Bec Symons

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Journalist, Radio Presenter and Producer at ABC News (Australia)

News and sausage sizzle enthusiast. Journalist in Gippsland via @abcnews. Views are my own. Got a tip? [email protected] or [email protected]

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Articles

Man accused of killing GP Ashley Gordon pleads not guilty to murder

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Bec Symons

A beloved Box Hill GP who was allegedly murdered after four boys broke into his Doncaster home died from a 10.8 centimetre stab wound through his chest, a jury in the murder trial has heard. Ashley Gordon, 33, was asleep in his home in January last year, when a group of boys broke in twice. They had been at a party nearby. The first time, two of them broke in.
Paedophile teacher Peter Jeffrey Farmer jailed for historic sexual assault

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tavleen Singh |Bec Symons

A paedophile primary school teacher who fled Victoria after he was caught has been jailed. Peter Jeffrey Farmer, 66, pleaded guilty earlier this year to 10 sexual assault and gross indecency charges, 30 years after his crimes. The charges related to offending between 1986 and 1988. Judge Geoffrey Chettle on Tuesday sentenced Farmer to six-and-a-half years in prison, with a four-and-a-half-year non-parole period.
Mildura 'battens down the hatches' as dust storm takes over

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Bec Symons

Mildura residents are navigating an orange haze as a dust storm sweeps over the regional Victorian city. Police are directing traffic across town, as it gets harder for motorists to see. Real estate agent Katrina Wootton said while it was not that unusual for Mildura, it was the first dust storm in a while. "The Mallee dust is just rearing its ugly head today," Ms Wootton said. "We're quite used to it, you know, close all the windows and batten down the hatches.
Man arrested after pedestrian's body discovered on Morwell roadside

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Bec Symons

An East Gippsland man, 28, has been interviewed after a man's body was found on the side of a road in Morwell. Police said the man was struck by a car and that his body could have been on the roadside for up to eight hours. The 28-year-old has been released without charge and the investigation is ongoing. Police have interviewed a man following the discovery of a body on the side of a road in Morwell in eastern Victoria.
Baw Baw council Mayor Danny Goss suspended after 'aggressive' conduct in meetings

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Bec Symons

A regional Victorian mayor will be suspended for 21 days from Thursday after an arbiter found his behaviour in meetings more than a year ago resulted in misconduct. The arbiter was called in to investigate allegations against Baw Baw Shire Council Mayor Danny Goss and found he was "nasty and aggressive" and "abusive and threatening" during meetings in March and April last year.
What it's like to live in the town hosting the triple-murder mushroom trial

2 months ago | radionz.co.nz | Daniel Miles |Bec Symons

By Daniel Miles and Bec Symons, ABCOn a regular Wednesday morning in late April, it's easy enough to find a park along Morwell's main street. But this week is no regular week. The regional Victorian town, just shy of two hours' south-east of Melbourne, has found itself at the centre of an international media spotlight as it plays host to the triple-murder mushroom trial.
What it's like to live in the town hosting the triple-murder mushroom trial

2 months ago | rnz.co.nz | Daniel Miles |Bec Symons

By Daniel Miles and Bec Symons, ABCOn a regular Wednesday morning in late April, it's easy enough to find a park along Morwell's main street. But this week is no regular week. The regional Victorian town, just shy of two hours' south-east of Melbourne, has found itself at the centre of an international media spotlight as it plays host to the triple-murder mushroom trial.
Erin Patterson's mushroom murder trial takes over Morwell streetscapes

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Daniel Miles |Bec Symons

On a regular Wednesday morning in late April, it's easy enough to find a park along Morwell's main street. But this week is no regular week. The regional Victorian town, just shy of two hours' south-east of Melbourne, has found itself at the centre of an international media spotlight as it plays host to the triple-murder mushroom trial.
Disgraced teacher Peter Farmer admits to sexually assaulting young girls in Gippsland

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Bec Symons

The victims of a disgraced Latrobe Valley school teacher have detailed how his sexual offending led to lives marred with drug addiction and mental illness. Peter Jeffrey Farmer, 66, has pleaded guilty to 10 sexual assault and gross indecency charges related to five different victims as young as eight years old between 1986 and 1988. As some of his victims read their devastating impact statements, they were forced to stop and start as the video link to Farmer's prison room cut in and out.
Phillip Island resident Paul Waylen mourned as police release son without charge

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Bec Symons

The son of a Phillip Island man who was found dead in his home on Monday morning has been released from custody without charge. Paul Waylen was found dead at his Cowes home just before 10:30am after police were called to the property to conduct a welfare check. Homicide detectives cordoned off the expansive fenced property as they investigated the 86-year-old's death. A man believed to be Mr Waylen's son, Frank Waylen, was arrested in nearby Ventnor shortly before his father's body was discovered.