cops charge caledonian connection

...just dont mention celtic rangers....


Scot charged over detention riots

Friday 3 January 2003, 20:05PM

A 33-year-old British man was the first person charged over the recent spate of unrest in Australia's detention centres when he appeared in court on Friday.

Darren McCreadie, 33, from Scotland, faced Parramatta court on five charges stemming from a violent escape attempt at the Villawood detention centre in Sydney on New Year's Eve.

Parts of Villawood were also burned as part of what appeared to be an orchestrated campaign to set fire to detention centres around the country.

McCreadie was remanded in custody on two charges of damaging commonwealth property, two of threatening to harm a public official and one charge of affray. He was ordered to appear at Sydney Central court on January 8.

Federal police are still investigating the disturbances which caused $8.5 million worth of damage, mostly by the fires at Villawood, Baxter, Woomera, Christmas Island and Port Hedland.

All centres remained calm but tense today as security was increased with more than 130 detainees strip-searched at Woomera and Baxter, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) said.

A search of 77 detainees at Woomera found two mobile phones and one man was discovered carrying a screwdriver, while 55 detainees were strip-searched at Baxter, DIMIA said in a statement.

Forty detainees have now been moved to local jails following the violence at the centres - four from Baxter, 15 from Villawood, seven from Woomera and 10 from Port Hedland.

Australian Federal Police today said they expect further charges to be laid.

Prime Minister John Howard has threatened to jail or deport those people found responsible for damage caused by the riots.
©2002 AAP