Rayney to face wiretapping charge next year

Former Bermuda prosecutor Lloyd Rayney has been ordered to stand trial next year charged with tapping the phone of his estranged wife who was murdered last year.

According to Australian media reports, Perth District Court chief judge Antoinette Kennedy listed a four-day hearing starting from March 3 for Mr Rayney, who has pleaded not guilty to a Commonwealth phone-tapping charge.

Supreme Court Registrar Corryn Rayney, 44, was murdered on August 7 last year, after disappearing from a boot-scooting class.

Her body was found nine days later in a bush grave in Kings Park, Perth.

Mr Rayney was named by police as a "prime'' suspect but has denied any involvement in her murder and has not been charged in relation to that crime.

He has launched a defamation suit against the Western Australia government over the comments. He had his bail renewed ahead of the trial next year.

The couple lived in Bermuda from 2003 to 2004, when Mr. Rayney worked for the Department of Public Prosecutions. They then moved to Perth, where he carried on work as a lawyer.

Pranksters set off marine distress flares

Halloween pranksters set off red marine distress flares — prompting Marine Police to set off on a bogus rescue mission.

Police say the jokers' antics in Heron Bay on Friday could have led to somebody getting severely burnt, while they also tied up valuable Police resources which could have meant trouble for people in genuine need of help.

Similar incidents have also happened earlier this year in the Admiralty Park and Jews Bay areas.

Police said in a statement that marine distress flares are only to be used in an emergency situation where a vessel is in need of urgent assistance.

However, apart from some incidents of egg-throwing across the Island — resulting in minor damage to vehicles — no other Halloween related matters were reported.

Nursery burglarised

Police attended a reported burglary at a Southampton Nursery on Thursday where a burglar stole household supplies.

At. 9.50 a.m., officers attended Tree Tops 2 Nursery and spoke with the complainant who said between 6 p.m. on Wednesday and 9 a.m. on Thursday, a culprit broke into the premises and stole paper towel, trash bags, toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

Later that day at 1 p.m., officers attended another reported burglary at a Store Hill, Smith's home where the complainant said between 9 a.m. and noon that day, a burglar entered the home and stole a quantity of cash.

Police are investigating both matters.