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THE MAN CHARGED with the rape and murder of Irishwoman Jill Meagher appeared in court in Melbourne early this morning and has been remanded in custody to face a committal hearing on 18 January.
41-year-old Adrian Ernest Bayley was charged yesterday after the woman’s body was found in a shallow grave at 1.45am local time. The site is about 55km from where the 29-year-old went missing and it is believed that Bayley travelled with police to assist them in their search.
The woman’s brother Michael McKeon and her husband Tom Meagher were present in court. Speaking outside the court afterwards, Tom Meagher thanked the public for its support.
“I just wanted to say very briefly that despite the fact that this is the worst thing that we’ll ever go through in our lives, I’ve been really humbled by the support of the Australian public, the tireless efforts of the police and all the friends and family who have put their lives on hold to help us out,” he said.
Meagher appealed to the public to be “mindful” now of negative comments on social media that “may hurt legal proceedings”.
Victoria Police also issued a statement asking members of the social media community to refrain from posting inappropriate comments that might jeopardise a successful prosecution.
Tribute
This morning, ABC presenter John Faine made an emotional tribute to his colleague and her friends and family. He said:
A bunch of people leave this workplace and go out to celebrate birthdays with Friday dinner and drinks. Some people wander off, some people stay on, and eventually in the absolutely normal course of a bunch of people enjoying Melbourne’s nightlife together, someone starts to walk home minutes away from where they are. And then it all goes bad.
He said Meagher would not want people to allow what happened to her to become a definition of life in Melbourne today.
“Jill wouldn’t want us triple locking the door and installing closed-circuit televisions everywhere as if we live under siege, because that’s not what it’s about,” he said.
“So, this morning we will pay our respect to our friend, our colleague, and there is a very empty space in our office this morning.”
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I think these operators have a fair argument for better wages. Their level of responsibility and potential stress deserves fair pay.
Another fine example of privatisation.
It wasn’t the just the private sector that made all our lives a misery of strikes unending back in the 70s!
It’s not private or pubic, it’s unionised organisations
They’re asking to be allowed to go to the toilet without being penalised. What is objectionable about that.
I worked previously in another Conduit center – they are a miserable, grinding bunch to work for. all power to the workers here.
I have a big problem with companies like this refusing to recognise unions while treating the minimum wage as a target to be aimed at instead of what it was intended as. When their employees eventually object to their wages and conditions they just shrug their shoulders as if to say ‘who me?’ And while this is happening we have politicians who claim credit for it as if all this were a great thing. Jobs, what jobs?
Compare this workers in a high stress and very important role looking for a rise to an average wage to the Luas workers looking for excessive wage demands for a low stress and unskilled role pushing a button. This is reality Luas workers are living in a fantasy world.
What’s skilled about answering a phone? You don’t think it’s stressful wondering if cars or people are going to cross in front of you as you’re pushing a button. I support both sets of workers in Conduit and Transdev. Enough of this pitting worker against worker bullshit. It’s contributing to the race to the bottom.
Have you compared what each set of works are asking for?
Have you seen the pay increases luas drivers want?
Regardless of anything related to job responsibilities, 999 workers have reasonable asks, luas drivers must think they are operating a space shuttle for the wage increases they are demanding.
Well said Daisy, a good friend of mine who is a driver, has to get up every morning at 4.30 am to start work, I like to think that he and other workers feel it’s worth getting up that early and drive 90000 people a day safely to their destinations, they have a remarkable record compared with general road safety and private motorists.
Didn’t say answering a phone was skilled if you read my comment but their requests are reasonably fitting for the job they do. I think its more stressful dealing with 999 calls for a few hours, I drive a car everyday I don’t find that stressful at all, I would imagine if my car was on tracks I would find it even less so, if you think different your a fool. Its not about pitting workers against workers its about greed and salaries befitting the job role. And Conor cry me a river, that’s the contract they signed up for, some people work 24hrs ie don’t get up at 4.30am but are up the whole night and don’t get the pay they are looking for. Again why wouldn’t you have a remarkable record when its on tracks, all they do is stop and go, there is no comparison to road users.
answering a phone and typing the information into a computer jax .
Answering a phone and having to relaying the correct information clearly and concisely to someone who may be seriously distressed because someone is breaking into their house, their husband is having a heart attack and dying, their house is on fire and their child is trapped or another equally dramatic event. Relaying the incorrect info could be a matter of life and death. Hang up and do it all over and again for close to minimum wage. Not going to save the world but definitely worth a living wage at a minimum.
the wage was set at a level which showed the level of skill required jax.
I thought these were the guys who asked you what service you need and put you through?
by your definition jax that’s the contract these workers signed up to also.
They push a lever , Conor they don’t drive ..
For as long as eircom ran this service, this never happened. Just saying.
Agree totally. They were very well trained, properly staffed & well paid back then. But, since we sold off the country’s best assets, it’s all about quantity not quality.
have your say