Aussie couple ‘knew of surrogate son’

An Australian couple left their Down Syndrome baby with his surrogate mother in Thailand, while taking the boys healthy twin sister. WSJs Ramy Inocencio talks to Sam Everingham, director of Families Through Surrogacy, on the backlash in Australia.

THE Australian husband in the Thailand surrogacy row has served a sentence in jail for indecently dealing with a child under 13, it has been claimed.

Channel Nine reported that the man, who lives in Western Australia, was convicted of indecent dealing with a child under the age of 13 in 1998 and served a prison sentence.

The development came as the Thai mother of the abandoned surrogate baby boy with Down syndrome, Gammy, rejected claims his Australian parents knew nothing of their son.

LEFT BEHIND: Funds raised for abandoned baby with Down syndrome

MOIRA'S PLEA: Kelly pleas for Gammy to be treated in Melbourne

The biological parents of seven-month-old Gammy are accused of leaving him in Thailand after he and his healthy twin sister were born to a local surrogate.

His sister was brought back to Australia.

The couple, who have not been identified but live in Western Australia, deny the allegations and claim they had no knowledge of a second child.

GAMMY CASE PREVENTABLE: Lawyer says government should act

"I will not allow them to come to take my baby away" ... Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua holds her baby Gammy. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Gammy's 21-year-old Thai surrogate mother, Pattaramon Chanbua, is now his full-time carer and says those claims are wrong.

"This is not the truth," she told ABC's 7.30 program.

Ms Chanbua said the Australian couple asked her to abort the boy after he was diagnosed with Down syndrome in the womb.

She cried, refused and told them she would take care of both the babies if they did not want them. They eventually agreed to take the girl.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison today labelled Ms Chanbua a "saint" and an "absolute hero" and said the outpouring of support was a strong indicator of the way Australians felt about the situation.

"All the money will be spent for the best of the baby" ... Pattaramon Chanbua, 21, with her sons Game, 7, and baby boy Gammy. Picture: AP Source: AP

Gammy's story could prompt the Australian government to look closer at surrogacy laws with the Department of Foreign Affairs already examining practices in Thailand.

Agencies were working with Thai officials on the broader surrogacy issues, the department said.

Mr Morrison said the legalities surrounding international surrogacy were "very, very, very murky" and regulations must be looked at carefully.

"Sure, there are lots of Australians who are desperate to be parents but that can never, I think, sanction what we have just seen here," he said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also said the case illustrates the pitfalls of international surrogacy.

Commercial surrogacy, where a woman is paid a fee to carry a child, is illegal in Australia.

However, if there is an agreement for the biological parents to cover just medical and other reasonable costs, the practice is legal.

Rejected because of disability ... Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua plays with her baby Gammy, who was born with Down syndrome, at the Samitivej hospital, Sriracha district in Chonburi province. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Gammy's picture has been beamed around the world and has prompted donations of more than $200,000 to pay for his future in Thailand.

"Our hearts are filled with love for all the people around the world who have taken time out of their lives to give thought to Gammy," his donation page reads.

The donations meant Gammy could be moved to a private hospital with specialist care and Ms Chanbua promises all the funds will go to him, ABC reported.

"I will make sure all the money, every single Baht, is well spent for the best of the baby," she said.

She says even if his biological parents come back for him, she's now his mother.

"I will not allow them to come to take my baby away," she said.

"I love him."

Abandoned but now cared for by his surrogate mother ... Six-months-old baby Gammy. Picture: Hope for Gammy Source: Supplied

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Excavator rams into Jerusalem bus

Attack ... Israeli policemen stand guard at the scene after a Palestinian man rammed an excavator into a Jerusalem bus before being shot dead by police. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

ONE Israeli was killed and five others injured when an excavator rammed into a Jerusalem bus, turning it over before the driver was shot dead by police.

The incident took place on the seamline between east and west Jerusalem and came as Israel pressed a major military campaign in Gaza which has killed more than 1800 Palestinians.

Police said the excavator had overturned a bus, prompting two police officers who were in the vicinity to open fire, killing the driver and foiling what they described as a "terrorist attack".

