Perth Voice Interactive

THERE was literally blood on the floor at Vincent council Tuesday after plains-clothed rangers wrestled Leederville trader Stuart Lofthouse to the ground during an attempt to eject him from the public gallery.

The Greens and Co cafe owner was left bloodied by the struggle, which resulted in four police attending. He claimed he’d been grabbed by the penis but that was disputed by witnesses.

Moments before, neighbouring trader Debbie Saunders had been at the microphone to oppose council plans for a new million-dollar bike lane down Oxford Street.

Mr Lofthouse and Ms Saunders are regular attendees at council meetings and vocal critics of the way the council is run.

Ms Saunders had referred to a table in the bike plan report as “stupidly” laid out and asked “why are there so many incompetent people working at this council?”

Mayor John Carey asked for the remark to be withdrawn.

“You’re a bit precious, sunshine,” Mr Lofthouse scoffed from the back of the gallery.

“I will ask you and Stuart to leave the chamber,” Mr Carey told Ms Saunders.

“You’re going to have to physically remove me,” Mr Lofthouse replied, urging the mayor to call the police.

Mr Carey ordered a 15-minute recess and elected members left the chamber.

Once gone, two burly men stood from their places in the public gallery’s front row and approached Mr Lofthouse, asking him to leave.

“Don’t touch me. Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m asking who the hell you are.

“You’re going to manhandle me out of here?”

One of the men produced a card, identifying them as rangers.

When Mr Lofthouse refused to leave the pair attempted to physically remove him. Mr Lofthouse said at one point “let go of my penis!” but a witness said “it certainly didn’t appear as though the squirrel grip had been applied”. Mr Lofthouse was wrestled to the floor and held in place.

Acting council CEO Mike Rootsey says “the matter escalated after Mr Lofthouse put one of our officers in a headlock and threw a number of punches”. However, the Voice saw no punches or headlocks.

As rangers held Mr Lofthouse down, Ms Saunders approached, grabbing a ranger by the shoulder.

Acting community services director Jacinta Anthony intervened. “You touch my staff and I’ll touch you,” the bureaucrat warned Ms Saunders.

Cr Josh Topelberg advised the trio on the ground “that’s enough” as police were on their way.

The rangers allowed Mr Lofthouse back up, his forehead bloodied. Blood was spattered on the carpet where a once-orderly rows of chairs had been knocked aside.

“That escalated quickly,” a cyclist in the audience murmured.

Locals sat quietly till police arrived and the scene remained calm as two cops invited Mr Lofthouse and Ms Saunders downstairs to give a statement, and they quietly left with them. Mr Lofthouse denied putting anyone in a headlock and said he’d only grabbed a ranger’s legs as he was going to ground.

The meeting resumed without the Leederville traders, with Mr Carey offering this statement to the audience: “There must be mutual respect for all sides regardless of the views expressed. All we ask as a council is this: That we have a respectful debate, that we treat each other with respect, that we do not denigrate people.

“We would not tolerate that in our schoolgrounds, we would not tolerate that in our workplaces, and we should not tolerate it in a council environment.”

Mr Rootsey says it is “yet to be determined” whether the council will pursue legal action.

“The city will be reviewing its standing orders and security for future council meetings to ensure a safe environment where all members of community, staff and council members can speak and work without fear or recrimination,” he says.

by DAVID BELL