Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, as I mentioned a little while ago, a Darwin
City business has made the decision to shut shop to
keep crime and customers safe, well, to keep it's as
a result, I guess, of that crime and to keep
customers safe due to well, crime and anti social behavior.
So John John's in the city, it's a beautiful ice
cream shop. I know plenty of you would frequent there
(00:21):
quite regularly. They're putting in further safeguards in place in
an effort to try to really ensure that staff, customers,
everybody is safe to be able to go there, which
to me, I just think it is unbelievable that a
business is in a situation where they're actually not able
to open shop because of safety concerns an ice cream
(00:44):
a beautiful ice cream business.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Now joining me.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
In the studio is John Koenig, who is indeed the
owner of John John's.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Good morning, How are you? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Good? Well, Look, I'm actually feeling pretty sad for you.
I think you and I have spoken on a few
over the last few years, and unfortunately it seems the
only time that we do get the opportunity to speak
is when something pretty ordinary happens to you and your
business in the city. It's a wonderful business that you have.
(01:15):
I know that a lot of territories listening this morning
would absolutely love it. My daughter literally every time we
go to the city, Mum, can we go to John John's? Mum,
can we go get an ice cream? And it's really
sad that you're in a situation where you've had to close.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, very much.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So what happened?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
What are the incidents that have happened over the last
few days.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Firstly, if you don't mind, Kay, I do appreciate it
coming on. Like I said, it feels like we're always
talking about negative stuff, which is quite sad coming into
like a beautiful place that we live in and.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I've grown up here.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
I just wanted to give some background to the listeners
of Black Who I Am.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
I would have been born in Darwin.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
However my grandma was sick in the Philippines, so my
mum had to go back and so I was born
in the Philippines. Otherwise I would have been born here.
I've lived pretty much.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
My whole life here. I'm thirty two years young yep.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Went to Millner Primary School, did my primary school years there,
went to Saint John's for three years went to Darwin High.
I played for Hellenic Football Club in soccer, Likeliff Tigers
go to the Tigers for footy. So I've lived my
whole life here and.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
This is home.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
This is all I've known, and I've started the business.
We're six and a half years on. We're going strong. Yep,
it depends on what months you ask me.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
But it's been good overall.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Darwin's lifestyle is great and we live in Darwin because
of how family friendly it is, the laid back lifestyle,
and it's you know, you know someone, you walk down
the street, it's probably a good and a bad thing,
and you always say good, you can have a beer,
and it's just relaxed. Lately, crime is just every year
or year, and you've had everyone on here and every
year it's gotten worse. And now we're at the boiling point.
(02:47):
Alice is in chaos, Tenant is in chaos, Catherine is
in chaos, and Darwin has fallen into chaos as well.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And it's just like we've all just had enough.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I mean, I think the point that you make about
the fact that you grew up here it does give
listeners some con text because sometimes you think to yourself
of we got some blowing that's turned up, that's running
a business that can't sort of handle some of the
issues that we've got in the NT. You know, like
we understand that we've got various issues and that they're
complex to use a political term, but you should not
(03:17):
have to deal with some of the absolute dangerous situations
that you're dealing with, because I was going to say
garbage situations, but it's actually dangerous, very dangerous.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Children shouldn't be pulling out machetes and lives in our
garden box or in the park next to our shop.
And the thing that is very frustrating is that we're
on the corner of Mitchell Street.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
And Lucky Street.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
We are in the heartbeat of the Darwin city and
what goes on in that park, it's just it's beyond me.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Note on the weekend, you actually had someone threatened to
kill you with a machete.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah, it was a nie for a machete. Yeah. So
the background story was.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Me, I had my two staff in there, Margarita and
then Ollie who's thirteen, young lad, and all of a
sudden we could hear yelling and we were watching him
from inside the shop. A fight breakout. It was an
all in brawl. One man in particular was assaulting about
five or six people. He choked one person, he pushed
over another woman, and it was just it went on
(04:17):
for fifteen minutes. So I've gone out. Tips were thankfully
on the we're there. I've gone out just to make
sure that because my tips are my friends, yep, and
just to see that they were okay and whether or
not I needed to call police. I've kept my distance
twenty thirty meters. I'm standing at my shop, so I
haven't engaged at all. What's happened is he's been pushed
out finally, but he's walking towards our shop and he's
(04:40):
walking past me and my back is against the fence.
I've got nowhere else to move. He's come over to
go shake my hand. I said, man, I don't want
to shake your hand. You've just been fighting. He goes
to shake my hand again. I said, please don't. I
was like, just keep going, mate. He's walked away and
then he's turned back around to face me, and within
four or five meters he's come at me and he's.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Like, I've got a knife. I'm going to effing kill you.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And if someone's four or five meters away rushing you,
I had no idea, nothing to do but push him back.
He stumbled on the floor, He's got back up and
he's rushed me again. And thankfully that's when TPS came
in and they apprehended him. And then I was on
the phone of the police straight away.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
What did you think in that moment, John, Were you
thinking if this guy has got a knife on gone?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, and that's why I pushed.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Him, And then like I had to push him again.
And then as soon as I pushed him the first
time and he fell on the floor, the first thing
I thought about was like, I've got so much to lose.
I've got a business, I've got friends and family, I've
got loved ones, I've got nephews. My staff are inside.
There's a potentially if he did stab me. The staff
(05:47):
are watching their boss, whether they like me or not,
they watching their boss bleed out for what Oh my luck.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
To be honest, my reaction to that is I actually
want to cry. I feel really bad for you that
you've been put like that. You're in that situation while
you're they're trying to work. It's unbelievable. It's actually it's
really unfair, it's really dangerous. As you've said, your staff
shouldn't actually have to see you going through that either.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You shouldn't have to deal with that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
We shouldn't not at all, No one should.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
We should just be able to walk the city streets
safely and just go to work safely, and leave work
and go home safely.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
I know you've been very complementary of the police and
their response very much. So they've come and helped obviously
or turned up I'm assuming, and tried to help out
very much.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So what did they do? What was the reaction from
the from the police.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
So when I initially called though, I think they were
sending a crew out. But I can understand as well,
like there's so many like everything gets true art, so
I completely understand. And then yeah, altercations kept breaking out,
and then yeah, we just everyone just tries to do
what they can, and I guess the situation was sort
of handled and didn't It was sort of being de escalated.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
So yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Then but on Saturday they did come the serious crime
and it did come in.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
They took my statement. Yeah, they were very helpful, very understanding, but.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So now this blog that threatened you, then that said
he was going to kill you.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
He's been back at that.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Park, hasn't he correct?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
So yesterday I made the decision to keep the shop
shut because Saturday there was another all in brawl and
which they then sort of stood at the front of
my shop while customers were trying to come in, so
I had to go out. My heart was racing whether
or not, you know, I'm going to have another altercation.
I've had to ask them to move on nicely. And
then that was about two twenty five pm on Saturday.
(07:42):
And then at four forty five pm on Saturday, there's
another all in brawl and they're running up and down
Knuckey Street Mitchell Street, fighting each other, and tourists are
just dumbfounded. They're like, what is going on? And then
all of Saturday and all of Sunday, my head was
on a swiggle. I was watching I was looking outside
the window, I was recording everything.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
My heart was I was stressed.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
And then come Monday, it finally hit me the actually
what the seriousness of it all.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
But you know, the thing that I just can't wrap
my head around with this situation, right is you are
there try and run a business. You've literally just said,
your businesses have been going really well for six and
a half years. It's making money, You've got a great business.
You're doing something that you love. So why should you
have to stop doing that? Because the people that are
(08:28):
doing the wrong thing?
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I agree, I don't think most people don't know the
reason for that. And so going back to the question,
to answer the question that you asked, yes, I decided
to close the shop to put some safety measures in place.
And then what had happened was I went I literally
went in to go collect more information for the police
and get all the video footage. I couldn't enter my
(08:50):
shop because the person who did threaten to kill me
was sitting in the park, and so I've had to
go to the police station. I said, this is the situation,
this is my promised number. A wagon came down, spoke
to him, and then the police had had to escort
me into my own shop. Now that I've been inside
my shop, he's walking around my shop and then he's
(09:11):
sitting back down on the benches. This guy on Friday
night told me that he's going to come back. He's
coming back with his friends and he's going to come
back to murder me. And now when you go to work,
you just am my paranoid.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I don't know. I'm not going to ask him, Hey, mate,
you're going to you come back to kill me. It's
beyond belief.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
It's absolutely beyond belief. I mean, do you have any
luck do you have Obviously you've seen this block get
into a punch up.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
You've seen that he's dangerous.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Do you have any other like have you have you
got any sort of background as to whether.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
He is quite dangerous. I mean, it seems like common
sense would tell you he is.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
After he's sort of gone at me on the Friday
night and I've pushed him down. When TPS apprehended him,
they told me then that he just got out of prison.
