Australian jailed for UK backpacker's kidnap and rape ordeal - BBC News

An Australian man who raped a British backpacker during a month-long kidnapping ordeal in outback Queensland has been jailed for 10 years.

Marcus Allyn Keith Martin, 25, had pleaded guilty to charges of rape and deprivation of liberty.

He held Elisha Greer, then 22, hostage during a 1,600km (1,000 mile) road trip in 2017 - during which she was beaten and had a gun held to her head.

Ms Greer, from Liverpool, was rescued after police pulled over their 4x4.

Judge Dean Morzone told the Cairns District Court on Tuesday that Martin would be required to serve at least 80% of his sentence, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Rescue after fuel stop

The court heard the pair had begun a brief relationship after meeting at a party in January 2017, but Martin soon turned violent.

After embarking on a road trip, Martin held Ms Greer against her will and beat and raped her repeatedly.

The ordeal ended four weeks later in the town of Mitchell, after a service station owner called police.

The owner had witnessed Ms Greer driving off without paying for fuel. Police stopped the 4x4 a short time later and found Martin hiding in the back.

• Elisha Greer describes road-trip kidnap

Ms Greer's injuries included facial fractures, bruising, abrasions to her neck and cuts to her body, as well as psychological harm.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane said that Martin had tried to "isolate" his victim on the road trip, including by cutting up her UK passport.

"She feared she would be murdered," Mr Crane told the court, according to the ABC report.

"She tried to get the attention of other road users as they would drive along and also other service station customers, to no avail."

A lawyer for Martin said his client had been taking drugs at the time, making him "paranoid and psychotic".

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48428813

2019-05-28 04:07:04Z
CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hdXN0cmFsaWEtNDg0Mjg4MTPSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3MvYW1wL3dvcmxkLWF1c3RyYWxpYS00ODQyODgxMw

Australian jailed for UK backpacker's kidnap and rape ordeal - BBC News

An Australian man who raped a British backpacker during a month-long kidnapping ordeal in outback Queensland has been jailed for 10 years.

Marcus Allyn Keith Martin, 25, had pleaded guilty to charges of rape and deprivation of liberty.

He held Elisha Greer, then 22, hostage during a 1,600km (1,000 mile) road trip in 2017 - during which she was beaten and had a gun held to her head.

Ms Greer, from Liverpool, was rescued after police pulled over their 4x4.

Judge Dean Morzone told the Cairns District Court on Tuesday that Martin would be required to serve at least 80% of his sentence, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Rescue after fuel stop

The court heard the pair had begun a brief relationship after meeting at a party in January 2017, but Martin soon turned violent.

After embarking on a road trip, Martin held Ms Greer against her will and beat and raped her repeatedly.

The ordeal ended four weeks later in the town of Mitchell, after a service station owner called police.

The owner had witnessed Ms Greer driving off without paying for fuel. Police stopped the 4x4 a short time later and found Martin hiding in the back.

• Elisha Greer describes road-trip kidnap

Ms Greer's injuries included facial fractures, bruising, abrasions to her neck and cuts to her body, as well as psychological harm.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane said that Martin had tried to "isolate" his victim on the road trip, including by cutting up her UK passport.

"She feared she would be murdered," Mr Crane told the court, according to the ABC report.

"She tried to get the attention of other road users as they would drive along and also other service station customers, to no avail."

A lawyer for Martin said his client had been taking drugs at the time, making him "paranoid and psychotic".

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48428813

2019-05-28 03:25:19Z
CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hdXN0cmFsaWEtNDg0Mjg4MTPSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3MvYW1wL3dvcmxkLWF1c3RyYWxpYS00ODQyODgxMw

Australian jailed for UK backpacker's kidnap and rape ordeal - BBC News

An Australian man who raped a British backpacker during a month-long kidnapping ordeal in outback Queensland has been jailed for 10 years.

Marcus Allyn Keith Martin, 25, had pleaded guilty to charges of rape and deprivation of liberty.

He held Elisha Greer, then 22, hostage during a 1,600km (1,000 mile) road trip in 2017 - during which she was beaten and had a gun held to her head.

Ms Greer, from Liverpool, was rescued after police pulled over their 4x4.

Judge Dean Morzone told the Cairns District Court on Tuesday that Martin would be required to serve at least 80% of his sentence, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Rescue after fuel stop

The court heard the pair had begun a brief relationship after meeting at a party in January 2017, but Martin soon turned violent.

After embarking on a road trip, Martin held Ms Greer against her will and beat and raped her repeatedly.

The ordeal ended four weeks later in the town of Mitchell, after a service station owner called police.

