Native animal species are rapidly declining in population as deforestation and increasing climate issues continue to impact animal habitats around the world.

Eva Green has been awarded $US1 million ($1.7 million) by a British court in a sensational dispute over the collapse of a film project she feared was destined to become a "B movie" that could ruin her career.

The film in question was a sci-fi thriller but the case played out in court like a melodrama. The producers of A Patriot portrayed the French actor as a diva. She had called one of the executive producers a "devious sociopath" and "pure vomit" and said the production manager was a "moron".

A High Court judge on Friday cut through the vitriol that he said threatened to complicate the case and deemed it "relatively straightforward", awarding Green the fee she had been promised for the production that folded in 2019.

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Green, 42, who played Vesper Lynd in the 2006 version of the James Bond thriller Casino Royale, said her professional reputation had been upheld after she stood up to a small group of rich men who employed "bully-boy tactics" to use her as a scapegoat for their own failures.

Her lengthy statement, however, exposed her fragility in the face of criticism and the hurt she felt from what she claimed was misreporting in the press that "has been more painful than I can say".

"There are few things the media enjoys more than tearing a woman to pieces," Green said. "It felt like being set upon by hounds; I found myself misrepresented, quoted out of context and my desire to make the best possible film was made to look like female hysteria. It was cruel and it was untrue."

Justice Michael Green dismissed a countersuit brought by England-based film production company White Lantern Film that had said the actor made "excessive creative and financial demands" and torpedoed the production.

The judge said Green had not renounced or breached her obligations and was entitled to her £810,000 fee.

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Green said she "fell in love" with the script for A Patriot and its environmental message but became increasingly concerned as corners were cut and production moved from Ireland to England.

"When an actor has appeared in a B movie, they are labeled as a B actor, you never get offered quality work ever again," she testified.

During the trial, the court was told that Green used an expletive when describing potential crew members as "peasants". She had said executive producer Jake Seal was "evil", a "devious sociopath" and a "mad man", and dubbed production manager Terry Bird a "moron".

She downplayed her biting words as her "Frenchness", which the judge dismissed as inadequate and not credible.

While Justice Green found in favour of Green, he gave poor reviews to both sides in his 71-page ruling.

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"For such a perfectionist in her art, she was surprisingly under-prepared for her evidence," he wrote, calling the actor "in some senses a frustrating and unsatisfactory witness".

The judge said that the unpleasant things Green said about Seal were out of a genuine concern the film would not do the script justice, and he didn't altogether disagree with her criticism.

"I have to say that, having heard him give evidence, I can see how it might be possible to take an instant dislike to him," the judge wrote.

"He was at times patronising, sarcastic and denigrating. I found him to have an innate aggression and can understand why Ms Green and others might have been displeased to be told that they had to make the film under his full control."

A man accused of attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend has told a Queensland jury that he only bought a hatchet to force her into speaking to him again.

Former security guard Cameron Turgay Bardak, 31, spent three hours testifying on Friday during his trial in Brisbane Supreme Court on the count of attempt to murder Maria Buci, 30, by striking her with the hatchet and choking her.

Bardak had pleaded guilty to an alternate charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Buci.

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While questioned by his barrister, Matthew Hynes, Bardak said July 1, 2020 was the "stupidest day in my life" because he bought a hatchet to threaten Buci in the event that she did not agree to talk about resuming their relationship.

"I saw the axe as a good coercive measure if she chose not to comply," Bardak told the jury.

Bardak said intentions to kill or hurt Buci "never crossed my mind", though he admitted he did end up hitting her on the hand and shoulder with the weapon.

Buci had met Bardak that day for lunch and he ended the relationship, with Buci returning to her work at a law firm in central Brisbane.

Bardak testified that he realised he had made a hasty decision and thought he could reconcile with her if they spoke in person at 5pm.

"I didn't want her to stew on it. In the past that went badly for me. This was a Band-Aid to get our relationship through the night," Bardak said.

Hynes ran through pages of profane and insulting messages Bardak exchanged with Buci before the attack, which included him saying his "life was over".

"It was about gaining sympathy for manipulation. A kind of 'look what you made me do' situation. It was coercive," Bardak said.

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Bardak said he waited for Buci to walk to her car then told her to walk up to the next level to his own vehicle.

She refused and he grabbed her by the arm, but she started screaming and would not stop when he put his hand over her mouth or showed her the hatchet.

After he hit bystander David Sturgess on the hand with "six out of 10" force, Bardak said he put both his hands on Buci's throat.

"With enough (force) to stop her screaming. I've never strangled anyone before. I was just winging it," Bardak said.

Under cross-examination by crown prosecutor Chris Cook, Bardak denied he planned a "cowardly murder-suicide" after Buci rejected his demands for forgiveness.

Cook showed Bardak a bystander's iPhone video of the attack which depicted Bardak on top of Buci with both hands on her neck.

"This is you wanting to reconcile the relationship? You were thinking about going to tennis with her on Friday?" Cook asked.

"I wanted to get her to my car," Bardak said.

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He denied he acted like a "robot" with the sole focus of killing Buci while ignoring punches to his head and kidneys from good Samaritans.

"You can't play tennis with a pile of bones, you can't plan with someone who's dead," Bardak said.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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A suspected serial hoon has been arrested after allegedly reaching speeds of more than 260km/h on a busy Melbourne freeway.

Video footage shows Sushant Mittal allegedly speeding and weaving in and out of traffic along the Monash Freeway.