One dead ... A damaged bus flipped over after attack in Jerusalem. Picture: AP Source: AP

"He hit a bus and turned it onto its side and as a result three people were lightly injured who were on the bus," Jerusalem police chief Yossi Pariente told reporters at the scene, adding that the bus was nearly empty when it was hit.

War ... An Israeli policeman stands guard at the scene. The incident took place on the seamline between east and west Jerusalem and came as Israel pressed a major military campaign in Gaza which has killed more than 1800 Palestinians. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

"Two police happened to be in the area ... they got out of their car and fired at the (excavator) and as a result (the driver) was killed," he said.

Emergency services spokesman Zaki Heller said one person had been killed and five hurt in the attack.

Investigators...Israeli police stand guard at the scene of the attack in Jerusalem. Picture: AP Source: AP

"A 25-year-old man was run over by the excavator and killed, and the bus driver was moderately to lightly injured," he said, saying another four people were lightly hurt in the incident.

Attack...Orthodox Jewish boys climb a wall to watch the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. Picture: AP Source: AP

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri identified the victim as a 25-year-old ultra-Orthodox Jew resident in Jerusalem.

She said the driver was a Palestinian from Jabal Mukaber in annexed Arab east Jerusalem.

At the scene, the driver's body could be seen lying on the ground covered with a white plastic bag and a prayer rug.

Nearby, the bulldozer's windshield was completely destroyed.

On guard ... Israeli police officers stand guard at the scene. Picture: AP Source: AP

Originally published as Excavator rams into Jerusalem bus

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Who knew? Delta can’t dance

No, Wayans! I can too dance. Source: Getty Images

DELTA Goodrem may have the pipes, but does she have the moves? Marlon Wayans thinks not.

He's snapped a selfie supposedly trying to enjoy a Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert with "the most UNRHYTHMIC WHITE WOMAN" dancing next to him - a.k.a Delts.

Suffice to say, it's a picture getting shared and regrammed by the bucket load.

Enjoy!

He captioned the picture:
"Man I got the most UNRHYTHMIC WHITE WOMAN dancing next to me at the jay and bay concert... This (b****) dancing to AC/DC"

Now, we're not buying he doesn't know Delta Goodrem (she's one of his social media followers), but his Instagram post is pure gold.

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Surrogate dad’s ‘indecent dealing’ past

An Australian couple left their Down Syndrome baby with his surrogate mother in Thailand, while taking the boys healthy twin sister. WSJs Ramy Inocencio talks to Sam Everingham, director of Families Through Surrogacy, on the backlash in Australia.

THE Australian husband in the Thailand surrogacy row has served a sentence in jail for indecently dealing with a child under 13, it has been claimed.

Channel Nine reported that the man, who lives in Western Australia, was convicted of indecent dealing with a child under the age of 13 in 1998 and served a prison sentence.

The development came as the Thai mother of the abandoned surrogate baby boy with Down syndrome, Gammy, rejected claims his Australian parents knew nothing of their son.

LEFT BEHIND: Funds raised for abandoned baby with Down syndrome

MOIRA'S PLEA: Kelly pleas for Gammy to be treated in Melbourne

The biological parents of seven-month-old Gammy are accused of leaving him in Thailand after he and his healthy twin sister were born to a local surrogate.

His sister was brought back to Australia.

The couple, who have not been identified but live in Western Australia, deny the allegations and claim they had no knowledge of a second child.

GAMMY CASE PREVENTABLE: Lawyer says government should act

"I will not allow them to come to take my baby away" ... Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua holds her baby Gammy. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Gammy's 21-year-old Thai surrogate mother, Pattaramon Chanbua, is now his full-time carer and says those claims are wrong.

"This is not the truth," she told ABC's 7.30 program.

Ms Chanbua said the Australian couple asked her to abort the boy after he was diagnosed with Down syndrome in the womb.

She cried, refused and told them she would take care of both the babies if they did not want them. They eventually agreed to take the girl.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison today labelled Ms Chanbua a "saint" and an "absolute hero" and said the outpouring of support was a strong indicator of the way Australians felt about the situation.