The owner had witnessed Ms Greer driving off without paying for fuel. Police stopped the 4x4 a short time later and found Martin hiding in the back.

• Elisha Greer describes road-trip kidnap

Ms Greer's injuries included facial fractures, bruising, abrasions to her neck and cuts to her body, as well as psychological harm.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane said that Martin had tried to "isolate" his victim on the road trip, including by cutting up her UK passport.

"She feared she would be murdered," Mr Crane told the court, according to the ABC report.

"She tried to get the attention of other road users as they would drive along and also other service station customers, to no avail."

A lawyer for Martin said his client had been taking drugs at the time, making him "paranoid and psychotic".

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48428813

2019-05-28 03:03:09Z
CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hdXN0cmFsaWEtNDg0Mjg4MTPSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3MvYW1wL3dvcmxkLWF1c3RyYWxpYS00ODQyODgxMw

Australian jailed for UK backpacker's kidnap and rape ordeal - BBC News

An Australian man who raped a British backpacker during a month-long kidnapping ordeal in outback Queensland has been jailed for 10 years.

Marcus Allyn Keith Martin, 25, had pleaded guilty to charges of rape and deprivation of liberty.

He held Elisha Greer, then 22, hostage during a 1,600km (1,000 mile) road trip in 2017 - during which she was beaten and had a gun held to her head.

Ms Greer, from Liverpool, was rescued after police pulled over their 4x4.

Judge Dean Morzone told the Cairns District Court on Tuesday that Martin would be required to serve at least 80% of his sentence, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Rescue after fuel stop

The court heard the pair had begun a brief relationship after meeting at a party in January 2017, but Martin soon turned violent.

After embarking on a road trip, Martin held Ms Greer against her will and beat and raped her repeatedly.

The ordeal ended four weeks later in the town of Mitchell, after a service station owner called police.

The owner had witnessed Ms Greer driving off without paying for fuel. Police stopped the 4x4 a short time later and found Martin hiding in the back.

• Elisha Greer describes road-trip kidnap

Ms Greer's injuries included facial fractures, bruising, abrasions to her neck and cuts to her body, as well as psychological harm.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane said that Martin had tried to "isolate" his victim on the road trip, including by cutting up her UK passport.

"She feared she would be murdered," Mr Crane told the court, according to the ABC report.

"She tried to get the attention of other road users as they would drive along and also other service station customers, to no avail."

A lawyer for Martin said his client had been taking drugs at the time, making him "paranoid and psychotic".

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48428813

2019-05-28 02:40:21Z
52780304896817

Australian jailed for UK backpacker's kidnap and rape ordeal - BBC News

An Australian man who raped a British backpacker during a month-long kidnapping ordeal in outback Queensland has been jailed for 10 years.

Marcus Allyn Keith Martin, 25, had pleaded guilty to charges of rape and deprivation of liberty.

He held Elisha Greer, then 22, hostage during a 1,600km (1,000 mile) road trip in 2017 - during which she was beaten and had a gun held to her head.

Ms Greer, from Liverpool, was rescued after police pulled over their 4x4.

Judge Dean Morzone told the Cairns District Court on Tuesday that Martin would be required to serve at least 80% of his sentence, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Rescue after fuel stop

The court heard the pair had begun a brief relationship after meeting at a party in January 2017, but Martin soon turned violent.

After embarking on a road trip, Martin held Ms Greer against her will and beat and raped her repeatedly.

The ordeal ended four weeks later in the town of Mitchell, after a service station owner called police.

The owner had witnessed Ms Greer driving off without paying for fuel. Police stopped the 4x4 a short time later and found Martin hiding in the back.

• Elisha Greer describes road-trip kidnap

Ms Greer's injuries included facial fractures, bruising, abrasions to her neck and cuts to her body, as well as psychological harm.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane said that Martin had tried to "isolate" his victim on the road trip, including by cutting up her UK passport.

"She feared she would be murdered," Mr Crane told the court, according to the ABC report.

"She tried to get the attention of other road users as they would drive along and also other service station customers, to no avail."

A lawyer for Martin said his client had been taking drugs at the time, making him "paranoid and psychotic".

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48428813

2019-05-28 02:25:04Z
52780304896817

Anthony Albanese: Australia's Labor opposition elects new leader - BBC News

Australia's Labor opposition has chosen Anthony Albanese as its new leader after the party suffered an upset in the nation's general election.

Previous leader Bill Shorten resigned on 18 May, immediately after conceding the election to incumbent Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Albanese, a veteran politician, was elected unopposed as his successor.

He vowed to rebuild Labor's vote, saying on Monday: "I am up for a hard job. I am up for hard work."

