and ice cream, placing the receipt back into Do’s wallet to make it look like it was bought for him.

He was sentenced to a 12-month suspended prison order and eight-month community-based order this morning.

In the wake of the incident, Do’s brother Harry said they would never trust another carer the same way again.

“It’s really difficult to deal with because it’s hard to see someone you trusted for so long in this light,” he said.

“We never suspected this from [Tam] and knowing he has done this behind our backs is really scary.”

Returning to the story that dominated yesterday’s news headlines.

Shire of Collie president Ian Miffling has spoken with Radio 6PR’s Gary Adshead this morning about his community’s reaction to being named as one of the Liberal party’s seven proposed locations for nuclear power plants.

“I’m taking it all on board and until I know what our community is really thinking – and no one’s really tested the water on that– there’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.

“People will be divided, I think that’s always going to be the case, but what I’ve been consistently saying is we need some more consultation in the community.”

Listen to the full interview here.

Read more here.

WA Police have just confirmed the body discovered in a Hillarys lake overnight is sadly that of missing man, Bradley Hutton.

Hutton, 52, had been missing for more than a week after last being seen in Padbury.

A WA Police spokesman said his family had been notified.

“At this time his death is not being treated as suspicious and police will prepare a report for the coroner,” he said.

If you’ve noticed a chill in the air this morning that’s because today is officially the coldest Perth morning in nearly a year!

The mercury dipped to 4.1 degrees at 6.30am, but according to the Bureau of Meteorology, it felt more like 2.8 degrees.

The last time it was this chilly was in August last year.

And clear skies mean more cold mornings for the remainder of the working week – including for winter solstice tomorrow – before the rain arrives just in time for the weekend.

To overnight news now and a body has been discovered in a Hillarys lake.

The body was found at Mawson Park around 4.30pm yesterday, with a huge police presence descending on the park late into the evening.

It has since been determined the death is non-suspicious.

And sadly a man, believed to be in his 60s, has died after his car crashed into a power pole in Wattleup.

WA Police said a Ford Fiesta hatchback was travelling south along Rockingham Road about 10pm when it left the road and struck the wooden power pole, before rolling and coming to rest on its roof.

The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle sustained critical injuries in the crash and died at the scene.

Major Crash officers urge anyone with any information relating to this crash, or who saw the blue Ford Fiesta hatchback travelling in the area prior to the crash, to contact Crime Stoppers.

Here’s what’s making news this morning:

Clear skies mean cold mornings!

Good morning, welcome to another day of WA news, served fresh and hot!

This morning, Sarah Brookes reports on a new Domain forecast that Perth house price rises will lead the nation’s in the financial year 2024-25. They’ve predicted a frankly scary median for the city that year.

And sticking with property news, an early lot release at a residential housing estate in Margaret River has sold out in 48 hours in another sign that demand is outpacing supply in Western Australia.

Meanwhile, nining giant Mineral Resources has announced plans to shut down its Yilgarn iron ore hub by the year’s end in a move expected to affect up to 1000 employees after the operation was deemed no longer financially viable.

Also, we are pleased to present the next instalment of Mark Naglazas’ People of Perth series, in which this roving journalist bails up members of the public and somehow gets them to share the secrets of their innermost selves. Today’s is particularly powerful, with our city’s residents sharing the greatest challenges of their lives, from a terrible divorce, to living with depression and the homesickness that comes with moving to new country.

Stay with us for more throughout the day.