A Melbourne underworld matriarch faced court yesterday in connection with the execution-style murder of her brother-in-law.
Gangland widow Judy Moran was one of three people charged over the slaying of Des “Tuppence” Moran, a former underworld enforcer who died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head on Monday while having coffee in a suburban cafe.
The Moran family played a major role in a gang war for control of Melbourne’s drugs trade that claimed some 30 lives between 1995 and 2006, sparking fears the latest shooting could lead to a renewal of hostilities.
Moran, 61, was shot at close range by two balaclava-wearing gunmen in a noon hit in a cafe in the city’s busy Ascot Vale area.
Witnesses who saw the killing reported that Judy Moran arrived at the scene screaming “Dessy! Dessy!”
The 64-year-old lost her husband Lewis and two sons Mark and Jason in the Melbourne gang war, which was dramatized in the hit Australian series Underbelly. Since then, she has traded on her notoriety as a gangland black widow with frequent TV appearances portraying her family as unwitting victims of underworld violence.
But she was accused in a late-night court session on Tuesday of helping orchestrate the latest killing and charged with being an accessory in Desmond Moran’s murder. No motive has so far been suggested.
Police told the court that officers saw Judy Moran dumping the getaway car used in the murder that contained a rifle and gun case, while telephone taps captured her discussing disposing of items used in the killing.
A subsequent search of her house revealed handguns, clothing and a wig fitting the description of items used in the slaying, police said.
She was refused bail after reappearing in court yesterday, with magistrate Jelena Popovic saying she was concerned about the safety of members of the community.
Family friend Suzanne Kane has also been charged with being an accessory and Kane’s boyfriend Geoffrey Armour faces a murder charge.
CHAGOS ISLANDS: Recently elected Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam told lawmakers that the contents of negotiations are ‘unknown’ to the government Mauritius’ new prime minister ordered an independent review of a deal with the UK involving a strategically important US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, placing the agreement under fresh scrutiny. Under a pact signed last month, the UK ceded sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius, while retaining control of Diego Garcia — the island where the base is situated. The deal was signed by then-Mauritian prime minister Pravind Jugnauth and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Oct. 3 — a month before elections in Mauritius in which Navin Ramgoolam became premier. “I have asked for an independent review of the
France on Friday showed off to the world the gleaming restored interior of Notre-Dame cathedral, a week before the 850-year-old medieval edifice reopens following painstaking restoration after the devastating 2019 fire. French President Emmanuel Macron conducted an inspection of the restoration, broadcast live on television, saying workers had done the “impossible” by healing a “national wound” after the fire on April 19, 2019. While every effort has been made to remain faithful to the original look of the cathedral, an international team of designers and architects have created a luminous space that has an immediate impact on the visitor. The floor shimmers and
THIRD IN A ROW? An expert said if the report of a probe into the defense official is true, people would naturally ask if it would erode morale in the military Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) has been placed under investigation for corruption, a report said yesterday, the latest official implicated in a crackdown on graft in the country’s military. Citing current and former US officials familiar with the situation, British newspaper the Financial Times said that the investigation into Dong was part of a broader probe into military corruption. Neither the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Chinese embassy in Washington replied to a request for confirmation yesterday. If confirmed, Dong would be the third Chinese defense minister in a row to fall under investigation for corruption. A former navy
‘VIOLATIONS OF DISCIPLINE’: Miao Hua has come up through the political department in the military and he was already fairly senior before Xi Jinping came to power in 2012 A member of China’s powerful Central Military Commission has been suspended and put under investigation, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday. Miao Hua (苗華) was director of the political work department on the commission, which oversees the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the world’s largest standing military. He was one of five members of the commission in addition to its leader, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Ministry spokesman Colonel Wu Qian (吳謙) said Miao is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline,” which usually alludes to corruption. It is the third recent major shakeup for China’s defense establishment. China in June
RSS