State Government
BULLY: Mike Rann’s attacker has history of violent and thuggish antics
Adelaide construction industry sources have told VEXNEWS that the hardware tycoon Rick Phillips who physically attacked SA Premier Mike Rann is a “crazy thug” and “f*cked-up bully”.
“While you’re not expecting to see someone you know suddenly get caught up in such hysterics, in Rick’s case it’s not that surprising. He loves to throw his weight around, he’s a dangerous piece of work and psychopath” they explained.
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
The source cast light on the real reason Richard Wayne Phillips’ wife might have left him. “He’s a thug, mate. I reckon he probably biffed her, although I’m not saying I saw it, I didn’t know them that well, I don’t know what went on but his whole demeanour is barely contained aggression. All charm when you’re giving him what he wants but then he just snaps if you disagree. He’s used to getting exactly what he wants and when he doesn’t he explodes. You’re lucky he didn’t kill Mike Rann, he’s definitely got it in him.”
The sensational claims put into perspective the reporting in the Adelaide press and some TV current affairs shows that have repeated Phillips’ inference that Rann had caused the end of his marriage to Michelle Chantelois.
Chantelois will have her own story about why she left the violent thug Rick Phillips and we suspect when she tells it there’ll be plenty of red-faces among those who’ve gleefully reported Phillips’ false implications.
“If he had the stones to attack Mike Rann in front of dozens of witnesses, do you doubt that he thumped his missus as well? We’re talking about a dangerous piece of work…” VEXNEWS was told by our informant on the weekend who insisted on remaining anonymous out of fear for his own safety and that of his family.
JOURNOS AID THE THUG
Phillips and several in the media have repeatedly implied that it was an affair or an improper liaison. The press reports are always careful to say something like:
The Australian is not suggesting the relationship was anything more than a friendship.
Equally VEXNEWS is not suggesting the journalists involved have received cash payments from the millionaire Rick Phillips for peddling his views.
Although it is interesting that there has been no reference to Rick Phillips’ business activities in the hardware and construction industry nor his address at Slape Crescent in Adelaide’s leafy suburb of Burnside where he lives alongside multi-millionaires among the trees. They won’t intrude on his privacy because he’s such good copy and want to stay on good terms. “A gift that keeps on giving” one Liberal told VEXNEWS last week.
The fact that Rann’s wife was also a friend of Michelle Chantelois undermines the false impression too many in the media been putting about and that sadly now seems to be widely believed in Adelaide.
VEXNEWS understands that both Mike Rann and his now wife felt very sorry for their friend, although we are not aware of the details that prompted their sympathy.
RICK PHILLIPS IS GOING TO JAIL
The bottom-line is that Rick Phillips physically attacked South Australia’s most senior politician and will almost certainly go to jail for his crime, if convicted. It was a brutal, pre-meditated attack that could have caused serious and permanent eye-injury.
So low and venal is the standard of reporting by some that somehow the fact of this thug’s violent attack has now given Phillips a platform for character assassination of his victim.
Phillips’ self-destructive behaviour is likely to maximise his custodial penalty and rightly so.
But there’s an issue bigger than one thug’s crazy antics.
The media ought not be encouraging physical confrontations by lunatics with public figures in this way. It has now sent a very big message to many disturbed people who have struggled to get their mad conspiracy theory or vile misrepresentations in the press before: physically attack the high-profile target and we’ll run out your mad story to all the world.
You’d think the fact that Phillips’ had physically attacked the Premier would make his fantastic claims less likely to be repeated in the press. Sadly that hasn’t been the case.
They have created a very, very dangerous situation. We can only hope and pray it doesn’t happen again.
Discussion
43 comments for “BULLY: Mike Rann’s attacker has history of violent and thuggish antics”
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Excellent article Andy. These have been my thoughts for weeks. The reporting has really been appalling, and quite clearly what this (Phillips) nasty piece of work wants.Clearly this blokes wife left him (for probably very good reason) and he is busy blaming everybody but himself. She actually left years ago and he still cant get over it. Not a well man.Not a nice man, as your informant advises.
You’re right, sets very ugly precedent
Did the journos really get paid? In cash I presume
This is a beat-up
I hear Foley has been stoking the fire on this one…
This episode by high paid journalists has been akin to putting the life of a rape victim on trial. Very grubby and tardy media effort yet again.
As if anyone in the Union movement is a reliable source, let alone could lie straight in bed!
liberals house rag is on the take
He hit him with a magazine. Harden the ****-up… Both of them!
Listen ChopChop, it’s all good fun, till someone loses an eye. Start F@#$ing thinking about it.
Does Rick have a criminal history? Rann can’t walk away from this one – he wouldn’t have been so helpful to a 60 year old waitress with marital problems.
Also can’t help notice how the quoted source sounds like a political right wing elite trying to sound like a knockabout tradie. A Kevid Rudd clone??!