"All the money will be spent for the best of the baby" ... Pattaramon Chanbua, 21, with her sons Game, 7, and baby boy Gammy. Picture: AP Source: AP

Gammy's story could prompt the Australian government to look closer at surrogacy laws with the Department of Foreign Affairs already examining practices in Thailand.

Agencies were working with Thai officials on the broader surrogacy issues, the department said.

Mr Morrison said the legalities surrounding international surrogacy were "very, very, very murky" and regulations must be looked at carefully.

"Sure, there are lots of Australians who are desperate to be parents but that can never, I think, sanction what we have just seen here," he said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also said the case illustrates the pitfalls of international surrogacy.

Commercial surrogacy, where a woman is paid a fee to carry a child, is illegal in Australia.

However, if there is an agreement for the biological parents to cover just medical and other reasonable costs, the practice is legal.

Rejected because of disability ... Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua plays with her baby Gammy, who was born with Down syndrome, at the Samitivej hospital, Sriracha district in Chonburi province. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Gammy's picture has been beamed around the world and has prompted donations of more than $200,000 to pay for his future in Thailand.

"Our hearts are filled with love for all the people around the world who have taken time out of their lives to give thought to Gammy," his donation page reads.

The donations meant Gammy could be moved to a private hospital with specialist care and Ms Chanbua promises all the funds will go to him, ABC reported.

"I will make sure all the money, every single Baht, is well spent for the best of the baby," she said.

She says even if his biological parents come back for him, she's now his mother.

"I will not allow them to come to take my baby away," she said.

"I love him."

Abandoned but now cared for by his surrogate mother ... Six-months-old baby Gammy. Picture: Hope for Gammy Source: Supplied

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Surrogate dad’s ‘indecent dealing’ past

An Australian couple left their Down Syndrome baby with his surrogate mother in Thailand, while taking the boys healthy twin sister. WSJs Ramy Inocencio talks to Sam Everingham, director of Families Through Surrogacy, on the backlash in Australia.

THE Australian husband in the Thailand surrogacy row has served a sentence in jail for indecently dealing with a child under 13, it has been claimed.

Channel Nine reported that the man, who lives in Western Australia, was convicted of indecent dealing with a child under the age of 13 in 1998 and served a prison sentence.

The development came as the Thai mother of the abandoned surrogate baby boy with Down syndrome, Gammy, rejected claims his Australian parents knew nothing of their son.

LEFT BEHIND: Funds raised for abandoned baby with Down syndrome

MOIRA'S PLEA: Kelly pleas for Gammy to be treated in Melbourne

The biological parents of seven-month-old Gammy are accused of leaving him in Thailand after he and his healthy twin sister were born to a local surrogate.

His sister was brought back to Australia.

The couple, who have not been identified but live in Western Australia, deny the allegations and claim they had no knowledge of a second child.

GAMMY CASE PREVENTABLE: Lawyer says government should act

"I will not allow them to come to take my baby away" ... Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua holds her baby Gammy. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Gammy's 21-year-old Thai surrogate mother, Pattaramon Chanbua, is now his full-time carer and says those claims are wrong.

"This is not the truth," she told ABC's 7.30 program.

Ms Chanbua said the Australian couple asked her to abort the boy after he was diagnosed with Down syndrome in the womb.

She cried, refused and told them she would take care of both the babies if they did not want them. They eventually agreed to take the girl.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison today labelled Ms Chanbua a "saint" and an "absolute hero" and said the outpouring of support was a strong indicator of the way Australians felt about the situation.

"All the money will be spent for the best of the baby" ... Pattaramon Chanbua, 21, with her sons Game, 7, and baby boy Gammy. Picture: AP Source: AP

Gammy's story could prompt the Australian government to look closer at surrogacy laws with the Department of Foreign Affairs already examining practices in Thailand.

Agencies were working with Thai officials on the broader surrogacy issues, the department said.

Mr Morrison said the legalities surrounding international surrogacy were "very, very, very murky" and regulations must be looked at carefully.

"Sure, there are lots of Australians who are desperate to be parents but that can never, I think, sanction what we have just seen here," he said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also said the case illustrates the pitfalls of international surrogacy.

