Latest news with #Bushmaster
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
'You should not be here,' judge tells Windsor man nabbed with trunkload of drugs, guns
A sign outside the Superior Court of Justice building in downtown Windsor is shown March 31, 2025. Photo by Dan Janisse / Windsor Star A bright young Windsor man with dreams of medical school has high hopes for the future — despite now boasting a criminal record involving drugs and guns. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'You should not be here, you can make something of yourself,' Superior Court Justice Brian Dube told Hussein Al Hayawi, 28, at a sentencing hearing on Thursday. It has taken more than five years for justice to be served after police pulled over a vehicle with a broken headlight in early 2019. Inside the trunk was a Bushmaster rifle — the judge described its look as 'menacing' — and two shotguns, along with ammunition. Also seized: 45.6 grams of cocaine, 18.3 grams of methamphetamine and 293 grams of cannabis. Since the arrest of the then-22-year-old, Al Hayawi has spent close to 2,000 days under what his lawyer described as 'strict house arrest.' On Thursday, however, he was brought to court from jail. Without any details being revealed, the judge was informed Al Hayawi has another criminal case pending, but this week's matter is considered a first-time offence. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Following a trial last fall, Justice Dube released his ruling earlier this year that found Al Hayawi guilty on 11 counts, including possession of a restricted weapon and unauthorized possession of firearms, as well as possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. Citing the 'very obvious connection' between drugs and guns in criminal enterprises, the 'commercial motivation' behind the amount of drugs involved, as well as the need for the court to send a message, federal drug prosecutor Mitchell Witteveen called for a five-year prison sentence. He described the offence as 'mid-level trafficking.' Defence lawyer Jack Lloyd said the Crown might 'scream and shout denunciation and deterrence' but he described his client as a 'youthful first-time offender' who was a good student with plans to go to medical school. But then 'something goes wrong' in 2019. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Greed could have been that motivation to turn to crime. 'I'm sure he wanted to make … pretty good money,' Dube interjected at one point, although the judge also pointed to a 'very positive' pre-sentence report and family character letter that described a 'loving, respectful and hopeful person.' The defence called for a conditional sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community. The judge's decision on punishment is expected in the fall. Justice Dube said Al Hayawi made 'some very dangerous choices' and that a 'very concerning fact' in the case was having an offender driving around Windsor with three firearms in the trunk of his car. With his parents and sister sitting in the public gallery, Al Hayawi stood and addressed the court: 'I'd like to apologize. I'm a person of this community.' He said he has goals which include leaving Windsor to 'prepare for my future' before contributing again to the community. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Justice Dube described Al Hayawi — born in Toronto and a high school Grade A student who played football and volunteered at his local mosque — as someone he doesn't usually encounter in the local courts. 'You are unlike a lot of people I deal with … many of those people don't have the wherewithal to make it,' he said, adding Al Hawayi had already 'given up a significant portion of his young life because of his poor choices.' As another mitigating factor in determining an appropriate sentence, the judge referred to 'multiple violations of the accused's Charter rights,' which had been the subject of an earlier, but unsuccessful, application by the defence to have the charges tossed. Lloyd told the Star after Thursday's proceedings that those violations included how police conducted the vehicle search, how Al Hayawi was arrested and then detained. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More If the judge shows leniency in sentencing, it won't be the first time Al Hayawi would appear to have gotten a big break from the justice system. Two years ago, a prosecutor in a different courtroom advised a Windsor judge the Crown was staying a first-degree murder charge against Al Hayawi in connection to the Nov. 28, 2022, fatal shooting of Daniel Squalls, 24, in the 800 block of Hanna Street East. Windsor police arrested Al Hayawi a few days after that shooting. His lawyer later told the Star his client had been caught up in the murder investigation while being the subject of ongoing police surveillance in connection to a guns and drugs case. After months on the run, Malique Calloo was arrested by U.S. authorities in July 2023. He's scheduled to go on trial next March for first-degree murder in the killing of Squalls. At the conclusion of Thursday's proceedings, Al Hayawi's father leaned into the prisoner box and kissed his son as his mother stood nearby in tears. dschmidt@ World Columnists World Toronto & GTA MMA
ABC News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- ABC News
Man injured in army vehicle rollover near Australian military training area
A man has been taken to hospital after an army vehicle rollover near a major Australian military training ground in central Queensland. Emergency services were called to the St Lawrence Road section of the Bruce Highway at Ogmore about 2.20pm after a Bushmaster truck rolled. The Queensland Ambulance Service said one man with minor injuries to his leg was treated by paramedics and was taken to the Rockhampton Hospital in a stable condition. At 4.30pm, a Queensland Police spokesperson said the Bruce Highway remained open to motorists. The incident happened just north of the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area, located about 100 kilometres north of Rockhampton. The Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area is a large area primarily used for military training exercises by the Australian Defence Force [ADF] and the Singapore Armed Forces [SAF]. The Bushmaster is a Protected Mobility Vehicle that serves many roles in the army. It can deploy up to ten troops and it's armoured V-shaped hull protects its passengers from landmines and other explosive devices. The ABC has contacted the Department of Defence for comment.
