/news/crime/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest in local police, courts, and crime news across New Zealand with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Sat, 17 Jan 2026 01:15:13 Z en /news/crime/south-auckland-german-shepherd-breeder-anne-glover-admits-animal-neglect-charges/ /news/crime/south-auckland-german-shepherd-breeder-anne-glover-admits-animal-neglect-charges/ The High Court had only weeks earlier upheld a nine-year animal ownership ban on disgraced dog breeders Barbara Glover and her daughter when the SPCA and police returned to their once-renowned rural South Auckland kennel for a surprise follow-up inspection.  What they found would again shock the animal welfare investigators.  Now, as a result of that raid, a third member of the Glover family is before the court on animal neglect charges.  Court documents show Barbara Glover’s other daughter, 57-year-old Anne Glover, lived at the same Pōkeno farmstead where Volkerson Kennels – a formerly award-winning breeder of German shepherds – had operated.  Anne Glover claimed sole responsibility for the animals when authorities returned in April 2023, insisting they didn’t belong to her mother or sister. However, she could not tell investigators the names of any of the dogs and did not know which animals had been vaccinated.  The defendant, who until earlier in 2025 had name suppression, now faces up to a year’s imprisonment after having pleaded guilty in June on two representative charges of failing to properly care for the canines.  Anne Glover leaves the Manukau District Court in January 2024 after being charged with animal welfare violations. Photo / Jason Oxenham  She returned to the Manukau District Court for sentencing recently, but the hearing was paused after lengthy defence arguments went well past the allotted time. Judge Grant Fraser ordered the parties to return next year for the hearing to conclude.  Raid repeated  Court documents outline how a convoy of six SPCA investigators and two uniformed police officers arrived at the property, where they were greeted by Glover.  They immediately noticed two puppies in a blanket-covered travel container on the back of a quad bike – both of which appeared to be “weak in demeanour”. They were confiscated for veterinary treatment.  In a nearby garage, they found a dead puppy on the ground and a live puppy in a dog crate, described as “very quiet and lethargic, with its head down and body slumped”. It was also taken into SPCA care.  An adult dog chained up in an outside paddock was also marked for confiscation before investigators moved on to the main area – kennels consisting of 18 runs containing 23 German shepherds. Two more dogs were determined to be underweight, with their “spine, ribcage, hip bones and pin bones easily felt”.  “When the lead inspector asked why these dogs were underweight, Ms Glover replied that they ran a lot and burned off a lot of energy,” the agreed summary of facts for her case states. “These dogs were taken into the possession of the inspector due to a belief that their physical, health and behavioural needs were not being met.”  Five of the dogs, including the puppy carcass, were immediately taken to the SPCA Mangere Centre for more thorough veterinary examinations. But when one of the dogs tested positive for canine parvovirus, it was decided to euthanise all three puppies.  Even though the virus can be treated, it is extremely expensive, authorities noted in court documents.  Volkerson Kennels owner Barbara Glover, the mother of Anne Glover, was banned from owning dogs after she was found guilty of 32 violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Photo / Supplied  “Also, due to its highly contagious nature, the need for round-the-clock care and the lack of any suitable isolation facility at the SPCA Mangere Centre to hold dogs with parvovirus, it was not possible to admit the puppies to the centre for treatment,” documents state.  Post-mortem exams later confirmed all four puppies, including the one found dead, had the virus.  The symptoms of parvovirus “would have been obvious to the layperson and should have led the owner or caregiver seeking prompt veterinary intervention and/or humane euthanasia”, an SPCA veterinarian opined.  Two other dogs that had been found to be underweight returned to normal body condition after five weeks in SPCA care.  “It was the opinion of the veterinarian that their poor body condition was the result of failing to provide the dogs with proper and sufficient food, either due to feeding inadequate food quantities and/or feeding food of poor nutritional value,” court documents state.  Record prosecution  A year before the raid, in April 2022, Barbara Glover and her other adult daughter, Janine Wallace, had been convicted in the same court following what was considered at the time to be one of the SPCA’s largest prosecutions.  The duo had fought the charges during a judge-alone trial before Judge Karen Grau. The judge found them guilty of 32 violations of the Animal Welfare Act – 26 counts each of failing to meet the physical, health and behavioural needs of an animal, and six counts of failing to alleviate the pain or distress of an ill animal.  Barbara Glover, 87, has been recognised in the past as the country’s top German shepherd breeder, importing pedigree bloodlines and selling dogs she raised online for $2000 to $5000 each.  Wallace, 65, became involved in her mother’s business “during or after a real estate career you had that ended in criminal charges from what I can tell”, Judge Grau noted in her decision.  Janine Wallace previously had a career in real estate. Photo / Doug Sherring  Their fortunes changed after raids in 2017 and 2018, in which the SPCA confiscated more than 30 animals, describing overcrowding and squalid conditions that included some animals reportedly living among old food scraps and urine-soaked newspaper.  The raid was featured on the animal welfare organisation’s “list of shame” brochure the following year.  Wallace was ordered to serve 12 months of intensive supervision and 300 hours of community work, while Barbara Glover was sentenced to nine months’ supervision.  Judge Grau described Wallace’s explanation for the conditions suffered by one of the animals – a pregnant dog “locked in a small, filthy crate inside a locked, dark utility shed” – as “fanciful”.  “You said this dog was being monitored and observed because she was pregnant and that she was being groomed for one to two hours daily by your mother and another volunteer worker,” the judge explained. “But the reality was she was hidden away lying in her own faeces and likely in pain. She had pus coming out of her ear, which would have been obvious to anyone who was actually caring for her.  “I found it likely that she was being hidden from the SPCA. She was a dog who was likely to increase the population of dogs at the very time the SPCA was telling you that you needed to reduce numbers so that you could care adequately for those dogs.”  Janine Wallace and her mother, top Auckland dog breeder Barbara Glover, in the Manukau District Court during their animal neglect case. Photo / Ellen Thompson  Another dog, which had to be put down due to a gangrenous infection, was found with her leg tightly bound in a tether and in an awkward position near her head.  “The tether was cutting into her leg and acting as a tourniquet, cutting off the blood supply,” the judge noted of the canine, named Ritza. “This dog was completely helpless, not even able to make a sound.”  The duo appealed Judge Grau’s guilty findings and sentence to the High Court at Auckland, along with the “manifestly excessive” nine-year animal ban and orders they each pay $20,000 in court fees.  But then-Justice Paul Davison rejected all three requests for mercy in his March 2023 decision.  He noted the SPCA expenses for the investigation itself exceeded $310,000 and the legal costs were another $70,000. Asking the pair to pay roughly 13% of the investigation cost could be considered “reasonable if not generous”, he said.  Wigged impostor?  As for Anne Glover, her prosecution started on a strange note during her first appearance in the Manukau District Court, in January 2024.  She was initially to appear before a magistrate, but prosecutors asked that it go before a judge because she was wearing a conspicuously large wig and a face mask. Authorities suspected it might be the already-convicted Wallace in disguise, appearing on behalf of her younger sister.  After a 15-minute break to consider the matter, the judge asked the defendant to remove her mask and wig in open court to check her image against her ID. The Crown apologised after it was made clear the person in court was indeed Anne Glover.  “I think it was a legitimate concern that was raised,” the judge replied.  Anne Glover leaves the Manukau District Court following a hearing in which a prosecutor asked her to remove her wig and mask. Photo / Jason Oxenham  Anne Glover wore the same askew wig to court during the recently aborted sentencing hearing.  Crown prosecutor Aminiasi Kefu, who had not been present at the first appearance, suggested at the outset of the hearing that the judge should impose a six-month starting point and allow a discount of 10-20% for her guilty pleas.  The end result, he conceded, would be a community-based sentence – although he hoped the judge would also impose a dog ownership ban on her for at least six years.  Lawyer Dan Gardiner, who had represented her sister and mother years earlier, asked Judge Fraser to consider a discharge without conviction.  He noted that in the time since the first raids on his client’s mother and sister, a “deluxe set of kennels” had been built in an attempt to alleviate concerns.  He also pointed out Anne Glover had been cleaning the kennels when authorities returned for the April 2023 raid. In more than 30 years of business, the breeders had never previously had a dog infected with parvovirus, he said.  Gardiner slowly directed through a series of photos that he suggested painted a more benevolent version of how the animals were being treated at the time of the raid. Eventually, however, the judge lost patience.  “None of this is relevant,” he informed the lawyer, explaining he must sentence according to what was already agreed in the summary of facts. “We’re not defending the charges. I don’t have any ability to interpret these photos – that’s already been done.”  When the lawyer later gave a lengthy oral response to the Crown’s written submissions, which had been filed late, the judge decided to be blunt. The hearing had been scheduled to last 15 minutes, but had been going for well over an hour – with the queue of other scheduled cases, too, at risk of being derailed.  “Quite frankly, I’ve had enough,” he said, ordering the parties to put any further submissions in writing before returning to court in May. “To rush it through does no justice to this whatsoever.”  The judge apologised to Anne Glover and told her to return too.  Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.  Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:27:04 Z /news/crime/firearms-seizures-in-2025-what-they-tell-us-about-gun-trends-in-nz/ /news/crime/firearms-seizures-in-2025-what-they-tell-us-about-gun-trends-in-nz/ When police raided several Auckland homes in April, they found four 3D printers that were being used to manufacture guns – two of which were in operation when police went in. A month later, in an unrelated search in the Bay of Plenty, police found a 3D printer, filaments and firearm parts, including 3D-printed stocks, barrels, receivers, pistol grips and magazines. There were also pins, springs and a shopping list for parts that included triggers in Karl Hutton’s Te Puke home. That find came after police discovered messaging between Hutton and an associate that suggested the manufacturing of firearms. In the same room were live .22-calibre ammunition rounds and shotgun rounds. A police summary of facts revealed the most common calibre of 3D-printed firearms is .22. When spoken to by police, the 43-year-old told them he manufactured “replica firearms” and didn’t want police looking at his phone “for personal reasons”. Hutton pleaded guilty to charges that included attempted manufacture of firearms, as police didn’t find a complete manufactured firearm. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by Judge Thomas Ingram in the Tauranga District Court. Judge Ingram said 3D printing of firearms “fills me with great concern for our society”, noting that, in his experience, there had been an “explosion” in the amount of firearm offending he was dealing with in his courts, especially in the Bay of Plenty and Hamilton. The growth of 3D-printed firearms In 2022, only two 3D-printed firearms were seized. Fast-forward three years to 2025 and the count, as of December, was 87. The guns are part of 6760 firearms seized in 2025 and are indicative of the “evolving landscape of firearms in New Zealand”. Detective Senior Sergeant Lisa Anderson, of the National Organised Crime Group, says it’s an area police are particularly concerned with. The equipment needed is almost as straightforward as it sounds – a 3D printer. Blueprints can be downloaded. “Obviously, you need the material to use it, to create it, but it is essentially that simple,” Anderson said. She said 3D firearms were being printed in people’s houses and garages, and there was a “definite increase” in what police were seeing and seizing. Police shut down a 3D firearms printing operation in April. In April, five people were arrested after police busted the Auckland syndicate attempting to illegally manufacture 3D-printed firearms. Five search warrants were conducted across central and West Auckland and police found a “significant amount” of illegally manufactured firearm parts and firearms. At the time, Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Armstrong said police recovered four 3D printers, with two in operation when staff entered the properties. Four men – aged 35, 40, 41 and 54 – and a 29-year-old woman appeared in the Auckland District Court, jointly charged with participating in an organised criminal group and conspiring to manufacture firearms using illegal parts produced by a 3D printer. Armstrong said police continued to target the source of firearms getting into the hands of criminal groups. “This is work being carried out on multiple fronts, which includes our Firearms Investigation Teams and the work of the Firearms Safety Authority.” What the Firearms Investigation Team does Detective Senior Sergeant Anderson works in the National Organised Crime Group (NOCG), where she oversees the Firearms Investigation Team, and she communicates across agencies, including Customs. She helps link intelligence from external agencies to police investigations. One of the early focuses of the Firearms Investigation Team, when it was first established a few years back, was straw-buying. Straw-buying is when a gun licence holder purchases firearms legally but on-sells or supplies them to those without a licence. Anderson said while this might sometimes be more a case of thoughtlessness than criminal intent, it was important that licence holders understood the rules. “There’s a lot of information out there around securing firearms, not supplying firearms and [the fact that] it’s an offence,” she said. “And that’s what we are really trying hard to crack down on, to prevent firearms getting into the hands of people who shouldn’t have them.” One of the tools that has been particularly helpful in tracking down how firearms have ended up in unexpected hands and houses is the Firearms Registry, established in 2023. An overview of the numbers and a lesson on guns In 2025, 6760 firearms were seized throughout New Zealand. This was an increase of more than 600 firearms, with 6153 seized in 2024. In 2023, 5926 were seized, up from 5839 in 2022. The term “firearm” refers to anything from which a shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged by the force of an explosive, and includes things that have been adapted for this purpose or could be made functional by completion or repair. Notable increases were in the number of pistols and prohibited firearms seized. There were 592 pistols seized in 2025, up on 353 seized in 2024. There were 120 prohibited firearms seized in 2025, compared with 57 in 2024. Ministry of Justice statistics show there were 1557 convictions for Arms Act offences in 2024-25 related to firearms, and of those, 33% were dealt with by prison sentences. Arms Act offences include selling or supplying firearms to unlicensed persons, having firearms without a licence, and the careless use of firearms. There were also 5140 charges laid for firearm-related offending that included burglary, assault, homicide, and harming or endangering others where there was a firearm at play. Of those, 3047 resulted in convictions. Anderson said the establishment of the Firearms Register meant charges could be laid for not following or abiding by the registry, and that “opens up” the number of offences that can be committed. The Firearms Register allows for “accountability and knowledge of where firearms are and where they should be”. It’s useful when firearms are detected in other illegal activity because police could track who they are registered to. In North Canterbury in November, 31 firearms were seized and six firearms licence holders had their licences suspended after a police investigation into illegal hunting. NOCG Detective Inspector Albie Alexander said the operation began after concerns about illegal hunting and public safety when shots were fired near a house in rural Cheviot in April, waking the occupants. “Two men, who did not hold firearms licences, pleaded guilty to charges, including unlawful possession of firearms and discharging a firearm near a dwelling after the April incident. “Of the six firearms located in their possession, four were registered to other people. Thanks to the Firearms Registry, we were able to trace the licence holders who allegedly diverted their firearms.” He said four men and two women faced a variety of charges, including attempting to defeat the course of justice, intentionally failing to register firearms, knowingly providing false or misleading information to the police for the registry, and supplying a firearm to an unlicensed person. Thirty-one firearms were seized and six licence holders had their licences suspended after a police investigation into illegal hunting in North Canterbury. Photo / NZ Police When it came to illegal hunting, Anderson said police were often tipped off about someone hunting on land where they shouldn’t be and poaching. “Once those inquiries are made and it is revealed that the person that was unlawfully hunting doesn’t have a firearm licence”, it could lead to a “domino effect” in an investigation. Police were also finding guns as they went about their usual business. “ ... During police operations, search warrants, searches of vehicles, searches of people; generally, police attendance of incidents,” Anderson said. She believes they are “moving in the right direction” in terms of investigation. Operation Black Onyx and a week-long crackdown In 2025, targeted police operations specifically looked for firearms, including the notable Operation Black Onyx. In conjunction with Australian police, New Zealand carried out a week-long crackdown on guns, involving 83 search warrants executed nationwide. At the end of the week, 43 arrests had been made and 96 firearms seized. Anderson said the operation focused on the enforcement and disruption of offending involving illicit firearms. “I think of note was that 96 firearms were seized ... So, that’s 96 firearms that shouldn’t have been on the street.” She said the operation was set for a specific week, so police were able to measure the results and reflect on what was achieved. “ ... it is horrifying to think that in such a short period of time that those are the ones that we were able to locate.” Anderson said police acted with urgency when they received information that someone might be unlawfully possessing a firearm. She acknowledged the “balancing act” in terms of planning and preparation. “We do act with urgency ... to prevent further offending, whether that’s through the firearms investigation team or whether that’s through area or districts, or front line. Police understand the importance of preventing firearm offending because of the potential for catastrophic results if we don’t.” Another aspect of Anderson’s role is liaising with Customs to get a clear picture of the number of guns coming into the country. But this isn’t only about identifying illegal, smuggled guns, it’s also about record-keeping of legal imports, “so that we just get that understanding of firearms that are coming into our country”, she said. However, the challenge could be identifying firearms parts. “Not all firearms parts raise red flags when they come in because springs, for example, and a spring on its own, or a box of springs, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be used for a firearm, but equally so it can be.” Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at 九一星空无限. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at 九一星空无限talk ZB. Sun, 11 Jan 2026 23:33:45 Z /news/crime/manurewa-shooting-two-people-charged-with-murder-after-man-killed-in-south-auckland/ /news/crime/manurewa-shooting-two-people-charged-with-murder-after-man-killed-in-south-auckland/ A man and woman have been charged with murder following a fatal shooting in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa over the weekend. Emergency services were called to Balfour Rd, Manurewa about 11.10pm on Friday night, January 9, after receiving reports a man had been shot. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by the time officials located him. Detective Inspector Karen Bright said police had worked tirelessly to identify and locate the offenders and string together the events that unfolded during and in the lead-up to the shooting. Police outside a property on Balfour Rd, Manurewa, on Friday night following the fatal shooting of a man. Photo / Hayden Woodward The alleged offenders, a 41-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman, have been arrested and will appear in Manukau District Court today on a joint murder charge. “We are pleased to have been able to charge two people in relation to this tragic incident, however the investigation remains ongoing,” Bright said. Cordons were set up at the scene of the man's death in Balfour Rd, Manurewa, as police launched a homicide investigation. Photo / Hayden Woodward “Police and Victim Support Services are providing support to the victims whānau during this difficult time.” Further details about the victim are expected to be released by police when they are able to do so. Anyone with information that could help police with their inquiries should call 105 and quote reference 260109/6338. Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:30:55 Z /news/crime/teen-brothers-in-armed-group-that-stormed-hamilton-flat-and-robbed-victims-at-knifepoint-sent-to-prison/ /news/crime/teen-brothers-in-armed-group-that-stormed-hamilton-flat-and-robbed-victims-at-knifepoint-sent-to-prison/ In the dead of night, a group of armed men stormed a Hamilton flat, herded the young victims – some who had been sleeping – into a room, demanding property while stabbing holes into a wall near their heads. Two of those involved were brothers, Noble-Qeyztyn McBride, 20, and Khysus-Manaki McBride, 19, who also held knives to the victims’ throats, while some victims were punched and kicked, as the masked robbers made threats to “shank, stab, and kill them”. The victims were around the same age as their attackers, who would leave with a handful of iPhones, three Macbook computers, AirPods, an Xbox and controller, a Tissot watch, car keys, a wallet, clothing, and drinks from their fridge. Following the incident on September 10, 2023, the brothers appeared in the Hamilton District Court in December for sentencing on five charges of aggravated robbery, one for each of their victims, and one of aggravated burglary. The court heard that the young pair had a positive, well-supported background, which included a Year 13 education. Judge Kim Saunders noted that it was their “voluntary consumption of alcohol and drugs that has led them to where they are now”. ‘Knives held to throats as threats made’ It was unclear exactly how many people stormed the house that early morning. Court documents stated four plus a “number of other associates”, but all were wearing balaclavas and had large knives or machetes. Two victims were sleeping, but three were awake and spotted the group outside. The brothers were sentenced in the Hamilton District Court. One opened the door to see what was going on, and the group forced their way inside, pushing one victim up against a wall, before immediately demanding their possessions and stabbing holes in the walls near their heads. The three were herded into the living room at knifepoint, while those who were asleep were woken and also herded into the lounge. As a show of force and intimidation, the robbers held knives to the victims’ throats, while two were kicked and punched, as threats were screamed at them. Two days later, police searched a nearby house from which three of the stolen phones were transmitting, and found the McBride brothers. Reparation totalling $24,000 was sought to not only cover the stolen property, but also medical and counselling fees, lost income, and repairs to the rented house. A ‘poor choice’ Russell Boot, counsel for Khysus-Manaki, said the pair made “full and frank” confessions about their involvement and assisted police in their investigation. He submitted that they should receive credit for that. There was a delay entering pleas due to each facing the six serious charges, but in the end, they pleaded guilty. He said the brothers had strong whānau support. “It must be bitterly disappointing for the family to see both boys here today because I’m sure that was not the path that they should have ended up on,” Judge Saunders replied. Boot agreed, saying the boys had grown up well-supported, but then they’ve “made this poor choice”. “That has led them to this position where they are, and it’s difficult to marry up.” Both boys also attended restorative justice with one of the victims. Judge Kim Saunders said it was “easy to forget the sheer terror that was inflicted on the victims” that night. Boot said his suggested seven-year jail starting point reflected that. Counsel Jarom Keung, in pushing for a total 50% in discounts, said the only differentiation between the pair was that Noble-Qeyztyn was a young dad, with another on the way, and that any prison term would affect not only his client, but also his whānau. He had also offered to pay his $6500 share of reparation. ‘Instilled absolute fear’ Judge Saunders said the victim impact statements “make for compelling reading”. “There’s a theme running through the effects on them, and money is the least of it,” she said. “The psychological and emotional trauma that has continued to affect their everyday life, they don’t feel safe and relive it.” One victim said they were made to pay for the damage that the offenders had caused, while another thought “he was about to be murdered”. “You held all five in the lounge, and you instilled absolute fear ... stabbing holes in the walls, and actual violence was inflicted.” In sentencing them, the judge did not order reparation. “While you, Noble, agreed to pay reparation, I’m not going to make an order for it, and the reason I’m not going to is because you are going to be sent to prison. “You both know that. “That’s going to be hard enough as it is, and it’s going to take a great deal of strength ... not to fall victim to any of the pressure that comes with being in jail, and that you can both walk out of there knowing that you can make fresh starts.” Judge Saunders took a starting point of seven and a half years’ imprisonment for their roles, before allowing 60% in discounts, for pleas, youth, remorse and restorative justice. The end sentence was one of three years. Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at 九一星空无限 for 10 years and has been a journalist for 21. Sun, 11 Jan 2026 18:13:56 Z /news/crime/west-auckland-attempted-robbery-11-year-old-among-three-youths-arrested/ /news/crime/west-auckland-attempted-robbery-11-year-old-among-three-youths-arrested/ An 11-year-old was allegedly involved in the attempted armed robbery of a West Auckland shop.  Police received a report of a group of youths, armed with a non-firearm weapon, entering a store on View Rd, Sunnyvale about 7.40pm.  The group made demands for money before the store worker managed to leave and contact the police, said Detective Senior Sergeant Megan Goldie.  “The alleged offenders have then taken a number of items before police quickly arrived and took them into custody.  “Within minutes of the aggravated robbery being reported, three youths were located and arrested, which is a great result.”  Goldie said police are committed to holding “those who choose to commit these crimes to account”.  Three youths, aged between 11-15, have been referred to Youth Aid Services.  Anyone who witnesses suspicious or unlawful behaviour should call 111 as soon as possible, said Goldie.  Registered child psychologist Sara Chatwin told the Herald last week that a history of violence, family circumstances and involvement with drugs and alcohol are factors which motivate teens to commit violent crimes.  Chatwin said another factor for young people related to how they dealt with personal problems.  “It may be at home. It may be that they feel the educational system is failing them, perhaps they have anger and aggression that manifests in this way.”  She believes the way to approach the issue is to not assign fault or blame to teenagers.  “There is not one clear pathway to rectify this situation ... there’s a multiplicity of pathways that need to be optioned so that we get some calm in the chaos.”  Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:29:45 Z /news/crime/police-seek-public-s-help-to-identify-men-involved-in-mass-brawl-on-karangahape-rd/ /news/crime/police-seek-public-s-help-to-identify-men-involved-in-mass-brawl-on-karangahape-rd/ Police have released images of two men wanted in connection with a 50-person brawl last weekend. The series of assaults took place in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 28, around Karangahape Rd in central Auckland. Newly-published photos show two young men who police would like to speak to about the incidents, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Greaves said. “I’m asking anyone who knows who they are to please get in touch. “One male is wearing black pants, a blue and black Hunting and Fishing jacket and a black cap with white writing. “The second male is wearing a white shirt with a beige hat,” Greaves said. Police want to speak to this man, captured on CCTV footage on December 28 near Karangahape Rd. Photo / Police Police want to speak to this man, captured on CCTV footage on December 28 near Karangahape Rd. Photo / Police A 21-year-old man was already arrested in relation to the assaults. He was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was due to appear in court on January 16. The public are asked to call police if they have any information and to quote reference number 251228/4774, or to report anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Mon, 05 Jan 2026 02:40:42 Z /news/crime/man-charged-after-fight-breaks-out-at-cromwell-freedom-camping-site/ /news/crime/man-charged-after-fight-breaks-out-at-cromwell-freedom-camping-site/ A man has been charged with assaulting three people after a fight broke out at a Cromwell campground. Police are seeking information from the public to help piece together what happened at the Champagne Gully camping area on Friday night. Sergeant Regan Price said a fight happened at about 10pm that day. One man, 33, has been charged with assaulting three people and is due to appear in the Dunedin District Court tomorrow. Police would like to speak to anyone who was at the campsite and witnessed the incident, or has information or footage. Contact police through 105 either online or over the phone using reference number 260103/2900. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Champagne Gully is a freedom camping site managed by Land Information NZ. It sits beside the Clutha River. Sat, 03 Jan 2026 23:36:28 Z /news/crime/grok-under-fire-after-complaints-it-undressed-minors-in-photos/ /news/crime/grok-under-fire-after-complaints-it-undressed-minors-in-photos/ Elon Musk’s Grok says it is scrambling to fix flaws in the artificial intelligence tool after users claimed it turned pictures of children or women into erotic images. “We’ve identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them,” Grok said in a post on X on Saturday. “CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) is illegal and prohibited.” Complaints of abuses began hitting X, formerly Twitter, after an “edit image” button was rolled out on Grok in late December. The button allows users to modify any image on the platform – with some users deciding to partially or completely remove clothing from women or children in pictures, according to complaints. Grok maker xAI, run by Musk, replied to an AFP query with a terse, automated response that said: “the mainstream media lies”. The Grok chatbot, however, did respond to an X user who queried it on the matter, after they said a company in the United States could face criminal prosecution for knowingly facilitating or failing to prevent the creation or sharing of child porn. Media outlets in India reported on Friday that Government officials there are demanding X quickly provide them details of measures the company is taking to remove “obscene, nude, indecent, and sexually suggestive content” generated by Grok without the consent of those in such pictures. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor’s office in Paris expanded an investigation into X to include new accusations that Grok was being used for generating and disseminating child pornography. The initial investigation against X was opened in July after reports the social network’s algorithm was being manipulated for foreign interference. Grok has been criticised in recent months for generating multiple controversial statements, from the war in Gaza and the India-Pakistan conflict to anti-Semitic remarks and spreading misinformation about a deadly shooting in Australia. – Agence France-Presse Sat, 03 Jan 2026 22:15:31 Z /news/crime/expert-warns-auckland-teen-violence-driven-by-social-media-and-peer-pressure-as-parents-urge-action/ /news/crime/expert-warns-auckland-teen-violence-driven-by-social-media-and-peer-pressure-as-parents-urge-action/ The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was brutally attacked is calling for harsher punishments for offenders who are “assaulting kids as a sport”. Multiple reports of young teens being violently assaulted and robbed in unprovoked Auckland attacks have hit headlines this year, from McDonald’s bashings to bloody train station robberies. An informal poll of Herald readers found an overwhelming 97% regard Auckland’s central city as an uninviting place full of antisocial behaviour. Registered child psychologist Sara Chatwin told the Herald she thinks the way to approach this issue is not about assigning fault or blame to teenagers. “There is not one clear pathway to rectify this situation ... there’s a multiplicity of pathways that need to be optioned so that we get some calm in the chaos,” Chatwin said. Why do children commit these attacks? Chatwin said the factors that motivated teenagers to commit violent crimes were multifaceted and should be addressed to combat the issue. Some of the factors included abuse, a history of violence, family circumstances and involvement with drugs and alcohol. She said frequent truancy and the challenges faced by children with learning disorders, who are often not adequately supported by the education system, can also contribute to the willingness of these kids to act aggressively. Chatwin said another factor for young people related to how they dealt with personal problems. “It may be at home. It may be that they feel the educational system is failing them, perhaps they have anger and aggression that manifests in this way.” She said parents of offenders might “not be parenting effectively”, particularly when it came to enforcing rules, maintaining routines and teaching manners. Psychologist Sara Chatwin says the factors that motivate teenagers to commit violent crimes are multifaceted. Photo / Supplied Social media and the group mentality Chatwin said in the age of social media, videos of these attacks continued to revictimise young people who were attacked, but also had the potential to motivate offenders. “We are seeing these assaults all over the place. We are seeing them posted to social media where people look and laugh and then try to simulate these horrifying acts. This is hugely desensitising for the perpetrator,” she said. Chatwin said teenagers tended to move away from parental influence and towards their peer group and when they adopted a group or pack mentality, it could become a significant driving force behind these attacks. “The group gives them courage. “Group inclusion can promote conformity and for many it means that certain behaviours are viewed as being ”okay” if a group of enough people say so. “And it also means that if there’s a negative implication for this kind of behaviour, you are not alone in taking the punishment or they can all stick up for each other and figure things out. “This is a growing problem,” she said. ‘They were doing nothing wrong’  A Howick-based mother of a 13-year-old boy told the Herald a group of young teens allegedly kicked him, dragged him across the carpet and left wearing his shoes after forcibly removing them from his feet at a movie theatre last year. She said her teenage son was attacked at the Botany Town Centre Hoyts and now, 18 months on, the impacts are everlasting. The mother said Saturday, April 6, 2024, was one of the first times her son went to the mall without a parent, with a group of friends, when the attack took place. He was waiting to watch the Minions movie with his friends when he was suddenly approached. “They [group of offenders] came in, demanded his shoes and then he said no, and then they punched him in the face,” she said. She said her son tried to run and then one of the attackers’ ankles tapped him. “He fell down and then they dragged him across the carpet and were kicking him in the back and the neck. “He got carpet burns on his legs and then they were like kicking him, and then they pulled the shoes off his body,” she said. The mother said no nearby adults came to help her son. Police told the Herald they located the group of offenders a short time later in Beachlands and they were taken into custody. At the time, a 15, 14 and 11-year-old were referred to Youth Aid, police said. The mother said the group of offenders allegedly fled and committed another assault and theft only days later. Nightmares and blood noses The mother said the attack left her son extremely shaken and bruised. “He’s only just started going back out now with his friends. “He had to have counselling and he had nightmares and ongoing blood noses, and he had to see the youth worker at the school because it kind of triggered anxiety about going out in public. “They were doing nothing wrong,” she said. The shoes that were stolen were $200 Nike ones that he really wanted for Christmas. She said they were able to get the shoes back, but he wouldn’t wear them because they reminded him of the attack. An Auckland mum is calling for harsher punishments for offenders who are “assaulting kids as a sport”. Photo / 123rf “I think it’s happening a lot more than people realise. And that’s just from talking anecdotally to other parents. “Some of these injuries are really vicious, like teeth, black eyes, broken noses. “Government and police need to step up and sort this out before an innocent life gets taken with a king hit,” the mother said. Sat, 03 Jan 2026 21:06:09 Z /news/crime/multimillion-dollar-tribesmen-drug-syndicate-dismantled/ /news/crime/multimillion-dollar-tribesmen-drug-syndicate-dismantled/ A two-year police operation dismantled a multimillion-dollar drug network, resulting in jail for Tribesmen members and associates. Al Williams takes a look at the operation that exploited gaps in airport security, using commercial flights and tow trucks to move drugs and cash. Ricky Poa lived a lavish lifestyle, often travelling business class abroad and driving cars that cost six figures. He sat atop a multimillion-dollar drug empire, but