The rumour is that Mike would take ‘refreshments’ from Michelle in his office late at night. Why was she working there anyway if hubby was a multimillionaire???Why did Mike drop her so suddenly and before his marriage? Women of pwerful men often accept they will take a mistress, is that why Sasha did not express any concern?? ENough of this I’m packing my bags ..
Foley is thinking let this lame duck lead us to an unconvincing election win, let him then have his day in court, then time for Foley to become Premier.
It was a straight out assault and if he hits a man he’ll also hit his missus.
thought we weren’t allowed to talk about any of this!!!!
This is all shite anyone can post anything on this site.
I dont buy all this we cant comment because of the police stuff .. someone should just clear all of this up.
shite shite shite
If you’re prepared to slap a man you no doubt have given a backhander to a woman.
I like a man to slap me around.
I hope no one finds out about my ’secrets’. My past would ruin my parliamentary career before it starts and would I would have remain as Bronwyn’s boy wonder, fetching her dry cleaning and the like.
This is all tosh – a vain attempt by Rann’s apparatchiks to apportion blame elsewhere while trying to get their man off the hook. How dumb do you think people are?
… and Conan Doyle, do you have a desk in Rann’s office next to Lachlan Parker or that mouth Jill Bottrill?
To answer your questions Red Grainger, no i have nothing to do with Rann or the others you mention, and in your case ‘Dumb as’.
what do you do when some dick starts messing with your wife, you find him and fuck him up mikey got let off
We need a website that outsjournalists and editors that just defame people to sell papers and advance their careers.
Maybe its time to give them some of their own.’
Well done.
yeah simmilar to this guys website its time to defame vexnews writers trying to make something of them-selfs
Well not to mention again on the anger issues of rick. But why dont we look into the drug and alcohol problems he had. He was in rehab not that long ago. I dont blame her for leaving him after all the physical and mental abuse he handed her. NOT AN ANGLE BY NO MEANS.
Well to add to above, you forgot to mention all the women rick was with during his time with Michelle. Just to add another reason why she left him. I can just hope with all the money rick has he will not be able to buy his way out of this. I know that Michell didnt get any of it. He made sure to lock up all assets when she left. He left her pennyless with two wonderful children to try and raise. What a selfish bastard.
What a small and intolerable group of vein imbeciles. Think before you vomit slander about people you do not know. Suppress your anger towards well classed honourable men. This is not an attempt to say abuse is fine it is not but slander is a small portion of dim witted gutless derelict peasants. I have high respect for the small group who can see past foolish malign.
have some self respect and refrain from using such profanities you rude man.
directed at Mr. Arther conan Doyle
Thank God Rann’s got the gang of 49 to deflect attention away from this sordid little affair
What profanities Red Grainger? I just said you are obviously ‘dumb as’, in response to your direct question ‘how dumb did we think you were’. My initial post simply congratulated Andy on a good article that lambasted the atrcious reporting of this nasty assault on a Premier.For doing that, you accused me of having ties with the victim and/or his office. This is not true. Mr Phillips is clearly a disturbed and dangerous man. His wife left him many years ago, and he clearly wrongly blames everybody else but himself. My last comment to you Red, is you should seek an education, thus enabling you to understand what is bullshit and what is fact when reading our daily newspapers. Cheers.
http://www.vexnews.com/news/6545/attacked-sa-premier-mike-rann-attacked/
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everyone one seems to have the same opinion on the matter.
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frienship with a young attractive lady
15cents per message
backhanding the as hole with an unsituated friendship that may or may not have lead to further matters
priceless
causing him to loose his job for being a sleeze
golden
For what it’s worth ACD, the first two comments are mine; the second two someone has delighted in using my monicker.
… so Grainger is now Adair
if mike rann has nothing to hide why not clear it up and come clean with facts.whatever the spindoctors sayi do not believe any man goes to this extent (violence)to make a point unless he is extremely hurt himself.my sympathies lie with the poor man who snapped until the truth comes out……which looks to be conveniently after ourv next state election.do we trust mike rann or have sympathy for mr phillips??????????
I have never read such c*** in my whole entire life this is the most disgusting piece of journalism (if you can call it that)and it has all the Hallmarks of the Labor party!!!! This is the politicians way of trying to slander a hardworking family man. Rick is a wonderful person, he is not a bully and he has a beautiful house at Burnside because he has worked hard for it. Rick and his family are the victims in this whole affair. All I can say is “never trust a politician” and as a Labor voter I won’t be voting for a man who manipulates everyone for his own personal gain.
This is the worst cover up. who would trust a politician. what is he hiding??? the truth will prevail in court.
Why dont the journalists ask people who have known both rick and michelle and their families both in australia and usa for 20 years, they can tell you the truth of what broke the marriage up. Rick is no thug. perhaps people should ask what kind of person michelle is and why rann kept such a person contact with her all those years….
There are many working with the liberal party in trying to condemn Mike Rann so the liberals can get into the elections. They write for the liberal party all over the internet.
Rick is a thug i have had first hand experience of his lies.