ASA Bans More Gambling Advertisements

by Hillary LaClair, Senior Editor
March 19, 2009

                Australian officials say that a recent murder in the country gives more political clout to online casino gambling, due to the nature of the killing. A paroled murderer struck again this week, after having blown all of his grocery money on “the pokies.”

                The Supreme Court in Hobart says that Mark John Adams, 45, was “chillingly composed” after stabbing 78 year-old Barbara Doreen Risby to death in broad daylight after losing all of his grocery money at a poker table in an Australian casino. According to officials, the attack was “disturbingly similar” to his first murder in 1986, for which he was on parole.

                “Unfortunately this presents a most powerful argument for playing the pokes online and skipping some of the riff raff and undesirables who have a habit of frequenting traditional land based casinos,” said Greg Tingle, Media Man. “I think there’s good cause for more security offices to be present at traditional casinos. Of course one needs to be mindful of what online casinos to visit also, but I am pleased to give a clean bill on health on those brands showcased on websites like Gambling911.com”

                Adams claimed that “it came to him” that he needed money after losing it all in the casino, and that a robbery was therefore in order. Tamara Jago, Adams’ lawyer told the court that he regularly carried a knife with him and that “he produced the knife with the hope that the threat of it would cause the surrendering of a handbag.”

                Jago claims that the murder was not pre-meditated, and that his victim happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, essentially, which was Hobard’s Domain. Risby, who was described by her family as being fit and active, put up some resistance to being robbed, which resulted in the eventual murder. The murder took plays just four years after serving a 17 year-long sentence in prison for stabbing to death his neighbor, Edna Jean Story, in her Risdon Vale home.

                “He says he didn’t specially seek out a victim but rather his victim was the first person who came into the area once he’d determined to do this,” said Jago.

                After killing Risby and taking her money, Adams bought new clothes, changed into him and then texted his girlfriend to tell her that he was on his way home with some groceries. Defense attorneys have requested a lifetime imprisonment without parole, although Jago argues that her client’s crime was not in the most “heinous category” for murder.

                “In 20 years from now he may well be an aged frail man and therefore his risk to the greater community is in a very different category than now,” said Jago, who has requested the usual 20 to 30 year sentence tied to similar crimes.

                Adams came from a family filled with violence and physical and sexual abuse. “He didn’t know how to live in the society of 2003,” Jago concluded. “Basic things like ATMS and the internet were not commonplace in 1986.”       

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