Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Jacob Miley
Man accused of setting mum of three alight, killing her
by Jacob Miley and Brianna Morris-Grant 21st Apr 2021 5:08 AM Premium Content Subscriber only The estranged partner of a mother of three who was found dead with burn injuries in the backyard of a Gold Coast property has been charged with her murder. Police will allege that Brian Johnston killed Kelly Wilkinson, 27, and had set her alight. He was charged with murder last night and is due to front Southport Magistrates Court today.
‘We could lose 25k jobs when Jobkeeper ends’
by JEREMY PIERCE & ANDREW POTTS & JACOB MILEY 15th Mar 2021 7:43 AM Premium Content Subscriber only POLITICAL and business leaders are pleading with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to step in and save struggling Gold Coast businesses as the end of the JobKeeper looms. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is preparing a last-ditch plea to the Prime Minister to save an estimated 25,000 jobs in the Sunshine State, which is tipped to lose more than $80 million a week.
Varsity Lakes canal death: Man’s body pulled from water by police
A MAN’s body has been pulled from a Gold Coast canal. Police were called to Christine Ave at Varsity Lakes after reports a man was seen face down in the water just before 4am. Police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
‘It was horrific’: Retired Detective on Linda Reed case
by Jacob Miley, Chris McMahon 9th Mar 2021 8:01 AM Premium Content Subscriber only THERE was nothing to link the man who killed Gold Coast woman Linda Reed to her death when he was arrested for another murder two years later, a retired homicide Detective says. The retired Detective also praised technology after DNA from samples taken at the time led to the arrest of Troy James O'Meara in 2018 in connection to the December 1983 killing. Front pages from the 1980s, after Linda Reed was murdered.
M1 to close for hours as border barriers removed
by Jacob Miley and Kyle Wisniewski 1st Feb 2021 11:09 AM Premium Content Subscriber only QUEENSLAND's border has officially opened to residents of greater Sydney after 42 days. Gold Coast police chief superintendent Mark Wheeler said about "a dozen cars" arrived at the border from the region at about midnight and were forced to wait until 1am Queensland time to enter the state. The border had been closed to greater Sydney for 42 days.
Police seek public help to find 15-year-old Gold Coast girl
Police are seeking public assistance to help find a 15-year-old girl reported missing at the weekend. The girl was last seen at a property at Shawnee Crescent, Pimpama about 9am Sunday. Police and family hold concerns for the girl’s safety due to her age. Police have described her as caucasian, approximately 167cm tall with blonde hair and blue/green eyes.
‘What’s wrong with these kids?’: Shock knife crime rise
by Jacob Miley 14th Jan 2021 1:00 AM Premium Content Subscriber only THE number of juvenile crimes involving knives has doubled in four years, alarming police figures reveal. Fresh data obtained by the Bulletin show knives were seized in 93 offences committed by 10 to 17-year-olds on the Gold Coast in the 11 months to November last year. In all of 2016, there was 50.
M1 to be closed for hours as checkpoints come down
by Greg Stolz, Jodie Callcott and Jacob Miley 30th Nov 2020 1:27 PM Premium Content Subscriber only A top cop says it will be "like New Year's Eve" on Gold Coast border checkpoints when they are torn down early on Tuesday morning after 250 days. Gold Coast police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler says his officers will be celebrating alongside border residents who have endured frustrating delays since the border closed on March 26.
Heartbroken wife: ‘He is fighting for his life’
by Kirstin Payne, Jacob Miley 28th Nov 2020 10:38 AM Premium Content Subscriber only THE heartbroken wife of smiling Burleigh identity Joe Tongi said her husband is 'still fighting for his life' following a critical neck injury he sustained in the surf over two weeks ago. In New Zealand with her family at the time of the injury Ebonny Tongi and two of the couple's three children Petu, Mihi Dawn Moana flew home to be by his side.
Bowden murder person of interest charged after ‘moving guns’
by Jacob Miley and Alexandria Utting 20th Nov 2020 7:54 AM Premium Content Subscriber only AN accused Mongols bikie associate allegedly bought two cars linked to the Gold Coast murder of notorious gangland figure Shane Bowden and offloaded a cache of weapons on the day of the killing. Jake Andrew Taylor, 25, has been deemed by police as a person of interest in the murder of the 48-year-old Finks bikie, who was executed in his Pimpama driveway on October 12.
