Kerang court fight prompts call for improvements

By Clare Quirk
Updated November 7 2012 - 2:49am, first published September 14 2010 - 11:30am

KERANG police are calling on the state government to provide better facilities at Kerang Magistrates Court after a brawl broke out there on Monday.Police are still investigating the incident, but said about six men and women were involved after tensions erupted between two factions.Police were called to the court at noon after reports of a fight in Victoria Street.Senior Sergeant Greg Deveson said since court hearings had dropped from three times a week to sometimes once a month there were now too many cases being heard on one day.He said the current facilities could not accommodate those attending court.“Now, all the cases are heard on one day and the days are longer and people are sitting around out-side the court,” he said.“They might be there for intervention orders and tempers are fraying, resulting in fights.“There just aren’t enough facilities to cope with it.“All they can do is sit out the front if their case isn’t being heard and tensions are bound to build.”Senior Sergeant Deveson said the additional days had been moved to Bendigo Magistrates Court.He said he would seek advice from the Department of Justice. “It’s just causing problems for us,” he said.The Department of Justice has admitted there is a problem at the court and is investigating the issue.A court spokesman said case numbers at the Kerang Magistrates Court had increased and a review of sitting days at the court would be undertaken.

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