Scoop
05-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
NZDF Prepares For Major Warfighting Exercise In Australia
Press Release – New Zealand Defence Force Held every two years, the exercise is designed to improve and strengthen interoperability and combat readiness in complex, multi-domain operations. New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel and assets have begun to deploy to one of the largest multi-national military exercises in the world. Featuring more than 30,000 military personnel and platforms from 19 nations, Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 is being held from 13 July to 4 August across Australia. Held every two years, the exercise is designed to improve and strengthen interoperability and combat readiness in complex, multi-domain operations. In preparation for the exercise, close to 35 New Zealand Army vehicles, including Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAV) and the new Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, along with 150 personnel, boarded HMNZS Canterbury today, ready for the transit to Queensland. Once there, the NZ Army combat team will link up with the Australian Army's 7th Brigade for a preparatory exercise to hone their interoperability in the build up to Talisman Sabre. They will soon be joined by the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, three NH90 helicopters, P-8A Poseidon aircraft, mine warfare divers, military police, medics, logistics and others to support a range of intense land, air, and maritime operations alongside key partners. In total, more than 680 NZDF personnel will deploy on the exercise. 'Talisman Sabre provides an invaluable opportunity for us to train with some of our closest defence partners in a realistic and demanding environment,' said Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Rob Krushka. 'Exercises like this ensure we remain a credible, capable and combat-ready force, ready to respond to regional and global challenges.' Participating alongside ally Australia and defence partners including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and others, the NZDF's involvement reflects New Zealand's ongoing commitment to collective security, regional stability, and defence cooperation. 'One of our real capabilities is force integration,' Major General Krushka said. 'We have a well-proven ability to seamlessly embed our personnel and platforms into multi-national, multi-domain tactical forces and this exercise gives us another opportunity to demonstrate this.' Talisman Sabre 25 will incorporate joint training scenarios including amphibious landings, maritime identification and interception, air operations, live-fire exercises, and logistics support across a vast training area, including in Australia's Northern Territory and Queensland, and in the Coral Sea. For the first time, Papua New Guinea will also be hosting an event.
Scoop
05-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
NZDF Prepares For Major Warfighting Exercise In Australia
Press Release – New Zealand Defence Force Held every two years, the exercise is designed to improve and strengthen interoperability and combat readiness in complex, multi-domain operations. New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel and assets have begun to deploy to one of the largest multi-national military exercises in the world. Featuring more than 30,000 military personnel and platforms from 19 nations, Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 is being held from 13 July to 4 August across Australia. Held every two years, the exercise is designed to improve and strengthen interoperability and combat readiness in complex, multi-domain operations. In preparation for the exercise, close to 35 New Zealand Army vehicles, including Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAV) and the new Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, along with 150 personnel, boarded HMNZS Canterbury today, ready for the transit to Queensland. Once there, the NZ Army combat team will link up with the Australian Army's 7th Brigade for a preparatory exercise to hone their interoperability in the build up to Talisman Sabre. They will soon be joined by the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, three NH90 helicopters, P-8A Poseidon aircraft, mine warfare divers, military police, medics, logistics and others to support a range of intense land, air, and maritime operations alongside key partners. In total, more than 680 NZDF personnel will deploy on the exercise. 'Talisman Sabre provides an invaluable opportunity for us to train with some of our closest defence partners in a realistic and demanding environment,' said Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Rob Krushka. 'Exercises like this ensure we remain a credible, capable and combat-ready force, ready to respond to regional and global challenges.' Participating alongside ally Australia and defence partners including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and others, the NZDF's involvement reflects New Zealand's ongoing commitment to collective security, regional stability, and defence cooperation. 'One of our real capabilities is force integration,' Major General Krushka said. 'We have a well-proven ability to seamlessly embed our personnel and platforms into multi-national, multi-domain tactical forces and this exercise gives us another opportunity to demonstrate this.' Talisman Sabre 25 will incorporate joint training scenarios including amphibious landings, maritime identification and interception, air operations, live-fire exercises, and logistics support across a vast training area, including in Australia's Northern Territory and Queensland, and in the Coral Sea. For the first time, Papua New Guinea will also be hosting an event.
Scoop
05-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
NZDF Prepares For Major Warfighting Exercise In Australia
New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel and assets have begun to deploy to one of the largest multi-national military exercises in the world. Featuring more than 30,000 military personnel and platforms from 19 nations, Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 is being held from 13 July to 4 August across Australia. Held every two years, the exercise is designed to improve and strengthen interoperability and combat readiness in complex, multi-domain operations. In preparation for the exercise, close to 35 New Zealand Army vehicles, including Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAV) and the new Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, along with 150 personnel, boarded HMNZS Canterbury today, ready for the transit to Queensland. Once there, the NZ Army combat team will link up with the Australian Army's 7th Brigade for a preparatory exercise to hone their interoperability in the build up to Talisman Sabre. They will soon be joined by the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, three NH90 helicopters, P-8A Poseidon aircraft, mine warfare divers, military police, medics, logistics and others to support a range of intense land, air, and maritime operations alongside key partners. In total, more than 680 NZDF personnel will deploy on the exercise. 'Talisman Sabre provides an invaluable opportunity for us to train with some of our closest defence partners in a realistic and demanding environment,' said Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Rob Krushka. 'Exercises like this ensure we remain a credible, capable and combat-ready force, ready to respond to regional and global challenges.' Participating alongside ally Australia and defence partners including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and others, the NZDF's involvement reflects New Zealand's ongoing commitment to collective security, regional stability, and defence cooperation. 'One of our real capabilities is force integration,' Major General Krushka said. 'We have a well-proven ability to seamlessly embed our personnel and platforms into multi-national, multi-domain tactical forces and this exercise gives us another opportunity to demonstrate this.' Talisman Sabre 25 will incorporate joint training scenarios including amphibious landings, maritime identification and interception, air operations, live-fire exercises, and logistics support across a vast training area, including in Australia's Northern Territory and Queensland, and in the Coral Sea. For the first time, Papua New Guinea will also be hosting an event.