How brawl over bird feeding allegedly began
by Kyle Wisniewski, Jacob Miley and Alexandria Utting 20th Nov 2020 7:50 AM Premium Content Subscriber only A MAN charged over the death of his pensioner neighbour following a dispute about feeding birds allegedly kicked him while he was on the ground and hit him to the head twice with a broomstick, a court has heard. Trevor Dale Wheeler, 48, was refused bail on Thursday in the Southport Magistrates Court. He's been charged with manslaughter and serious assault of a person over 60.
Homicide probe into suspicious death of mum
by Jacob Miley 19th Nov 2020 11:14 AM Premium Content Subscriber only NSW detectives have launched a homicide investigation into the suspicious death of Pottsville mother Elizabeth Britton, who was found with critical head injuries last month. Ms Britton, 44, died in a Gold Coast hospital on October 24, two weeks after being found with critical head injuries at a Pottsville unit. She was found by a family member.
Motorists warned of major traffic delays at border
by JACOB MILEY 3rd Nov 2020 9:18 AM Premium Content Subscriber only MOTORISTS are being told to brace for possible delays after Queensland's borders re-opened last night to millions of people in NSW. From 1am Tuesday the border zone with NSW was scrapped but 32 local government areas in greater Sydney remain COVID-19 hot spots. Victoria is also still considered a COVID-19 hotspot.
IDENTIFIED: Man charged for Tammara Macrokanis death
by Jacob Miley, Alexandria Utting and Lea Emery 22nd Oct 2020 1:12 PM Premium Content Subscriber only A MAN accused of involvement in the fatal M1 crash that killed mother-of-five Tammara Macrokanis will spend the next two weeks on remand. Kaine Andrew Carter was not brought into the Southport Magistrates Court when his matter was briefly heard on Thursday.
Top cop lifts lid on bikie extortion
by Jacob Miley 22nd Oct 2020 8:21 AM Premium Content Subscriber only A FORMER top cop has lifted the lid on the "rife" extortion by Gold Coast outlaw motorcycle gang stand-over men during the height of the bikie war. Jim Keogh said the extortion attempts were so severe and entrenched at the Broadbeach dining strip that one restaurateur took his own life. Reflecting on the lead up to the infamous Broadbeach brawl in 2013, Mr Keogh claimed up to 70 per cent of the strip was subjected to extortion.
Slain bikie had family crisis in lead up to death
by Jacob Miley 16th Oct 2020 1:00 AM Premium Content Subscriber only NOTORIOUS bikie Shane Bowden had been rocked by a family crisis just weeks before being shot dead in an execution-style murder. Bowden, who recently returned to the Finks bikie gang, arrived in Queensland in controversial circumstances when he lied on his COVID-19 declaration pass upon his arrival from Melbourne in August.
Ex-cop: ‘Put the foot back on the throat of the bikies’
by Jacob Miley 15th Oct 2020 7:54 AM Premium Content Subscriber only THE ex-cop who waged war against Gold Coast outlaw motorcycle gangs says police must "put the foot back on the throat of the bikies" following the execution-style death of Shane Bowden.
Hooded gunmen lay in wait before bikie’s brutal slaying
by Jacob Miley 14th Oct 2020 7:52 AM Premium Content Subscriber only SHANE Bowden was shot in the head and chest at point-blank range, police have revealed, as a 60-strong detective team continues to hunt the two gunmen responsible for the notorious bikie's murder. The giant group of detectives spent Tuesday doorknocking Bowden's bikie associates in an attempt to piece together the shocking execution-style killing.
Classic cars swarm Coolangatta to help struggling businesses
by Jacob Miley 28th Sep 2020 3:22 PM Premium Content Subscriber only COOLANGATTA residents could be forgiven for thinking it was the weekend of the annual Cooly Rocks On festival when about 100 classic cars rolled into the suburb on Sunday. But instead, it was a push by two Gold Coast car clubs to attract people to the southern destination and help recovery for businesses struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sister’s emotional plea to shooting witnesses
by Jacob Miley 19th Sep 2020 7:49 AM Premium Content Subscriber only THE sister of a Gold Coast woman left to die alone from a gunshot wound has lashed out at the "gutless" witnesses allegedly keeping the truth of what happened that night from her family and authorities. Ivona Jovanovic, 27, was shot in the chest at her alleged bikie associate ex-boyfriend Christos Panagakos' home in Highland Park on September 8 last year.