Within the week he had got out of prison. I've
just witnessed him assault five or six people. And then
the TPS guard said that he had already pulled knives
out on the on the guards.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Already you are joking.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
And this is the and the thing is, it's not
not even me. It's just what if it was a tourist,
a passer by, a young kid, an elderly person, and
then You're in the wrong place at the wrong time,
and I'm literally standing at my shop.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Where else am I supposed.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
To be trying to run your business?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Like again, you're just trying to do your job, trying
to run your business, which should be entitled to do. John,
how many days do you think you're going to have
to close? What do you think you're going to have
to do? Here?
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I guess I get a bit of a luxury in
terms of On Saturday, I followed up with the police
and getting a promise numbered.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
But I also was able to call Paul KIRBYEP, the.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Local member, and immediately he had just gotten out of hospital,
and so I was very appreciative that he took my call.
He said that he would pass it on to Brent.
Brent did call me, and then I was aware that
it was Brent's child's birthday. So I said, you know,
like family comes first. Yeah, I'm not an you know,
like families first. There's more important things to life than
(11:13):
like trivial stuff. So I said, like, if he gets
the time, call back, and he did, and so I
appreciated him listening. I spoke to Lea for Andochiaria as well.
On the phone just to let everyone know what the
situation was. And then as things have progressed, yesterday I
made a phone call to Jimmy Bejoris, a counselor, and
I said, mate, this is what's going on.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I need help.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And Jimmy's he's told me that he's going to speak
to the councilors and he's going to speak to City
of Dawn as well to look at investigating Tamarin Park
to keep it a safer place.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So I do appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Like it can't.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
We can't continue on down this path. It cannot continue
on down this path. We can't remain in a situation
where people like yourself put in day trying to run
a business, people are put in danger trying to go
and buy ice cream or gelato. It's it beggars belief,
big time. It beggars belief that you have had to
(12:09):
close because someone's threatened to kill you, and then they're
still walking around your shop two days later, a day later,
and they're still out on the street. To me, something's
very wrong with the system.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
I mean, look what happened.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
No one should receive death threats at all, death threats
at work or whatever job look what happened with Michael Gunner.
He received death threats, he had to move his family
away to keep them safe. Natasha Files received a crep
to the face. Put that person on assault charges. Like,
no one should be having death threats. And I'm just
the ice cream man, ice cream to kids and families.
(12:47):
People who come in sad or come in happy. They
never leave sad, they always leave happy, yep.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And it's just.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
We're there to scoop jelati and bring a bit of happiness.
And I do not need death threats. No, But then
if I was to make a death threat to someone,
what would happen? What would happen? And if I started
to hang around their work after I've made that death threat,
what would happen. I wouldn't just get a small talking to.
I'd probably be you know, quite heavily investigate. And so
(13:13):
I should be.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
The other point of this though as well, John is
you know, like, yes, the death threat is part of it,
and the safety to your staff and the safety to you,
But let's not forget this person's also gotten in a.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Brawl in a public place.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
And again, you know, that kind of thing should not
be happening, and that in the first place, is something
that many would deem to be breaking the law or illegal,
depending on how bad things were. I know people get
in scuffles from time to time, but it doesn't sound.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Like it's just a scuffle.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
So I think at the moment we're going, oh, there's
anti social behavior around our CBD. This is far from
anti social behavior. This is very, very bad behavior and
it has to stop.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Now from I mean from your perspective today. Really, what
is your message to our decision makers when it comes
to what you are experiencing as a business owner in
our CBD To.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
The decision makers out there, and I know that you
guys are listening. You it's so out of touch. Speak
to the business owners and speak to the people who
are affected, because one in two people are affected here.