Commercial surrogacy, where a woman is paid a fee to carry a child, is illegal in Australia.

However, if there is an agreement for the biological parents to cover just medical and other reasonable costs, the practice is legal.

Rejected because of disability ... Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua plays with her baby Gammy, who was born with Down syndrome, at the Samitivej hospital, Sriracha district in Chonburi province. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Gammy's picture has been beamed around the world and has prompted donations of more than $200,000 to pay for his future in Thailand.

"Our hearts are filled with love for all the people around the world who have taken time out of their lives to give thought to Gammy," his donation page reads.

The donations meant Gammy could be moved to a private hospital with specialist care and Ms Chanbua promises all the funds will go to him, ABC reported.

"I will make sure all the money, every single Baht, is well spent for the best of the baby," she said.

She says even if his biological parents come back for him, she's now his mother.

"I will not allow them to come to take my baby away," she said.

"I love him."

Abandoned but now cared for by his surrogate mother ... Six-months-old baby Gammy. Picture: Hope for Gammy Source: Supplied

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Comm Games vs World Cup. Who won?

Hailed as the best ever Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2014 celebrates the end of a memorable 20th edition with a colourful closing ceremony on Sunday. Sarah Toms reports.

Surprisingly, you wanted to know more about Michael than Tim. Source: NewsComAu

IT'S been a busy old year for major sporting events.

We started with the Winter Olympics in February, there was the World Cup in June and July, and as you know, we've just had the Commonwealth Games.

So which event were you, our readers, most interested in?

We thought there'd be two meaningful ways to measure that. Firstly, the average daily readers. And secondly, the top-rating story for each event. (We didn't take overall numbers for each event into consideration because they all went for a different length of time.)

Anyway, drumroll… the event that you, the readers of Australia's Number One news site liked best?

The Commonwealth Games.

You couldn't get enough. You're probably even having haggis for dinner tonight, right? AFP PHOTO / ANDY BUCHANAN Source: AFP

Around 196,000 of you logged on to news.com.au each day during the Games to read about Glasgow goings-on, while just 174,000 of you regularly tuned into the football festivities in Brazil. Not-so-snowy Sochi was a distant third with 120,000 readers per day.

The message is clear. Most Australians still believe that the Commonwealth Games are a relevant part of our quadrennial sporting scene, a stance many of you made clear in the comments section of our piece yesterday.

And the biggest story of the Games? No, it wasn't Sally Pearson's gold medal or anything in the pool. It was a moment of awkwardness rather than athletic awesomeness.

Give up? It was Thorpie's awkward interview with James Magnussen, Please Lord never again.

For the record, the biggest story during the Winter Olympics was the spat over athlete funding that helped derail "Chumpy" Pullin's gold medal tilt.

Yeah, Australia kinda felt that way too, Chumpy. (AAP Image/Paul Miller) Source: Supplied

And the biggest World Cup story? Wait for it… a Chilean journalist flashing her breasts to celebrate a goal.

Interestingly, the highest-rating sport story during the World Cup period was not a football story, but a story from another code of football. We speak of former NRL star Todd Carney's bathroom adventures which were literally, in terms of reader numbers, bigger than Brazil.

Originally published as Comm Games vs World Cup. Who won?

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MEGA penguins waddled the Earth

Giant ancestor ... Emperor penguins are the largest living species of the bird. Picture: Tessa Bickford Source: Supplied

WHEN you see them on nature shows waddling over the pack ice, or being tossed about in the rough Antarctic seas, the humble penguin seems locked in a David and Goliath struggle with the elements.

But go back 40 million years and it was a different story.

Back then scientists say a race of mega penguins that weighed in at 115kg and were as tall as people roamed the Earth.

The claim comes after the fossilised remains of a giant penguin were discovered on Seymour Island, just off the Antarctic, by a team from Argentina's La Plata Museum.

According to the Independent , scientists already knew about the existence of the species, known as Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, but until the discovery of the latest fossil they did not realise the massive size of the creature.

Scientists say the penguin would have been more than 2m from beak tip to toe, or 1.6m tall standing with its beak down. By comparison the largest living species of penguin, the Emperor, grows to around 1.1m.