‘Going to stab you’: Drunk mum’s rampage with knife
by Jacob Miley 4th Sep 2020 7:51 AM Premium Content Subscriber only A MOTHER-of-three stormed a man's house and chased him around the neighbourhood with a knife over a bitter property dispute. Neighbours in the Willow Vale area recalled hearing the woman scream "I'm going to stab you" as she pursued him.
Sick sex groper preyed on exercising women
by Jacob Miley 1st Sep 2020 6:16 PM Premium Content Subscriber only A TWEED Heads man followed a female runner to her car, pinned her against the passenger door and forcefully grabbed her breasts with both hands. The attack was the sixth and most serious on exercising women after an escalation in assaults along southern Gold Coast beachside pathways in the two months to December 2019. Joshua Peter Gearon, 23, pleaded guilty in Southport District Court to six counts of sexual assault.
Dad helped son beat up 12yo on busy street
by JACOB MILEY 28th Aug 2020 10:12 AM Premium Content Subscriber only A SINGLE dad who helped his son beat up an apparent school bully on a Gold Coast street and prevented people from stopping the punch-up has been fined $1500. The man, who cannot be named to protect the children's identities, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm.
Gold Coast grandfather who digitally raped young girl, 6, jailed for three years
A MAN who molested his then-six year old intellectually impaired granddaughter tried to take his own life after the offence, a court has heard. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one count of rape which occurred in November 2018. He was sentenced to three years jail but will be eligible for parole on December 3, taking into account the time already served.
‘Ridiculous’ reason Coast mum harassed DV charity founder
by JACOB MILEY 19th Aug 2020 7:02 AM Premium Content Subscriber only A Gold Coast mum bombarded a domestic violence organisation with calls and messages falsely accusing them of holding women against their will and treating them like slaves. Elizabeth Fellows, who told Southport Magistrates Court she had suffered domestic violence in the past, made the allegations and incessantly contacted The Sanctuary Women, Children and Pets Refuge between July 2-5 this year.
Police warning as huge tailback builds at border
by JACOB MILEY 6th Aug 2020 3:17 PM Premium Content Subscriber only MOTORISTS attempting to cross the Queensland/NSW border are facing hour-long delays as police warn the worst is yet to come ahead of Saturday's closure to NSW and the ACT. Gold Coast Police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said changes to the border system were going to cause "significant delays".
Why ‘coma in a bottle’ is the new ice
by JACOB MILEY, jacob.miley1@news.com.au 5th Aug 2020 6:58 AM premium_icon Subscriber only THE deadly drug fantasy is on the same trajectory as ice use, a Gold Coast lawyer says, as new figures show two people are being busted with "coma in a bottle" every day. Fantasy, known as GHB, was seized by Gold Coast police on 917 occasions last year, almost nine times more than it was in 2015.
The $170m debt haunting 85,000 law-breakers
by JACOB MILEY 24th Jul 2020 6:49 AM premium_icon Subscriber only THE state's debt collector is chasing 85,000 Gold Coasters for $170 million in unpaid fines. An analysis of the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) reveals Glitter Strip suburbs rate among Queensland's worst, with one postcode owing $20 million alone at the end of June.
‘Dazza and Shazza’ jailed for bank robbery
by JACOB MILEY 17th Jul 2020 6:49 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A couple who robbed a Gold Coast bank to pay ice debts - and took in a homeless man while on the run in luxury hotels - just want to live a "simple life" with kids and a mortgage. Darren Michael Baxter, 31, and Shayde Hodgson-Gulson, 23 - who went by "Dazza and Shazza" - stormed the Burleigh Waters Suncorp Bank dressed in motorcycle helmets, gloves and black jackets on September 26 last year.
Driver claims mouth ‘contaminated’ before roadside test
by JACOB MILEY 10th Jul 2020 5:26 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A MAN claimed his mouth was "contaminated" with ice when his drug-affected passenger fed him chocolate Maltesers in front of police. Eric Barry Ryan returned a positive road side test when officers pulled his vehicle over at Molendinar on October 31, 2018. Ryan, who claimed he had "encountered all sorts of trouble" through the dating scene following the split with his wife, had his car searched by police.