I'm being serious. It's just I'm in a group chat
with ten other males. We all own businesses, and we
own several businesses. We're all deciding to shut up shop.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
What's the point?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Cost of living is through the roof, Electricity is through
the roof, Rental is through the roof, and all our numbers, Katie,
our numbers. Ask the businesses in Darwin City they have
done their worst three months in the last twelve to
fifteen years. Businesses have made losses after losses after losses,
and everyone is banking on this dry season to be
(14:54):
the savior.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
It's not going to come save us.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Look what happened to Alice Springs snap lockdown to heroism
gone people down south. If you're spending five, ten, fifteen
thousand dollars to come up to Darwin, I'll tell you
to reconsider. Why would you You're going to walk on
Mitchell Street and not feel safe.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Last year, I'll give you an example. A woman came
up with her child.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
She had to catch an uber from Cole's car pup
Cole's City to the Hilton every day because she didn't
feel safe.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
What do you reckon? She's going to tell her friends and.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Family, Well, that's exactly right. Like this, I'm sorry, I'm
going to put it really bluntly. This shit has to
get under control. The future of the Northern Territory depends
on it. The future of business in the Northern Territory.
You're a young man, you're in your early thirties. You
are the future of the Northern Territory. You know I
want this place to be a place where my kids
want to live, where they want to stay, where they're
(15:49):
not scared to walk up the street. And I know
that every parent that lives in the Northern Territory feels
exactly the same way, very much. So something's got to change,
and it's got to change fast. I agree, John, I
really appreciate your time this morning. And look, I know
that you are somebody who's such a positive person. You're
not actually wanting to have to talk about this stuff
(16:11):
all the time, but you shouldn't have to be dealing
with what you're dealing with. I really appreciate you speaking
up though, because if we don't, then it is just
going to continue to get worse.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
That's exactly right. Who will listen? How many more people
have to suffer? Do we have to lose any more
lives before something has changed and that people can make changes.
You can still feel safe in a city while trying
to get crime under control.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Absolutely you can. And it's reached that point where it
has to happen.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
It has to happen.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I really appreciate your time, mate, Thank you, thanks so
much for joining us in the studio.
Well, as I mentioned a little while ago, a Darwin
City business has made the decision to shut shop to
keep crime and customers safe, well, to keep it's as
a result, I guess, of that crime and to keep
customers safe due to well, crime and anti social behavior.
So John John's in the city, it's a beautiful ice
cream shop. I know plenty of you would frequent there
(00:21):
quite regularly. They're putting in further safeguards in place in
an effort to try to really ensure that staff, customers,
everybody is safe to be able to go there, which
to me, I just think it is unbelievable that a
business is in a situation where they're actually not able
to open shop because of safety concerns an ice cream
(00:44):
a beautiful ice cream business.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Now joining me.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
In the studio is John Koenig, who is indeed the
owner of John John's.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Good morning, How are you? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Good? Well, Look, I'm actually feeling pretty sad for you.
I think you and I have spoken on a few
over the last few years, and unfortunately it seems the
only time that we do get the opportunity to speak
is when something pretty ordinary happens to you and your
business in the city. It's a wonderful business that you have.
(01:15):
I know that a lot of territories listening this morning
would absolutely love it. My daughter literally every time we
go to the city, Mum, can we go to John John's? Mum,
can we go get an ice cream? And it's really
sad that you're in a situation where you've had to close.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, very much.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So what happened?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
What are the incidents that have happened over the last
few days.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Firstly, if you don't mind, Kay, I do appreciate it
coming on. Like I said, it feels like we're always
talking about negative stuff, which is quite sad coming into
like a beautiful place that we live in and.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I've grown up here.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
I just wanted to give some background to the listeners
of Black Who I Am.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
I would have been born in Darwin.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
However my grandma was sick in the Philippines, so my
mum had to go back and so I was born
in the Philippines. Otherwise I would have been born here.
I've lived pretty much.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
My whole life here. I'm thirty two years young yep.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Went to Millner Primary School, did my primary school years there,
went to Saint John's for three years went to Darwin High.
I played for Hellenic Football Club in soccer, Likeliff Tigers
go to the Tigers for footy. So I've lived my
whole life here and.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
This is home.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
This is all I've known, and I've started the business.
