Tuesday's Quicky: Karen Ristevski's friends respond to interview, QLD teacher tortured, coronavirus update.

1. Karen Ristevski’s friends have responded to daughter Sarah’s 60 Minutes interview supporting her dad.

“It makes me very angry but also very, very sad,” a childhood friend of Karen Ristevksi, who only wanted to be known as Sam, told A Current Affair.

On Sunday night, Sarah Ristevski sat down with 60 Minutes to defend her killer father Borce who is currently behind bars for murdering her mother Karen.

Sam had hoped that seeing the 24-year-old speak would bring her closure.

“I feel for Stephen, Karen’s brother, and the rest of her family,” she told ACA, through tears.

Another close friend, Sharryn, said Karen's only daughter Sarah "was her life".

"From what Karen used to say, they spoke on the phone at least six to eight times a day. They were very, very close, so it very much surprised me it was one-sided."

In 2017, eight months after Karen's disappearance, her body was found decomposing in bushland northwest of Melbourne.

10 months later, Borce was charged with her murder. Initially, he pleaded not guilty, but in March 2019 he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Speaking to 60 Minutes, Sarah said "he's my dad, so nothing has changed."

She defended the glowing character reference she gave during her father's trial in place of a victim impact statement, saying "I wanted to try and represent the dad I knew, the dad I know."

READ IN FULL: "Can we have a break?" The uncomfortable viewing of Sarah Ristevksi's 60 Minutes interview.

3. QLD teacher bound, tortured and then run over on a New South Wales highway.

A popular Brisbane school teacher was allegedly held hostage before he was killed after being run over on the M1 near Cudgera Creek on the NSW far north coast at 7am on February 10.

Now, footage of Anthony Stott's car has been released, driving at 1am without its headlights on.

In dashcam footage, a truck can be seen flashing its highbeams at the BMW, but it continues to drive without turning its lights on.

The 43-year-old's car was found by police at around 2am, with Stott's wallet and keys inside. It was only a short distance from the Kanes Road property where it is believed Stott was tied up.

In court, Grainger initially denied knowing the Brisbane-based school teacher had been at the Kanes Road property, however a photo on her mobile allegedly showed Mr Stott tied to a distinctive white chair.

The image showed the victim with his hands tied behind his back with the cord wound around his neck and arms, prosecutor Sergeant Val Short told Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday.

"He is clearly quite distressed in the image extracted from Ms Grainger's phone," she said.

The cord and the chair have not been recovered.

Detectives will allege Mr Stott was tied to the chair by Frost and Grainger at their home between 2am and 7am.

It's not known how he got to and from the property. It's also unclear if he was released or broke free from the chair.

Mr Stott's relationship with the accused remains unclear.

3. Aussies home from Christmas Island as China goes into indefinite lockdown.

The first Australians evacuated from Wuhan - China's coronavirus epicentre - have arrived back on the mainland after being held on Christmas Island for 14 days.

241 people have now re-entered Australia after there were no reported cases of the deadly virus amongst them.

Aussies Finally Home After 14-Day Christmas Island Coronavirus Quarantine https://t.co/6JCF3GpvXf

— Sandra Sully (@Sandra_Sully) February 17, 2020

Those trapped in quarantine inside the cruise ship off the Japanese coast remain in lockdown with 99 more cases of the virus confirmed.

That brings the number of infected passengers to 454.

A Qantas plane is being sent to Japan tomorrow to rescue the Australians who have been stranded on board. They are being taken to mining accommodation near Darwin for 14 days of quarantine.

In China, 24 million residents have been told they'll remain in lockdown indefinitely under new strict rules that came into force over the weekend.

Only one family member is allowed to leave the home every three days (to buy food and supplies) and everyone is being told to keep 1.5 metres away from other people.

“All leisure and entertainment venues shall be shut down and all group activities shall be suspended. Weddings should be postponed, and funeral processes minimised … Visiting other households is strictly prohibited, as is playing mahjong and card games," the regulations say, according to the South China Morning Post.

The number of people with the virus has now passed 70,000 with the death toll jumping to 1765.

With AAP. 

Feature image: Nine.

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