IPhone lands girlfriend of alleged bikie in court
by JACOB MILEY 9th Jul 2020 6:46 AM premium_icon Subscriber only POLICE had no right to detain the girlfriend of alleged bikie Harley Barbaro and seize her phone during a raid, her lawyers have argued. Hayley Isabella Webb refused to provide her iPhone pin code to police, allegedly contravening an order, during a raid of Barbaro's Ashmore townhouse on February 5 this year. The raid was targeting the alleged supply of cocaine from numerous dates between October 2019 and February 5.
Second Coast hotel to be used for quarantine
by JACOB MILEY 6th Jul 2020 8:25 AM premium_icon Subscriber only POLICE are eyeing up a second Gold Coast hotel to quarantine incoming Victorians and internationals as they brace for more traffic congestion at the trouble-plagued border barriers. Gold Coast Police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said they were "exploring" options for a second hotel to use due to Voco at Surfers Paradise nearing capacity.
Man caught in ’coming of age’ police sting
by Jacob Miley 11th Jun 2020 5:26 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A MAN who responded to a "coming of age" advertisement for a teenage girl, in what turned out to be a police sting, has avoided actual jail time. Angas Rodney McDonald, 31, "took the bait" when he responded to an advertisement by a fictional aunt and her 14-year-old niece on November 11 last year.
Playboy bunny and banned beau facing drugs charges
by Jacob Miley 9th Jun 2020 6:56 AM premium_icon Subscriber only AN accused Mongols bikie associate who is banned from the Gold Coast was allegedly found in a high-rise apartment alongside his Playboy bunny girlfriend with drugs present. Dylan Kim Salmond, 29, and model girlfriend Giuliana Migliorini, who last year starred in a controversial Charlie Sheen commercial, were arrested when detectives raided the Chevron Renaissance Towers at the weekend.
MP tears up during emotional maiden speech
by JACOB MILEY 20th May 2020 6:50 AM premium_icon Subscriber only NEWLY-elected MP Laura Gerber wiped away tears during an emotional maiden speech to state parliament today in which she slammed weak laws on child pornography and described her Currumbin by-election win as a "difficult" achievement. Ms Gerber was elected after a gruelling campaign during which outgoing MP Jann Stuckey described her as a "blow-in", narrowly seeing off rival Kaylee Campradt in the March 28 poll.
Breakthrough on border misery with new ‘checkpoint’
by JACOB MILEY 14th May 2020 3:10 PM | Updated: 15th May 2020 3:13 PM premium_icon Subscriber only POLICE will ease restrictions at the Queensland-NSW border in the Gold Coast Hinterland by adding a checkpoint to make lives easier for rural-based families and farmers. Commuters will be able to cross the border at Nerang Murwillumbah Road, near Natural Bridge, from Friday between 7am and 7pm seven days a week.
Fears for missing man
by JACOB MILEY 13th May 2020 5:45 PM premium_icon Subscriber only POLICE are seeking urgent public assistance to find a 61-year-old man missing from the Gold Coast. David Barnes was last seen at Explorers Way, Worongary about 11pm Tuesday. Police said he had not been seen or made contact since, and there were serious concerns for his safety as his disappearance was extremely out of character. Missing Gold Coast man David Barnes.
Widow to take cops to court over seized money
by JACOB MILEY, jacob.miley1@news.com.au 13th May 2020 5:19 AM premium_icon Subscriber only THE widow of an accused drug trafficker who took his own life is taking police to court to claw back a sum of cash seized during a raid of their glitzy high-rise apartment. Susan Catherine Price, whose husband Joseph died in March, claims a chunk of cash taken by detectives during a raid on their Q1 unit was an inheritance she received after her mother's death in 2012.
Horrific rape details aired in court
by JACOB MILEY 7th May 2020 5:20 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A WOMAN was drugged, raped and left helpless for almost 20 hours by a former real estate agent turned fraudster, a court has heard. Steven Chen, 48, invited the woman and a work associate back to his house after a dinner on October 20, 2018. He offered them both a drink laced with the tranquilliser drug rohypnol until the pair felt "extremely sleepy".
Man suffers head injuries in jet ski crash
by JACOB MILEY 4th May 2020 9:55 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A MAN has been rushed to hospital after suffering head injuries in a jet ski incident. Paramedics were called to the incident at Coomera just before 8am Monday. A Queensland Police Service spokesman said a man and a jetski were spotted in the water by a member of the public. It's unclear how the accident happened, the spokesman said.