always at arm’s length from his minions. In conversations he had with a Thai citizen he met during one of his trips, Poa boasted about his wealth and positioned himself near the throne of a gang hierarchy. He paid for the Thai citizen to visit him in New Zealand to “see my country and see my gang”. Behind the wealth was a weakness in regional airport security that allowed Poa’s operation to flourish. It was widely known that smaller airports didn’t have the luggage-scanning machines used at larger ones. It allowed the transport of large quantities of drugs without detection by authorities. The drugs were picked up in Auckland and driven to Hamilton and Rotorua. They were then flown to Christchurch for distribution. Meanwhile, Poa, 33 and legally unemployed, was travelling to Thailand and Indonesia where he stayed in luxury accommodation. He lived in Thailand for several months and gang associates and family members took regular trips to visit him, funded by Poa despite him having no legitimate source of income. He owned or used several high-value vehicles, including a $65,000 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a $149,000 2021 Mercedes-Benz and a $159,500 2021 BMW X5 SUV. While he was flaunting his wealth and bragging about his status, his minions were kept busy operating the multimillion-dollar meth and cocaine supply network out of Christchurch. Ricky Poa (left) and Blake Harpur at Cany Customs, Rangiora, in September 2023. Poa was the principal offender, leader and the main financial beneficiary of the drug-dealing activity. Known as Sarge, Bigko and Rick, he instructed his troops to do the groundwork. He was responsible primarily for sourcing significant quantities of the drugs from organised criminal groups in Auckland and elsewhere. Consistent with that role, he did not have the drugs or cash in his possession. As the operation expanded, the South Island National Organised Crime Group caught its scent and a team of 20 officers worked day and night to bring it down. Poa’s days of international travel, luxury accommodation and flash cars are now a distant memory. They came to an end in late 2023 when the group were busted as part of Operation Italian Sky. The national vice-president of the Tribesmen Motorcycle gang was in custody as the operation identified 11 members and associates of the Tribesmen operating a meth and cocaine supply network. All of them have now been convicted and sentenced. A ‘family’ affair For more than two years, Poa was supported by Michael Erikson, one of his most trusted patched members who managed transport and storage of the drugs and cash. He was Poa’s most loyal and reliable associate and has Poa’s nickname, Sarge, tattooed on his face. Erikson, known as Sweets, and his brother, Jaxxon, a prospect known as Big Boy, were responsible for managing the first of two supply lines. That involved receiving wholesale kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine and distributing them through the network. The Erikson brothers arranged for their mother, Sherryn, to receive and store drugs and cash at her Blockhouse Bay home in Auckland and, on their instruction, she handed over drugs and cash to others, including their cousin, Jordan Rapana, and, later, Tramayne Rauhihi. Sherryn Erikson was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch for her role in a multimillion-dollar methamphetamine and cocaine supply network based in Christchurch. Erikson was charged with permitting her Blockhouse Bay, Auckland house to be used as a drop-off and collection point. The Erikson brothers arranged for Rapana to bring the methamphetamine from Auckland to their Christchurch home, which was the centre of operations for the first supply line. The brothers distributed the methamphetamine to street-level dealers in Christchurch and collected the cash proceeds from sales, assisted by Dylan Stuart in the enforcement of drug debts, including a kidnapping in September 2023. The brothers also used a second supply line to obtain methamphetamine and cocaine from the North Island that were collected by Rauhihi on their behalf. Poa’s brother, Andrew Smith, a patched member, was responsible for managing the second supply line and in regular communication with Poa about it. The line operated under the guise of businesses owned and operated by Blake Harpur, namely a towing company named Cantow and a vehicle detailing business named Cany Customs. Both businesses were Rangiora based. Blake Harpur (left), Jaxxon Erikson and Michael Erikson at Cany Customs in Rangiora. Smith and Harpur organised for cash to be sent from Christchurch to Auckland and for methamphetamine and cocaine to be brought back to Christchurch on tow trucks or other company vehicles. They also sold methamphetamine and cocaine at street level. Tramayne Rauhihi, known as Swags, worked as a tow truck driver for Harpur and, while not a patched member, under the direction of Harpur, transported cash from Christchurch to Auckland and transported methamphetamine and cocaine back to Christchurch. Matthew Linton, a senior member of the gang and known as Ghost or Casper, organised money for the gang. Linton stored large quantities of cash and monitored the amount of money that some of the dealers in the network were making. Some of the cash was placed in a storage unit and some went into bank accounts under his control. During a 19-month period he received $765,000 in his bank accounts. He transferred $697,000 into other accounts, including $566,000 into overseas gambling accounts. When he was arrested in late 2023 and search warrants executed at his New Brighton home and his storage unit in Riccarton, $134,000 cash was found hidden in two shopping bags at the storage unit. A further $37,000 cash and a money-counting machine were found at his home. Caleb Caffery worked for Poa, storing cash at his property for the gang. Caffery paid or reimbursed Rapana for expenses relating to his flights to and from Christchurch. He also deposited cash from the sale of methamphetamine and cocaine into bank accounts under his control. He then electronically transferred cash into accounts for Poa to finance his stay in Thailand. Supply chain one Between January 2022 and July 2023, Rapana was organised by the Erikson brothers to bring methamphetamine to Christchurch for distribution in the network. Rapana received the drugs from unknown persons in organised crime groups in Auckland. He would either leave cash unattended in his vehicle for collection by those unknown persons, or exchange cash for drugs from Sherryn Erikson, who would receive deliveries at her home from people linked to organised crime groups. Erikson would also go to Rapana’s property to drop off drugs and collect money and was observed doing so while under police surveillance. Rapana travelled on commercial flights to and from Christchurch on most occasions; however, sometimes he travelled by car. When Rapana arrived in Christchurch he would book an Uber from the airport to a location near where the Erikson brothers lived and then walk the rest of the journey to their property. He would stay only long enough to deliver the drugs to the brothers, before booking an Uber back to the airport and, usually, returning to Auckland the same day. They would give cash to him to take back to Auckland for the next drug procurement. They also paid Rapana in cash for transporting the drugs, but only once he had completed each delivery. As such, his travel expenses to and from Christchurch were often funded by his associates, who he would reimburse after each delivery. The Erikson brothers would drive to several locations of interest after the deliveries, distributing methamphetamine and collecting cash. The last trip took place in July 2023, when Rapana was arrested at Christchurch Airport. He had 1.971kg of methamphetamine on him. A schedule of Rapana’s travel showed he made the Christchurch deliveries at least 20 times. Supply chain two Between May and October 2023, a second supply line was operated using tow trucks from Harpur’s business to transport cash to Auckland, purchase methamphetamine and cocaine from organised crime groups and return to Christchurch for distribution. The drivers, predominantly Rauhihi, but also Harpur and Smith, would meet with unknown persons from organised criminal groups and exchange cash for wholesale quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Screenshot extracted from Blake Harpur's phone. The exchanges would occur in supermarket carparks, forecourts of service stations or at Sherryn Erikson’s home. She would store drugs and cash for the supply line at her property, as she did for the other supply line. Drug deliveries would be received and processed at Harpur’s business in Rangiora for Cany Customs and Cantow, ready for wider distribution. The drugs were sold and distributed by Smith, Harpur and the Erikson brothers. The Erikson brothers also used Harpur’s business to facilitate the transport of methamphetamine and cocaine after the first supply line was interrupted. The last trip took place in October 2023, when Rauhihi was arrested at a service station in Mt Roskill, Auckland, with 1.987 kg of methamphetamine and 1.62kg of cocaine in his possession. Image taken at Christchurch Airport in July 2023, after one of the busts. A schedule of the trips taken by Rauhihi, Harpur and Smith in the tow trucks showed they delivered drugs to Christchurch at least 15 times. The quantities Based on the intercepted communications between the relevant parties throughout the offending period and the drugs intercepted by police on both supply lines, the total quantity of methamphetamine and cocaine attributable to each supply line was conservatively assessed: total methamphetamine on supply line one = 30kg; total methamphetamine on supply line two = 25kg; total cocaine on supply line two = 15kg. A total of $497,000 cash was seized at properties linked to the defendants during the offending period. Financial investigations into the network showed little-to-no legitimate spending within their accounts. Despite this, some members of the group were identified driving high-end vehicles, taking overseas holidays and living affluent lifestyles. The summary of facts showed the financial success of the illegal enterprises, the two distribution lines, and the street-level operation was summarised in an extracted voice message found on Blake Harpur’s mobile phone following termination. In the conversation, Smith explains who is paying for the national Tribesmen club function. “It’s like a two-week function you know, we’re all ready; Christchurch is already going to be covering a lot of that. “’Cause our chapter makes a lot of money man, so we’re kind of like obviously the ones putting our hands in our pockets ....” The cops National Organised Crime Group South Island manager Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks told 九一星空无限 the group were key suppliers of controlled drugs into the South Island. With a staff of 20 comprising sworn and non-sworn support and intelligence, he said hundreds of hours were involved in bringing them down. Even though the investigation had put a dent in supply, Sparks said there was always a vacuum to be filled when they prosecuted a large syndicate. Image taken at Cany Customs, Rangiora, in October 2023. “The volumes are increasing in terms of meth and coke in the South Island due to availability and demand; however, we will not let up in the fight to restrict or stop this supply. “I’m not saying we are seeing a specific spike; however, the volumes over the past five years have grown.” He said overseas crime groups had identified New Zealand as the “golden goose” in terms of the dollar return on drug sales and the South Island was often even slightly higher due to its geographical location. “So, it is attractive for them and there is demand here.” Sparks said the Tribesmen exploited gaps in the airport scanning operations, specifically in Hamilton and Rotorua, that enabled them to transport drugs. “That is something we are working with the carriers on; they [organised criminal groups] are utilising regional airports’ lack of scanning to their advantage.” “There are always learning curves in these investigations; however, as a whole, the success of Operation Italian Sky lies in exceptional investigative work conducted by very good investigators combating a noticeable upsurge in organised crime groups’ ability to network and attempts to work around law enforcement.” The sentences Ricky Michael Te Rangi Poa: 7 years and 7 months’ imprisonment. Michael Joseph Aaron Erikson: 8 years and 4 months’ imprisonment. Andrew Michael Smith: 9 years and 3 months’ imprisonment. Jaxxon Erikson: 6 years and 3 months’ imprisonment. Blake Michael James Harpur: 5 years and 9 months’ imprisonment. Jordan Rapana: 5 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Matthew John Linto: 3 years and 1 month’s imprisonment. Tramayne Rauhihi: 2 years and 10 months’ imprisonment. Dylan Rudd Stuart: 1 year and 9 months’ imprisonment. Caleb Anthony Pasione Caffery: 10 months’ home detention. Sherryn Elizabeth Erikson: 9 months’ home detention. The Tribesmen The summary of facts showed the Tribesmen Motorcycle Club was formed in Ōtara, South Auckland, about 1981-82. In 1984, police recognised them as an outlaw motorcycle gang. Today, there are multiple chapters of the gang throughout New Zealand; some of these appear to be subordinate to other chapters and some stand in their own right – which is the case with the South Island Tribesmen. Senior members of the gang wear a patch that designates their standing and role within the gang. In general, a patched member is a senior and trusted member of the group. Tribesmen members gather for their 40th anniversary in Kumeū, Auckland. People who wish to join the gang begin as friends, then become gang associates, then progress to gang prospects. Associates and prospects are predominantly the workers of the group, completing drug runs and selling drugs at the direction of patched members. Patched members in more senior positions are unlikely to physically carry or be in the same place as the controlled drugs from which they financially benefit. The gang members who benefit the most through the profits derived from this activity are often senior patched members and members with leadership roles within the gang. Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the past 16 years. Most recently, he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of Cook Islands 九一星空无限. Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:21:01 Z /news/crime/outrage-as-sex-offending-former-gloriavale-leader-howard-temple-attends-community-market-day-while-on-bail/ /news/crime/outrage-as-sex-offending-former-gloriavale-leader-howard-temple-attends-community-market-day-while-on-bail/ Disgraced former Gloriavale leader and convicted sex offender Howard Temple has sparked outrage by attending a community market less than a month after he was sentenced to more than two years in prison. The 85-year-old was then released on bail hours later pending an appeal. His attendance at the Moana market today on the West Coast has “disgusted” members of the public, former Gloriavale members and families of his victims. Last year Temple pleaded guilty to 12 charges of sex offending against six girls over a period of 20 years. The charges spanned more than 20 years and were described by Judge Raoul Neave as “excruciating” for the victims. On December 12, Judge Neave sentenced Temple to 26 months behind bars. Within minutes of decision being handed down Temple’s lawyer Michael Vesty filed an appeal in the High Court. A judge then granted his elderly client bail pending that appeal. It is understood that his bail conditions stipulate that he is to live at a property owned by Gloriavale away from the main site. Before his sentencing his conditions stated he could return to the grounds of the community to work at commercial business and attend worship meetings. Temple was photographed around midday by a member of the public. The woman said she is friends with a number of former Gloriavale members and was “appalled” to see Temple at the market. “It is absolutely abhorrent – regardless of what his bail conditions are, the optics are absolutely terrible,” she said. “It is utterly appalling – he was jailed for indecently assaulting young girls. Former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple in court at his sentencing for decades of sex abuse. Photo / Joe Allison “It is very unlikely someone like that would offend in that situation, but the impact of seeing someone like him there would have on any of his victims or people who have left Gloriavale is huge.” The woman said, in her opinion, Temple’s presence at the marked demonstrated he felt he could just do what he wanted. She said she felt “disgusted” by it. The woman was alerted to Temple’s attendance by a friend who is related to one of the victims. “My friend who is staying with me saw him and told me she went into panic mode seeing him,” the victim’s relative said. Gloriavale leader Howard Temple at the Greymouth District Court for a court appearance. Photo / George Heard The woman who took the photo approached a current member of Gloriavale and asked him what he thought about Temple attending the market. “I said to him that Howard Temple was jailed for sexual offending and that the optics were terrible … he said ‘no he wasn’t’,” she said. “I said that he was jailed and then released on bail and was currently a convicted offender. He said ‘but he didn’t indecently assault people … there’s what the court says, and then there’s the truth’. “I said, ‘okay, well, we’re not going to agree on that, buddy’. I told him that he can believe what he wants, but at the end of the day, having Temple there makes people really uncomfortable. “The police said he’s allowed to be there if he had an adult supervisor – but still.” A spokesperson said police would not comment on the situation. The Herald has reached out to Temple’s lawyer. Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz Fri, 02 Jan 2026 05:21:34 Z /news/crime/whangamat%C4%81-police-officer-hit-by-bottle-as-1000-youths-ignore-orders/ /news/crime/whangamat%C4%81-police-officer-hit-by-bottle-as-1000-youths-ignore-orders/ An officer was hit by a bottle after police attempted to break up an unruly crowd of about 1000 youths in Whangamatā last night. Eight youths were arrested after fireworks were fired at people and officers were physically obstructed as they tried to intervene. Eastern Waikato Area Commander, Inspector Mike Henwood, said at about 10.30pm officers were called to Williamson Park in the Coromandel Peninsula town. As police attempted to disperse the crowd, bottles were lobbed at the officers. One officer was hit, but was not injured. Fireworks were also being fired into the crowd of people. Henwood said repeated instructions given over a loudhailer to leave the park were ignored by those gathered, forcing officers to intervene and move the crowd on. In nearby Pāuanui, police encountered another large group of about 300 youth near the Surf Club Reserve. While officers were arresting a person for lighting fireworks in a dangerous manner, a number of those present became physically obstructive, further escalating the situation. Seven youths were arrested in Whangamatā and one in Pāuanui. Henwood said after relatively quiet New Year’s celebrations, this behaviour was disappointing. “Not only does this behaviour put my team at risk – it also puts other attending youth at risk. “New Year’s Eve heading into New Year’s morning was particularly uneventful, with most people celebrating the New Year in a safe and orderly manner. “It is disappointing that after a good night, it is then ruined by intoxicated youth in denial that New Year’s is over.” Henwood said police continue to urge anyone who witnesses antisocial or dangerous behaviour of any kind to make a report of the incident immediately by calling 111. “It’s great that people want to come and enjoy our Coromandel beaches over the summer period, and we encourage everyone to celebrate the New Year – but it needs to be done in a safe and respectful manner," Henwood said. Fri, 02 Jan 2026 02:28:47 Z /news/crime/managemyhealth-data-breach-what-we-know-as-up-to-126-000-possible-users-affected/ /news/crime/managemyhealth-data-breach-what-we-know-as-up-to-126-000-possible-users-affected/ More than 108,000 ManageMyHealth