"I intend to do my best to work with the Australian people to ensure that we elect a Labor government next time."

Labor is reeling from the election which delivered Mr Morrison's conservative coalition a majority. The Liberal-Nationals had previously been in minority government.

• Australia coalition wins outright majority
• How Australia is changing - in 11 charts

Last week, Mr Albanese described the election loss as "devastating", after months of opinion polls had indicated that Labor was expected to win.

The 56-year-old MP, from Sydney, has held senior positions in past Labor governments.

He previously lost the last ballot for the Labor leadership to Mr Shorten in 2013.

Who is Anthony Albanese?

• Often known by the nickname "Albo", he is from Labor's left-wing faction
• Raised by a single parent in public housing in Sydney before studying economics at the University of Sydney
• Worked as a staffer for Labor politicians, before entering parliament in 1996
• One of Labor's most experienced MPs, he was briefly deputy prime minister to Kevin Rudd in 2013
• He has held other portfolios including communications, infrastructure and transport.

Labor's challenge

Mr Albanese has promised a "reset" of Labor's policy agenda but said he would not be rushed.

The party had campaigned on a comprehensive set of reforms, including climate and tax policy changes.

However, that ultimately failed to appeal to voters, with Labor suffering a 1.08% swing away from it nationally.

Sorry, your browser cannot display this map

It suffered its deepest losses in Queensland, where the party's vote was reduced to six seats of a possible 30.

Much of the post-election analysis has focused on Labor's reduced vote from its traditional working-class base.

In his first speech as leader-elect on Monday, Mr Albanese said he intended to build relationships with "those people who wanted to vote for us, who were open to vote for us, but who felt like they couldn't".

He emphasised his economic credentials, and said he was open to working with the government to achieve progress on climate change and indigenous issues.

"Some reforms require bipartisan support," he said.

The party's former deputy Tanya Plibersek, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen, and rising frontbencher Jim Chalmers were also eyed as potential leaders, but all withdrew from the race last week.

Ms Plibersek said she would not run for the role because of family reasons.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48362272

2019-05-27 11:57:35Z
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Anthony Albanese: Australia's Labor opposition elects new leader - BBC News

Australia's Labor opposition has chosen Anthony Albanese as its new leader after the party suffered an upset in the nation's general election.

Previous leader Bill Shorten resigned on 18 May, immediately after conceding the election to incumbent Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Albanese, a veteran politician, was elected unopposed as his successor.

He vowed to rebuild Labor's vote, saying on Monday: "I am up for a hard job. I am up for hard work."

"I intend to do my best to work with the Australian people to ensure that we elect a Labor government next time."

Labor is reeling from the election which delivered Mr Morrison's conservative coalition a majority. The Liberal-Nationals had previously been in minority government.

• Australia coalition wins outright majority
• How Australia is changing - in 11 charts

Last week, Mr Albanese described the election loss as "devastating", after months of opinion polls had indicated that Labor was expected to win.

The 56-year-old MP, from Sydney, has held senior positions in past Labor governments.

He previously lost the last ballot for the Labor leadership to Mr Shorten in 2013.

Who is Anthony Albanese?

• Often known by the nickname "Albo", he is from Labor's left-wing faction
• Raised by a single parent in public housing in Sydney before studying economics at the University of Sydney
• Worked as a staffer for Labor politicians, before entering parliament in 1996
• One of Labor's most experienced MPs, he was briefly deputy prime minister to Kevin Rudd in 2013
• He has held other portfolios including communications, infrastructure and transport.

Labor's challenge

Mr Albanese has promised a "reset" of Labor's policy agenda but said he would not be rushed.

The party had campaigned on a comprehensive set of reforms, including climate and tax policy changes.

However, that ultimately failed to appeal to voters, with Labor suffering a 1.08% swing away from it nationally.

Sorry, your browser cannot display this map

It suffered its deepest losses in Queensland, where the party's vote was reduced to six seats of a possible 30.

Much of the post-election analysis has focused on Labor's reduced vote from its traditional working-class base.

In his first speech as leader-elect on Monday, Mr Albanese said he intended to build relationships with "those people who wanted to vote for us, who were open to vote for us, but who felt like they couldn't".

He emphasised his economic credentials, and said he was open to working with the government to achieve progress on climate change and indigenous issues.

"Some reforms require bipartisan support," he said.

The party's former deputy Tanya Plibersek, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen, and rising frontbencher Jim Chalmers were also eyed as potential leaders, but all withdrew from the race last week.

Ms Plibersek said she would not run for the role because of family reasons.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48362272

2019-05-27 09:59:49Z
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