CQ man charged in horrific Gold Coast knifepoint abduction
by Ryan Keen, Jacob Miley and Chris McMahon 17th Apr 2020 4:12 PM premium_icon Subscriber only FOUR people have been charged after a woman screaming "help me, help me" was allegedly abducted at knifepoint on Chevron Island. Police will allege the woman was dragged and forced into a vehicle at the intersection of Illawong Street and Stanhill Drive at 10.30pm on Wednesday. Police located her in Surfers Paradise on Thursday and four people - two men and two women - were taken into custody.
Man linked to alleged double murder jailed in NSW
by Jacob Miley 17th Apr 2020 7:12 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A MAN wanted by police in relation to the alleged murder of ex-bikie Shane Ross and his business partner has been sent to prison in NSW on unrelated charges. Garry Brush, 32, was sentenced in Tweed Local Court on Wednesday charged with affray and traffic matters dating back to February. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison with a non-parole period of one year. Detectives will extradite Brush to Queensland when he is released.
‘Gut-wrenching’: Family heartbroken as alleged killer freed
by Chris McMahon and Jacob Miley 2nd Apr 2020 6:26 AM premium_icon Subscriber only ON the day the Beasley family should be celebrating their son Jack's 18th birthday, they are forced to deal with the fact a man charged over his death walked from prison on bail. Ma-Mal-J Toala, 19, was yesterday granted bail in Brisbane Supreme Court under strict conditions, although the heartbreak for the Beasley family continues.
Strict bail conditions for teen accused of stabbing murder
by Jacob Miley 1st Apr 2020 12:09 PM premium_icon Subscriber only A MAN allegedly involved in the stabbing death of Gold Coast teen Jack Beasley has been granted bail. Ma-Mal-J Toala, 19, must report to police daily and abide by a strict curfew, according to conditions imposed in Brisbane Supreme Court. Toala is one of five teens charged with Jack's murder. He has been in custody since he was arrested in December, and was again not present during the proceedings.
Man allegedly carjacks motorist to drive across border
by JACOB MILEY 29th Mar 2020 4:32 PM premium_icon Subscriber only A NEW South Wales man drove a stolen car through Queensland's closed border, carjacked a motorist and forced them to drive back across state lines, police allege. New South Wales police further allege the man led officers on several pursuits, mowed down a pedestrian and rammed a cop car. It's alleged the man entered a unit on Kennedy Drive, Tweed Heads, and allegedly stole a Mitsubishi Lancer just before 5pm Saturday.
Drug-addicted prostitute beats man with yellow plastic ladle
by JACOB MILEY 6th Mar 2020 7:18 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A DRUG-addicted prostitute has been jailed for beating a client with a kitchen utensil and stealing thousands of dollars of his money. Jessica Clare Carroll, 36, had been staying at the man's Surfers Paradise unit for several days in early September 2018 when she struck him at about six times on both arms with a yellow plastic ladle.
Child ‘playboy’ rape case verdict delay
by JACOB MILEY 25th Feb 2020 8:01 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A MUM accused of dressing her daughter up in a "playboy outfit" and holding her hands while men sexually assaulted her remains in hospital indefinitely. The woman, who cannot be named, has pleaded not guilty in the Southport District Court to three counts of rape and one count each of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, indecent treatment of a child and deprivation of liberty.
Family begs for justice after brutal hit and run
by JACOB MILEY 22nd Feb 2020 2:08 PM premium_icon Subscriber only A FAMILY's plea to appeal the "soft sentence" given to the drugged-up driver who mowed down their teenage son appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Robert Thomas Summerville walked from court last week with a $500 fine and one-month driving disqualification after he crashed into the boy at Burleigh Waters on June 6, 2019.
Mohamed Kamal Abbas bailed but banned from booze after alleged violent assault
A MAN accused of a violent assault was so angry he told police he wanted to kill his victim, a court has been told. Mohamed Kamal Abbas was granted bail on Thursday after he appeared in Southport Magistrates Court charged with common assault and acts intended to maim, disfigure/disable on January 26. Prosecutor Paula Cavanagh told the court Abbas now had three assault charges before the courts. “This is a defendant who is violent when there is alcohol or licensed premises nearby.
‘Disgraceful’ sentencing of drug driver slammed
by JACOB MILEY 15th Feb 2020 6:00 AM premium_icon Subscriber only A "DISGRACEFUL'' sentence handed to a drug driver who struck a teen in a hit-and-run incident does not pass the pub test and should be appealed, the State Opposition says.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Jacob
Contact Jacob, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack