‘Forget Sydney or Melbourne’s ‘seedy underbellies’, Adelaide boasts far more bizarre and macabre crimes …
Drawing from his ten years experience as a court reporter at The Adelaide Advertiser, Sean Fewster lifts the lid on some of the most attention-grabbing, shocking and puzzling crimes from the past decade. The cases include:
• the murder of a transvestite truck driver by his two lesbian lodgers after an argument over a camera
• the prosecution of an elderly couple who grossly mistreated their pets (120 dogs and six pigs).
City Of Evil changes your view of Adelaide as a peaceful, civilised ‘city of churches’, where there’s no need to lock your doors at night.’
Aah…Adelaide. Yes. So pretty, so….civilized.
Where the corruption and violence are hidden either beneath the well-manicured gardens and streets of the city and affluent inner suburbs, or tucked away out of sight in the endless miles of outer suburbs and developments– which have had a character bypass.
Where lawyers and judges and politicians get together with Old Money and form an unholy alliance with a savage criminal class which provides for their deviant wants, and in return receives protection and special favors.
Where even to write about the dark underbelly is to risk ostracism, the loss of a career–or worse. Where dismembered bodies turn up in barrels hidden in a bank vaults or are found floating face-down in the pretty Torrens river…and the investigator’s leads point to politicians or members of the judiciary and then mysteriously peter out…
Where one can go waterskiing on the muddy strip of water known as the Murray River or north to the Barossa Valley to sample the wines–and stuff-all else. Swimming? The bloody Southern Ocean is freezing all year round and in any case Carcharodon carcharias puts something of a damper on that idea.
The water’s undrinkable. The climate miserable. The place is full of smug greenies and snaggle-toothed thugs.
It’s nearly 3000km to Perth in one direction and 1700km to Sydney in the other. And well worth the effort.
Best place to get out of Wabbit was ever in.