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Death threats over 1D Gaza tweet

Death threats ... One Direction's Zayn Malik has been blasted by fans for sending a pro-Palestine tweet. Picture: Instagram Source: Supplied

ONE Direction star Zayn Malik has received death threats after sending out a pro-Palestine tweet.

Malik, who was raised Muslim, was bombarded with death threats and complaints after he tweeted the hashtag "#Free Palestine" to his 13 million followers.

Malik, whose message was retweeted 140,000 times and favourited 150,000 times, was not so popular with a large number of his fans.

"U have fans in #Israel. It broke me that one of my idols wand me to die @benwinstone @harry_styles @onedirection [sic]," one of the lighter tweets at him read.

Sensitive subject ... Malik isn't the first star to cause a backlash over pro-Palestine tweets. Picture: Instagram Source: Supplied

Others from pro-Israel fans included calls for him to "kill himself" or to let them kill him instead.

Of course, Malik isn't the first star to tweet about the conflict. Rihanna also made the same mistake when she posted the same message via her official account, only to delete it minutes later after she copped a hammering from fans online.

She quickly replaced the tweet with, "Let's pray for peace and a swift end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict! Is there any hope?"

Devoted fans ... One Direction's Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Harry Styles. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Meanwhile British talk show host Piers Morgan was branded "Zionist scum" for his stream of tweets on the Israel-Gaza situation, in which he stated, "I like Jews. I like Arabs" and "Same nonsense made Northern Ireland a murderous tinderbox for 30 years."

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The creepiest modern-day cannibals

These are the creepiest modern day cannibals. *shudder* Source: AFP

IT'S often associated with mysterious, island tribes originating from lands far away, or ye olde times when man thought the world was flat, but the recent news of a British nurse grooming a young girl as his prey proves the idea of eating humans is as prevalent today as it was back in the 16th Century.

Frighteningly, a number of modern-day crime stories have unearthered a new trend in gruesome, sexualised cannibalism and the attacker's subsequent "meal".

According to Dr Mark Griffiths, Chartered Psychologist from Nottingham Trent University, sexual cannibalism involves "individuals sexualising the consumption of another human being's flesh", he writes on The Independent .

"Most criminologists and psychologists claim such people are sociopaths (characterised by impulsivity, selfishness, and lack of remorse). Devouring someone could be viewed as the ultimate act of dominance by a predator, and the ultimate act of submission by the prey," he wrote.

Griffiths describes a subsector of cannibalism known as e rotophonophilia, where the individual has "extreme violent fantasies and typically kill[s] their victims during sex and/or mutilate their victims' sexual organs."

Here are 5 reasons why we've lost our appetite right now.

5. DALE BOLINGER — THE 'CREEPY CANNIBAL'

"The idea of us making love and then eating you is a VERY great turn on!"

Dale Bolinger, a British nurse with a cannibalism fetish, was found guilty this month of attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl who he made contact with over the internet before telling her he wanted to eat and behead her.

Bolinger, 58, bought an axe the day before he planned to meet the girl.

The married father of three had met "Eva" — whose true identity has not been established, but who said she was a Mexican living in Germany — on the website Dark Fetish Network.

In his profile, he claimed to have eaten a 39-year-old woman and a five-year-old child, though he denied in court that he had done so, saying it was all "just in fantasy".

In chats with "Eva", he had described how he wanted to have sex with her and then eat her.

"I have been called a very generous lover and I would be very generous to you before I prepped you for the table."

The message exchanges were later discovered by the FBI in New York, which traced Bolinger's email address, meatmarketman@rocketmail.com, to his home in Kent.

They passed on the information to British police. He was found guilty of the crime of attempting to meet a child under the age of 16 following sexual grooming.

Bolinger is to be sentenced on September 19 after a psychiatric report to assess the level of risk he represents to the public.

Police were seen searching sheds at 57-year-old Dale Bolinger's house and digging in his garden. Source: Splash News Australia

Dale Bolinger out cycling and leaving his Canterbury, Kent Home, UK. Source: Splash News Australia

4. GEOFFREY PORTWAY — THE 'WOULD-BE CANNIBAL'

Geoffrey Portway chatted online with other men about a desire to kidnap, rape, kill and eat children.