We're six and a half years on. We're going strong. Yep,
it depends on what months you ask me.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
But it's been good overall.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Darwin's lifestyle is great and we live in Darwin because
of how family friendly it is, the laid back lifestyle,
and it's you know, you know someone, you walk down
the street, it's probably a good and a bad thing,
and you always say good, you can have a beer,
and it's just relaxed. Lately, crime is just every year
or year, and you've had everyone on here and every
year it's gotten worse. And now we're at the boiling point.
(02:47):
Alice is in chaos, Tenant is in chaos, Catherine is
in chaos, and Darwin has fallen into chaos as well.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And it's just like we've all just had enough.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I mean, I think the point that you make about
the fact that you grew up here it does give
listeners some con text because sometimes you think to yourself
of we got some blowing that's turned up, that's running
a business that can't sort of handle some of the
issues that we've got in the NT. You know, like
we understand that we've got various issues and that they're
complex to use a political term, but you should not
(03:17):
have to deal with some of the absolute dangerous situations
that you're dealing with, because I was going to say
garbage situations, but it's actually dangerous, very dangerous.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Children shouldn't be pulling out machetes and lives in our
garden box or in the park next to our shop.
And the thing that is very frustrating is that we're
on the corner of Mitchell Street.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
And Lucky Street.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
We are in the heartbeat of the Darwin city and
what goes on in that park, it's just it's beyond me.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Note on the weekend, you actually had someone threatened to
kill you with a machete.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah, it was a nie for a machete. Yeah. So
the background story was.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Me, I had my two staff in there, Margarita and
then Ollie who's thirteen, young lad, and all of a
sudden we could hear yelling and we were watching him
from inside the shop. A fight breakout. It was an
all in brawl. One man in particular was assaulting about
five or six people. He choked one person, he pushed
over another woman, and it was just it went on
(04:17):
for fifteen minutes. So I've gone out. Tips were thankfully
on the we're there. I've gone out just to make
sure that because my tips are my friends, yep, and
just to see that they were okay and whether or
not I needed to call police. I've kept my distance
twenty thirty meters. I'm standing at my shop, so I
haven't engaged at all. What's happened is he's been pushed
out finally, but he's walking towards our shop and he's
(04:40):
walking past me and my back is against the fence.
I've got nowhere else to move. He's come over to
go shake my hand. I said, man, I don't want
to shake your hand. You've just been fighting. He goes
to shake my hand again. I said, please don't. I
was like, just keep going, mate. He's walked away and
then he's turned back around to face me, and within
four or five meters he's come at me and he's.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Like, I've got a knife. I'm going to effing kill you.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And if someone's four or five meters away rushing you,
I had no idea, nothing to do but push him back.
He stumbled on the floor, He's got back up and
he's rushed me again. And thankfully that's when TPS came
in and they apprehended him. And then I was on
the phone of the police straight away.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
What did you think in that moment, John, Were you
thinking if this guy has got a knife on gone?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, and that's why I pushed.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Him, And then like I had to push him again.
And then as soon as I pushed him the first
time and he fell on the floor, the first thing
I thought about was like, I've got so much to lose.
I've got a business, I've got friends and family, I've
got loved ones, I've got nephews. My staff are inside.
There's a potentially if he did stab me. The staff
(05:47):
are watching their boss, whether they like me or not,
they watching their boss bleed out for what Oh my luck.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
To be honest, my reaction to that is I actually
want to cry. I feel really bad for you that
you've been put like that. You're in that situation while
you're they're trying to work. It's unbelievable. It's actually it's
really unfair, it's really dangerous. As you've said, your staff
shouldn't actually have to see you going through that either.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You shouldn't have to deal with that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
We shouldn't not at all, No one should.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
We should just be able to walk the city streets
safely and just go to work safely, and leave work
and go home safely.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
I know you've been very complementary of the police and
their response very much. So they've come and helped obviously
or turned up I'm assuming, and tried to help out
very much.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So what did they do? What was the reaction from
the from the police.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
So when I initially called though, I think they were
sending a crew out. But I can understand as well,
like there's so many like everything gets true art, so
I completely understand. And then yeah, altercations kept breaking out,
and then yeah, we just everyone just tries to do
what they can, and I guess the situation was sort
of handled and didn't It was sort of being de escalated.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
So yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Then but on Saturday they did come the serious crime
and it did come in.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
They took my statement. Yeah, they were very helpful, very understanding, but.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So now this blog that threatened you, then that said
he was going to kill you.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
He's been back at that.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Park, hasn't he correct?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
So yesterday I made the decision to keep the shop
shut because Saturday there was another all in brawl and
which they then sort of stood at the front of
my shop while customers were trying to come in, so
I had to go out. My heart was racing whether
or not, you know, I'm going to have another altercation.