"This is literally what I do as a game," Mittal can be heard saying in the footage.

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Police arrested the 19-year-old today after it was alleged he hit more than 260km/h on a drive down the Monash in the early hours of Tuesday morning during another speeding incident.

"A collision at those speeds means there's almost zero chance of survival for the driver, and your mates in the passenger seat," Victorian Police Sergeant Paul Holtzinger said.

Officers seized Mittal's AMG C-Class Mercedes and other evidence at his home during the arrest.

"We allege he's driving a high-powered Mercedes at speeds that are absolutely ridiculous," Holtzinger said.

The suspected serial hoon allegedly proudly posts videos online of his illegal activities of speeding and doing dangerous doughnuts.

"We're aware of where these videos and pictures are being uploaded and we have our eyes," Holtzinger said.

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Today's arrest was part of the wider Operation Achilles – a hooning crackdown that, in its first two years, has seen more than 360 drivers charged and 375 cars seized.

Meanwhile, the number of hoon events across Victoria has declined by 75 per cent.

"Slow down, think of your family, think of your mates," Holtzinger said.

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A Queensland Army veteran was meant to be transferred to a private clinic for mental health care before he was gunned down by police, new details show.

Officers were called to Steven Angus' home in Kirwan last Friday after reports he had threatened self-harm. He charged at them with weapons, police said, and he was shot dead.

New details have emerged that the 52-year-old had been rushed to hospital the day before for emergency mental health care after a two-hour siege with police.

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He was released that night and shot the next day during another police siege.

9News has been told there had been an arrangement in place for him to be transferred from the public hospital to a private clinic.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers condemned the lack of communication and protections for a veteran suffering from serious mental health issues.

"This man was very sick and needed treatment and was a danger to himself and others," Leavers said.

"It just shows that the communication between the health department and other private clinics who are responsible for treatment, especially for those who have served in the ADF, needs to be improved."

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Angus' sister Linda told 9News the family would not stop in their pursuit for answers to ensure this did not happen to anyone else.

"My grief has increased tremendously knowing my brother reached out for help and the hospital didn't care," she said.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said an investigation into health services was underway.

"I understand the hospital and health service hopes to have their investigation completed by the middle of this year and we'll be releasing the recommendations from the investigation," she said.

Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Support is available from Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

If you are a current or former ADF member, or a relative, and need counselling or support, you can contact the Defence All-Hours Support Line on 1800 628 036 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

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The 34-year-old gangster had $2,600 seized from him and 441 grams of meth

Assistant foreign affairs minister Tim Watts is urging Australian citizens to leave war-torn Sudan now, as "plenty of seats" have been secured on flights out of the country.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) said 102 Australians had left Sudan but 142 still remained.

An extended ceasefire in the African nation ends on April 30 and the federal government is unable to guarantee flights out afterwards.

READ MORE: Australian gourmet food delivery service Providoor collapses

The minister's statement comes after an Australian man, who has now landed in Melbourne after fleeing Sudan, criticised the federal government for not doing enough to help its citizens get to safety.

Watts said it was a "dangerous and volatile" situation in Sudan at the moment.

"Our message to any Australians leaving the country is clear, this ceasefire is your opportunity.

"If it is safe for you to get to the Wadi Sayyidna airport, leave now.

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"We can not guarantee there will be flights leaving after the conclusion of this ceasefire on April 30.

"There are plenty of seats for Australians leaving from that airfield and you will be met with Australian consular officials to help assist you with your journey on to Australia."

He said DFAT officials had been working "around the clock" to secure seats on flights operated by partner countries exiting Sudan.

"We are also securing seats on road convoys leaving the country."

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Business owners say they don’t go a day without being robbed or harassed.

“Your fingerprints are all over this,” Judge condemns offender.

Providoor, the Australian gourmet food delivery service that was created during the first COVID-19 lockdowns, has collapsed and will be placed into liquidation.

In a message on the company's website, founder and chef Shane Delia said it has already stopped accepting orders.

"Later today, Providoor will be formally placed into liquidation," he said.

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"But, effective immediately, we are no longer accepting orders."

The statement did not provide any information about what will happen to Providoor gift vouchers that haven't yet been redeemed.

Delia said the economic headwinds facing the hospitality industry at the moment were behind the collapse.

"I created Providoor during lockdown, when the hospitality world was in disarray and we needed to find a way to survive," he said.

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"Providoor meant we could secure and create jobs as well as give people a little bit of restaurant joy during a pretty dismal time.

"When people kept using Providoor after social restrictions were lifted, it showed us that it was a really good idea.

"I just wish it had been given the opportunity to work through the challenging economic conditions, the same facing so many in the restaurant and hospitality sector right now."

The gourmet delivery service was launched in 2020, allowing Melburnians and Sydneysiders to order finish-at-home meals from fine dining restaurants at a time when COVID-19 restrictions prevented much of the country from eating out.

The business expanded to Brisbane in early 2022.

A range of restaurants across the three cities had signed up for Providoor, including Delia's own Melbourne eatery, Maha, as well as Icebergs, Supernormal and Restaurant Hubert.

Delia said he was proud of the company despite its collapse.

"While today is a very sad day, I am proud of Providoor and what it has achieved," he wrote.

"We served more than one million meals and built something that made a difference during some very dark days."

Providoor is the second major delivery service to collapse this month, coming just weeks after grocery business Milkrun shut down, pointing the blame at deteriorating "economic and capital market conditions".

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