Chats recovered from Portway's computer show he solicited people to help kidnap a child with the intent of raping, killing and eating the child.

"I want to eat ... the two boys you will bring me,'' Mr Portway was quoted as writing.

"Perhaps not today, but it will happen. That is all I live for. ... I am serious. It is the only thing that gets me up in the morning.''

Prosecutors showed photos of a basement dungeon he built, including a child-sized coffin, butchering tools and metal restraints. He has been sentenced to nearly 27 years in prison.

Tight elastic bands and equipment used to castrate calves found in the dungeon where Geoffrey Portway planned to rape, murder and eat children beneath his Massachusetts house. Source: Supplied

Mugshot of Geoffrey Portway. Source: Supplied

Inside the torture dungeon. Source: Supplied

Police found items including a child-size coffin, a steel cage, a brand new set of butcher's knives as well as pornography Source: Supplied

3. STEPHEN GRIFFITHS — 'THE CROSSBOW CANNIBAL'

Chilling images of "Crossbow Cannibal" Stephen Griffiths as he makes an obscene one-fingered gesture after brazenly celebrating his final murder in front of a CCTV camera will ensure his place in the criminal history books.

CCTV footage captured outside the serial killer's flat clearly shows the former PhD student's face contorted with rage before he executes prostitute Suzanne Blamires, 36, with a crossbow bolt and a knife to the head.

He is then seen walking out of the building to search for another victim, as he holds up a bottle of Sprite as if to toast his success.

Griffiths gestures to the camera after he kills Ms Blamires. Source: Supplied

Stephen Griffiths, who dubbed himself the 'crossbow cannibal'. Source: AFP

In 2011, then 40-year-old Griffiths was jailed for life after admitting to the murders of Miss Blamires and two other prostitutes, Susan Rushworth, 43, and Shelley Armitage, 31.

According to reports, he chopped up their bodies in his "slaughterhouse" bathroom and ate sections of their flesh before disposing of the remaining body parts.

He told police he had killed "loads" of women and compared himself to Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, who murdered 13.

He admitted that after killing the three women, he had dismembered and skinned them using power tools, a hammer, knives and a samurai sword.

He cooked the first two, but ate the third raw after his cooker broke.

Following his arrest he told police: 'This is the end of the line for me … I've killed loads.'

2. ANTHONY MORLEY — 'GAY CANNIBAL KILLER'

Former Mr Gay UK Anthony Morley is spending the rest of his life in jail after being found guilty for butchering his boyfriend and cooking his flesh.

In 2008, Morley, 36, slashed 33-year-old boyfriend Damian Oldfield's throat before stabbing him numerous times after watching gay western Brokeback Mountain in bed. He then cut up and cooked his flesh.

Upon his sentence, Judge James Stewart, QC, said: "This is one of the most gruesome murders I have encountered. I associated cannibalism with eras long gone, with the tale of Robinson Crusoe. No longer."

Anthony Morley was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison for killing a man with a knife and cooking and eating his flesh. Source: AP

1. ARMIN MEIWES — 'THE MASTER BUTCHER'

In a tale that horrified Germany, Armin Meiwes found his victim, Bernd-Juergen Brandes, over the internet. The IT manager Brandes had posted an advert for someone to "obliterate his life and leave no trace".

Brandes travelled by train to meet Meiwes in the western town of Rotenburg in March 2001. There, the cannibal videotaped himself severing Brandes' penis with a knife before both men tried to eat it.

Bleeding profusely, Brandes fell unconscious. With the video recorder still rolling, Meiwes laid him out on a bench, kissing him on the lips before plunging a knife into his throat.

He suspended the victim on a meat hook and froze 30kg of flesh in parcels and later ate some with cabbage and potatoes.