I've had to ask them to move on nicely. And
then that was about two twenty five pm on Saturday.
(07:42):
And then at four forty five pm on Saturday, there's
another all in brawl and they're running up and down
Knuckey Street Mitchell Street, fighting each other, and tourists are
just dumbfounded. They're like, what is going on? And then
all of Saturday and all of Sunday, my head was
on a swiggle. I was watching I was looking outside
the window, I was recording everything.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
My heart was I was stressed.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
And then come Monday, it finally hit me the actually
what the seriousness of it all.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
But you know, the thing that I just can't wrap
my head around with this situation, right is you are
there try and run a business. You've literally just said,
your businesses have been going really well for six and
a half years. It's making money, You've got a great business.
You're doing something that you love. So why should you
have to stop doing that? Because the people that are
(08:28):
doing the wrong thing?
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I agree, I don't think most people don't know the
reason for that. And so going back to the question,
to answer the question that you asked, yes, I decided
to close the shop to put some safety measures in place.
And then what had happened was I went I literally
went in to go collect more information for the police
and get all the video footage. I couldn't enter my
(08:50):
shop because the person who did threaten to kill me
was sitting in the park, and so I've had to
go to the police station. I said, this is the situation,
this is my promised number. A wagon came down, spoke
to him, and then the police had had to escort
me into my own shop. Now that I've been inside
my shop, he's walking around my shop and then he's
(09:11):
sitting back down on the benches. This guy on Friday
night told me that he's going to come back. He's
coming back with his friends and he's going to come
back to murder me. And now when you go to work,
you just am my paranoid.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I don't know. I'm not going to ask him, Hey, mate,
you're going to you come back to kill me. It's
beyond belief.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
It's absolutely beyond belief. I mean, do you have any
luck do you have Obviously you've seen this block get
into a punch up.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
You've seen that he's dangerous.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Do you have any other like have you have you
got any sort of background as to whether.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
He is quite dangerous. I mean, it seems like common
sense would tell you he is.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
After he's sort of gone at me on the Friday
night and I've pushed him down. When TPS apprehended him,
they told me then that he just got out of prison.
Within the week he had got out of prison. I've
just witnessed him assault five or six people. And then
the TPS guard said that he had already pulled knives
out on the on the guards.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Already you are joking.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
And this is the and the thing is, it's not
not even me. It's just what if it was a tourist,
a passer by, a young kid, an elderly person, and
then You're in the wrong place at the wrong time,
and I'm literally standing at my shop.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Where else am I supposed.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
To be trying to run your business?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Like again, you're just trying to do your job, trying
to run your business, which should be entitled to do. John,
how many days do you think you're going to have
to close? What do you think you're going to have
to do? Here?
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I guess I get a bit of a luxury in
terms of On Saturday, I followed up with the police
and getting a promise numbered.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
But I also was able to call Paul KIRBYEP, the.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Local member, and immediately he had just gotten out of hospital,
and so I was very appreciative that he took my call.
He said that he would pass it on to Brent.
Brent did call me, and then I was aware that
it was Brent's child's birthday. So I said, you know,
like family comes first. Yeah, I'm not an you know,
like families first. There's more important things to life than
(11:13):
like trivial stuff. So I said, like, if he gets
the time, call back, and he did, and so I
appreciated him listening. I spoke to Lea for Andochiaria as well.