42-year-old Bernd Juergen Brandes from Berlin, victim of 41-year-old Armin Meiwes. Source: AP

Self-confessed German cannibal Armin Meiwes killed and ate a man he met through the internet. Source: AFP

The house in Rotenburg an der Fulda, in Hesse, where 41yr-old Armin Meiwes allegedly killed and dismembered Bernd Juergen. Source: AP

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sweet win for MasterChef’s Brent

In a nail biting race to the end with Brent pitted against Laura, it was his desert that got him over the line to win. Courtesy: MasterChef Australia

The decider ... MasterChef Australia's final was between Brent Owens and Laura Cassai. Source: Supplied

BRENT Owens will be quitting his job as a bobcat driver after winning this year's MasterChef Australia.

The 24-year-old Owens, from Victoria, staged a come-from-behind victory over teenage student Laura 'Lottie' Cassai on the Channel 10 reality cooking show last night.

Owens finished with 83 points out of a possible 100 — three points ahead of South Australia's Cassai, the youngest grand finalist ever on the show.

GEORGE CALOMBARIS: My favourite five recipes from series

The pair went head-to-head over three rounds — a Mystery Box challenge, a Family Chef's Table challenge, and a Pressure Test to recreate Peter Gilmore's Chocolate Ethereal dessert.

Owens was trailing Cassai 48 points to 49 after the end of the second round but snatched victory with a better score for his dessert from Gilmore as well as judges George Calombaris, Matt Preston, and Gary Mehigan.

"It (winning) is surreal — an emotion I can't explain," Owens said after being the win. "It's never good playing catch-up. I had to do a little bit more (in the dessert challenge) to get across the line. I knew I had to focus."

come from behind winner ... Masterchef Australia 2014 winner Brent Owens with judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan. Picture: Channel 10 Source: Channel 10

MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA: Emelia Jackson nearly quit after first week

Owens will quit his bobcat job at girlfriend Madison's father Laurence's excavation business to pursue his food dream.

"I think he (Laurence) will be a little bit disappointed but I'm sure he won't be surprised," Owens says.

"He knows how much I love food. As hard as it will be for him, he'll be rooting for it. It's a part of my life I'll never forget. I really appreciate what he's done for me — but it is time for me to move on.

"I've got so many plans — ultimately I want my own cafe and a line of food products."

Owens' and Cassai's first challenge was to cook a dish in 60 minutes using 8 ingredients — scampi, garlic, anchovies, red cabbage, pearl barley, fennel, chervil and sherry.

Owens scored 27 out of 30 for his 'textures of pearl barley with poached scampi, red cabbage and chervil with Preston saying the dish was "inventive, exciting, inspiring and really beautiful".

Cassai scored 25 out of 30 for her grilled scampi with anchovy butter, roasted garlic cream, pickled cabbage and puffed barley.

Owens stumbled in the second round when the pair had 90 minutes to cook six plates of food for their families as well as the judges.

Owens did a modern version of the Lancashire Hot Pot which was meant to include a delicate potato galette. After three attempts, Owens was forced to dump the potato element — and was penalised. He scored 21 out of 30.

Cassai won round two with 24 out of 30 for lightly seared scallops with herb butter poached lobster, fresh radish, mushroom panzanella and chestnut chips.

It all came down to the Chocolate Ethereal dessert which Gilmore described as twice as hard as the 'Snow Egg' dessert he created for the finale of season two. 40 points were up for grabs.

The complicated dessert was made up of delicate sheets — a milk skin, two types of pulled or stretched caramel, a butter vanilla toffee, tempered chocolate and sugar starch — as salted caramel, roasted almonds, and a chocolate ganache.

Cassai struggled when she incorrectly added sugar in with her honey for the nougat and had to start over. She hit another hurdle with her chocolate and had to begin again.

Cassai also had issues with the plating, with the judges noting there weren't as many sheets as Gilmore's original.

Owens followed the recipe to the letter and was rewarded with 35 out of 40 — enough to snatch victory. Cassai scored 31 out of 40.

Owens receives $250,000 in cash, a cookbook deal, work experience in some of Australia's best restaurants, and a new car for taking out the Channel 10 cooking show. Cassai receives $20,000.

"I want to publish my own home style Italian cookbook," Cassai said after tonight's loss. "I also have an incredible opportunity to work with Jock Zonfrillo as a junior chef at Orana in Adelaide."

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More