On the phone just to let everyone know what the
situation was. And then as things have progressed, yesterday I
made a phone call to Jimmy Bejoris, a counselor, and
I said, mate, this is what's going on.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I need help.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And Jimmy's he's told me that he's going to speak
to the councilors and he's going to speak to City
of Dawn as well to look at investigating Tamarin Park
to keep it a safer place.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So I do appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Like it can't.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
We can't continue on down this path. It cannot continue
on down this path. We can't remain in a situation
where people like yourself put in day trying to run
a business, people are put in danger trying to go
and buy ice cream or gelato. It's it beggars belief,
big time. It beggars belief that you have had to
(12:09):
close because someone's threatened to kill you, and then they're
still walking around your shop two days later, a day later,
and they're still out on the street. To me, something's
very wrong with the system.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
I mean, look what happened.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
No one should receive death threats at all, death threats
at work or whatever job look what happened with Michael Gunner.
He received death threats, he had to move his family
away to keep them safe. Natasha Files received a crep
to the face. Put that person on assault charges. Like,
no one should be having death threats. And I'm just
the ice cream man, ice cream to kids and families.
(12:47):
People who come in sad or come in happy. They
never leave sad, they always leave happy, yep.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And it's just.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
We're there to scoop jelati and bring a bit of happiness.
And I do not need death threats. No, But then
if I was to make a death threat to someone,
what would happen? What would happen? And if I started
to hang around their work after I've made that death threat,
what would happen. I wouldn't just get a small talking to.
I'd probably be you know, quite heavily investigate. And so
(13:13):
I should be.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
The other point of this though as well, John is
you know, like, yes, the death threat is part of it,
and the safety to your staff and the safety to you,
But let's not forget this person's also gotten in a.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Brawl in a public place.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
And again, you know, that kind of thing should not
be happening, and that in the first place, is something
that many would deem to be breaking the law or illegal,
depending on how bad things were. I know people get
in scuffles from time to time, but it doesn't sound.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Like it's just a scuffle.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
So I think at the moment we're going, oh, there's
anti social behavior around our CBD. This is far from
anti social behavior. This is very, very bad behavior and
it has to stop.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Now from I mean from your perspective today. Really, what
is your message to our decision makers when it comes
to what you are experiencing as a business owner in
our CBD To.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
The decision makers out there, and I know that you
guys are listening. You it's so out of touch. Speak
to the business owners and speak to the people who
are affected, because one in two people are affected here.
I'm being serious. It's just I'm in a group chat
with ten other males. We all own businesses, and we
own several businesses. We're all deciding to shut up shop.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
What's the point?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Cost of living is through the roof, Electricity is through
the roof, Rental is through the roof, and all our numbers, Katie,
our numbers. Ask the businesses in Darwin City they have
done their worst three months in the last twelve to
fifteen years. Businesses have made losses after losses after losses,
and everyone is banking on this dry season to be
(14:54):
the savior.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
It's not going to come save us.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Look what happened to Alice Springs snap lockdown to heroism
gone people down south. If you're spending five, ten, fifteen
thousand dollars to come up to Darwin, I'll tell you
to reconsider. Why would you You're going to walk on
Mitchell Street and not feel safe.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Last year, I'll give you an example. A woman came
up with her child.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
She had to catch an uber from Cole's car pup
Cole's City to the Hilton every day because she didn't
feel safe.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
What do you reckon? She's going to tell her friends and.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Family, Well, that's exactly right. Like this, I'm sorry, I'm
going to put it really bluntly. This shit has to
get under control. The future of the Northern Territory depends
on it. The future of business in the Northern Territory.
You're a young man, you're in your early thirties. You
are the future of the Northern Territory. You know I
want this place to be a place where my kids
want to live, where they want to stay, where they're
(15:49):
not scared to walk up the street. And I know
that every parent that lives in the Northern Territory feels
exactly the same way, very much. So something's got to change,
and it's got to change fast. I agree, John, I
really appreciate your time this morning. And look, I know
that you are somebody who's such a positive person. You're
not actually wanting to have to talk about this stuff
(16:11):
all the time, but you shouldn't have to be dealing
with what you're dealing with. I really appreciate you speaking
up though, because if we don't, then it is just
going to continue to get worse.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
That's exactly right. Who will listen? How many more people
have to suffer? Do we have to lose any more
lives before something has changed and that people can make changes.
You can still feel safe in a city while trying
to get crime under control.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Absolutely you can. And it's reached that point where it
has to happen.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
It has to happen.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I really appreciate your time, mate, Thank you, thanks so
much for joining us in the studio.
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