users are affected by a cyber data breach. CEO Vino Ramayah confirmed the breach and said affected users would be notified within 48 hours. The Privacy Commissioner, police and Ministry of Health have been notified. More than 120,000 people who use the ManageMyHealth portal are thought to have been caught up in yesterday’s cyber data breach. They should start hearing from the company in the next 48 hours about whether and how their private medical information has been accessed. ManageMyHealth is an online service connecting patients with clinicians and allows people to access their medical records. It is said to be New Zealand’s largest patient information portal. Yesterday, ManageMyHealth CEO Vino Ramayah confirmed a cyber security incident had been identified on Wednesday involving “unauthorised access” to the platform. He said the incident had been contained and was under investigation. But he could not give any in-depth information about the situation, which was criticised by GPs. “We are working closely with the relevant authorities and independent cyber security specialists and we will provide updates through formal statements as further information is confirmed,” Ramayah said initially. This afternoon he provided the Herald with further details on the breach. “Since we were alerted, our team has been working very hard to ensure that the application is secure,” he said. “We believe the incident has been contained and we have engaged independent international forensic consultants to further verify the solution we have put in place and determine the extent of the data that is affected. “Based on our investigations to date, we believe between 6 and 7% of the approximately 1.8 million registered users may have been affected by this incident.” That equates to between 108,000 and 126,000 users. Ramayah said ManageMyHealth had “begun analysis to identify users affected”. “As you can appreciate, this is a complex exercise, and we expect to start notifying those affected within the next 48 hours.” He said the Privacy Commissioner had been notified and was working with ManageMyHealth to meet its obligations under privacy legislation. The police and Ministry of Health had also been notified and Ramayah said he was “engaging” with the agencies “and other organisations” to co-ordinate a response. “We recognise that any incident involving health information can cause anxiety and distress,” he said. “People rightly place a high level of trust in systems that hold their health data, and we understand the concern this situation may create for patients, providers and partners. “We want to thank users and the sector for their patience while a complex investigation continues.” The matter has been reported to the police, Privacy Commissioner, Ministry of Heath and other agencies. Ramayah said to support patients and providers, ManageMyHealth would provide a detailed FAQ to “help resolve their questions where possible”. “To ensure your online security, we strongly recommend you read the guidelines provided by the Own Your Online website.” He said ManageMyHealth took its obligations to data security seriously. “We understand how personal and sensitive health information is, and we recognise the stress an incident like this can cause,” he said. “Our team is working hard to identify those affected, and to communicate directly and transparently. “Manage My Health will provide a further update at 3pm tomorrow [January 2].” Earlier today, GPs criticised the lack of information. College of GPs president Dr Luke Bradford told RNZ he only learned about the potential breach through the media. “It’s terribly disappointing. They’re an absolutely key tool that we use for patients. It allows patients to access their records and better manage their health, literally,” he said. “But if their data’s not safe, then their very personal information is not safe, and that’s really concerning.” It was “terrible timing”, with most practices closed for four days, he said. “We’re going into this period without any formal communication about what’s involved in the breach and what can be done about it.” General Practice NZ chairman Dr Bryan Betty agreed the situation was worrying. “Health data in terms of patients is incredibly important and any breach like this has to be taken extremely seriously and has to be actioned as a matter of urgency,” he said. “There should be obviously free and open transparency about the situation and what’s actually happened, both for patients and practices that use the ManageMyHealth portal. “So I would expect that to be part of their management of the present situation.” Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:41:15 Z /news/crime/rotorua-playground-attack-bashed-dad-unhappy-as-offender-sentenced-to-community-work/ /news/crime/rotorua-playground-attack-bashed-dad-unhappy-as-offender-sentenced-to-community-work/ A violent and unprovoked attack at a Rotorua playground over a pair of pink Crocs left a father with a broken jaw and concussion, and shattered his family’s sense of peace and security. The victim says he now feels “hollow” after the offender, Francee Edwin Reweti Page, 51, was given what was in his opinion a “pitiful” sentence. Page appeared in the Rotorua District Court on December 19 and was sentenced by Judge Andree Wiltens after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of injuring with intent to injure. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years’ jail. He was sentenced to 150 hours’ community work and was ordered to undergo two years of intensive supervision. The attack happened almost a year ago, on January 7 about 12.30pm. A man was seriously assaulted at the Volcanic Playground in Rotorua over a pair of pink Crocs. Photo / Kelly Makiha The victim was at the Volcanic Playground at Rotorua’s Lakefront with his daughter and niece. A police summary of facts, released to the Rotorua Daily Post, said Page’s partner approached the victim’s 6-year-old daughter and accused her of taking Page’s grandchild’s pink Crocs. The victim intervened in support of his daughter and explained to Page’s partner that his daughter arrived at the playground wearing the pink Crocs. The partner became enraged and raised her voice, sparking Page to hear what was happening and intervene. He raised his arms and clenched his fists before assaulting the victim by punching him three times, the summary said. The victim fell backwards on the ground. Page continued assaulting him until a member of the public intervened. He was hospitalised with a broken jaw, concussion and bruising and swelling to his face. The toll on the victim In a victim impact statement, the 49-year-old said he had to take strong pain medication for weeks and he endured long waits to see a specialist team at Waikato Hospital, which he said heightened his frustration and anxiety. Despite his own suffering, he said his main concern was for his daughter, who was “deeply traumatised” from witnessing the ordeal. He said in the statement that the aftermath of the assault was marked by a “relentless cascade of challenges”, extending far beyond the initial trauma. Everyday tasks like eating, speaking, yawning and sleeping were a struggle, and the concussions and neck strain left him with severe headaches for many weeks, which he said added to his sleep deprivation. “The emotional and psychological toll of the event on my family and me was significant, and the effects of what happened lingered, making it impossible to shake off the trauma.” He said he underwent counselling sessions. “My physical injuries pale in comparison to the profound impact this senseless act of violence has had on our family’s well-being. The assault has shattered our sense of peace and security, stripping us of the pleasure and joy of visiting public places without fear.” It had eroded his family’s trust in those around them, and the “indelible mark” had fostered an “underlying deep-seated fear and eroded their trust in those around them, he said in the statement. The medical expenses, travel to Waikato Hospital, and loss of income were estimated at $2400, but Page was not directed by the court to pay any reparations to the victim. After the sentencing hearing, the victim told the Rotorua Daily Post he was disappointed with the court’s punishment. He said it was said at sentencing Page had spent time this year at the Grace Foundation – a live-in drug rehabilitation facility in Auckland – and was given credit for his progress. The victim said he was surprised Page did not get a prison or even home-detention sentence. He said in his view 150 hours of community work was a “pitiful” sentence that was “a slap on the wrist and a complete insult to his victims”. Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues. Mon, 29 Dec 2025 05:50:17 Z /news/crime/auckland-cbd-assaults-police-seek-witnesses-after-three-seriously-injured-around-karangahape-rd/ /news/crime/auckland-cbd-assaults-police-seek-witnesses-after-three-seriously-injured-around-karangahape-rd/ Police are appealing for the public’s help following mass disorder in an Auckland nightlife hotspot overnight, with three people seriously injured in separate assaults. Emergency services were called to the disorder on Karangahape Rd around 3.41am, where more than 50 people were estimated to be present on the road. The disorder lasted for over 90 minutes, attracting a significant police response, including the deployment of dog units. One person has been arrested in connection to the last assault, but police are seeking help from witnesses who were present or have footage to identify and locate others involved. “Police are disappointed at the bad, aggressive and careless behaviour on display on Karangahape Rd and will be holding any and all offenders to account,” Auckland City Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Greaves said. At around 4.15am, a serious assault took place outside the Crown Bar on Queen St, leaving a 33-year-old man with serious injuries. Police are calling for witnesses and footage from the assaults around Karangahape Rd, Queen St and Cobden St. Photo / Mike Scott The offender is still at large, and the police file number is 215228/4647. Another serious assault occurred around 4.30am on Cobden St, off Karangahape Rd, where a 27-year-old man sustained serious injuries. He was taken to hospital. Forensic officers and detectives could be seen investigating in the area this morning. The offender in this case is also unknown, and the police file number is 251228/4462. Police conduct a scene examination on the corner of Karangahape Rd and Cobden St following a mass disorder incident overnight. Photo / Dean Purcell The third serious assault unfolded at the Mobil Service Station on the corner of Karangahape Rd and Ponsonby Rd around 5am, leaving a 46-year-old man seriously injured. A 21-year-old man arrested at the scene will appear in the Auckland District Court tomorrow charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The police file number for this incident is 251228/4774. Witnesses to any of the three assaults are being asked to contact police directly via 105, either by phone or online, quoting the relevant file number. Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:40:25 Z /news/crime/one-critically-injured-four-arrested-following-brawl-on-auckland-s-karangahape-rd/ /news/crime/one-critically-injured-four-arrested-following-brawl-on-auckland-s-karangahape-rd/ A mass brawl on a popular Auckland nightlife strip has ended with multiple arrests and a person in hospital with critical injuries. Police were called to Auckland’s Karangahape Rd just after 3.30am following multiple reports of a mass disorder and large fight on the street. Officers attended to disperse the crowd of around 50 people. Hato Hone St John sent an ambulance to the scene, where one person had been critically injured and was taken to hospital for treatment. Police said four people were arrested in connection to the fight. The Karangahape Rd and Cobden St intersection, by the base of the Lighthouse Apartments, has been taped off as police investigate. Police scene examination on K Road after a large fight took place in the early hours of this morning. Photo / Dean Purcell A forensic examination is taking place. Photo / Dean Purcell Residents reported hearing yelling and screaming on the street for approximately two hours following the incident, as armed police searched the area with dogs. A worker at Sunshine Superette said he arrived to open the store and came across the heavy police presence nearby, but was soon able to open for trade. Businesses along Karangahape Rd had been notified of the incident, he said. A couple residing in the area said they heard dogs barking through the night, but weren’t aware of what had unfolded until this morning. A large nitrous oxide canister box can be seen on the ground outside the Lighthouse Apartments. Forensic officers and detectives are still visible in the area this morning. The Karangahape Rd and Cobden St intersection, by the base of the Lighthouse Apartments, has been taped off. Photo / Dean Purcell Sat, 27 Dec 2025 19:33:58 Z /news/crime/man-appears-in-court-after-handing-himself-in-for-questioning-over-suspected-double-homicide/ /news/crime/man-appears-in-court-after-handing-himself-in-for-questioning-over-suspected-double-homicide/ A man who handed himself in to police for questioning over the suspected double homicide of a farming couple has appeared in court. The bodies of Brendon and Trina Cole were discovered on the driveway of their Ruatiti home along Murumuru Rd near Whanganui National Park, on December 13. A man was named a person of interest over the suspected double homicide, which was followed by a nearly two-week search for him. Central District Commander Superintendent Dion Bennett said the man had presented himself to the Whanganui Police Station about 1.30pm on Christmas Day, and was arrested on an active warrant. “Police on ground in the area will now be making further inquiries in the investigation,” Bennett said. The man appeared before a Justice of the Peace on Friday. The Whanganui Chronicle was denied entry to the court to cover the hearing by security staff. Court staff said the man was remanded in custody, with a second court appearance on his current charges scheduled for January 27. Suppressions put in place during the hearing were likely to be reviewed at that date. Thu, 25 Dec 2025 23:46:21 Z /news/crime/auckland-man-caught-with-footage-of-isis-beheadings-murders-terror-group-promo-material/ /news/crime/auckland-man-caught-with-footage-of-isis-beheadings-murders-terror-group-promo-material/ Warning: This article discusses extreme violence A Pukekohe man found in possession of extremist Islamic State content, including beheadings and terror attacks in Europe, has failed in his bid to secure a discharge without conviction. However, his application for permanent anonymity was granted. Disturbing content accrued by the 24-year-old featured footage of Islamic State (Isis) murdering civilians and encouraging viewers to attack governments, as well as endorsing certain terror attack methods that could be used in Australia. On Tuesday, Manukau District Court Judge Nick Webby rejected the man’s application to escape conviction. To do so would be “sweeping this part of your life under a rug”, he said. Judge Webby entered the man’s conviction for possessing the “brutal and cruel”, “extremist propaganda publications”. “The nature of the material, as I said, was of the worst kind.” A Pukekohe man found in possession of extremist Islamic State content, including beheadings and terror attacks in Europe, was sentenced in Manukau District Court. Photo / Dean Purcell The man came to the attention of police after mental health professionals contacted authorities in May 2024 with concerns. According to an agreed summary of facts obtained by the Herald, a search warrant was executed at his address at 7.40am on June 6 last year. During the search police seized an iPhone 14 Pro Max and an Apple MacBook Pro laptop. On his devices, police found a 16-minute video that followed the history of the Isis group, then moved into promotion of the organisation. It featured beheadings and footage of Isis members murdering prisoners and civilians, accompanied by text justifying war crimes. The summary said the final minute of the video featured a message to former US President Barack Obama, filmed over the severed head of an American citizen. In another video, Isis fighters are seen planting their flag in the desert and fighting, followed by images of dead “martyrs”, the summary of facts said. Another clip encouraged people to attack governments in the Middle East. A different video featured multiple beheadings and extolled Muslims in the West to join Isis and conduct terror attacks. “It includes videos of Islamic State attacks in Europe,” the summary of facts said. Isis fighters in an unrelated propaganda video. Photo / Supplied Other footage encouraged Muslims in Australia to travel to the Philippines to fight for Isis. “If unable to travel make the homes of the Kufah [a historic city in Iraq] your battleground. He then encourages a number of methods of attack available in Australia,” the document said. One video proclaimed Isis would destroy “Jews, Pagans, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus”. The next film called on Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, challenging him to come with his Apache helicopter to Isis so they could kill him. The defendant’s lawyer, Tim Conder, said his client was a “victim of a campaign of online radicalisation” and he had not shared the material. “He is the person who has suffered as a consequence of [the material].” Conder argued the man should be granted a discharge without conviction as the “stain” of a conviction of this kind was “uniquely grave”. A Pukekohe man found in possession of extremist Islamic State content, including beheadings and terror attacks in Europe, was sentenced in Manukau District Court. Photo / Dean Purcell A discharge, he said, would also support his efforts at rehabilitation and reintegration. Jay Tausi, for the Crown, said while there would be impacts of a conviction, it did not outweigh the seriousness of the offending, the gravity of which he said was “high”. He said it represented ideological offending that “strikes at public safety”. The Crown was neutral on the name suppression application. Judge Webby said the defendant had submitted that he would lose his job if a conviction was entered; that it could impact his next application to get OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) status; and it would affect his mental health. The court was also told he had never moved past the bullying he suffered in high school. And it was submitted that a conviction would make it difficult for him to progress with an arranged marriage. The man appeared for sentencing on Tuesday at Manukau District Court. Photo / Alex Burton Judge Webby did not believe the consequences of a conviction would be out of proportion to the gravity of the offence. “There are consequences that will undoubtedly flow from a conviction for this type of offending.” The charge, knowingly possessing objectionable material, namely terrorism, carries a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment. Judge Webby issued a sentence starting point of three years’ imprisonment and gave the man discounts for his guilty plea, age, lack of previous convictions, rehabilitation and societal rejection. This led to a total sentence reduction of 45%, bringing him below the threshold at which judges can consider home-based sentences. Judge Webby imposed a final sentence of 24 months’ intensive supervision, with electronic monitoring, and 200 hours’ community service. As well as the videos, police also uncovered 13 copies of the magazine, Dabiq. The online publication aims to reach Muslims around the world and encourage them to join as recruits to the “Caliphate”. Another 13 copies of Dabiq’s successor, Rumiyah magazine, were also recovered. In addition, police said the defendant undertook internet searches that demonstrated he knew what he was accessing was wrong. These included: “What happens if u possess terrorist propaganda new Zealand (sic) “does visiting isis website put u on watchlist (sic) “punishment for posseissing terrorsit video (sic) “Can you use internet in prison nz” Police said the defendant claimed he did not know it was an offence to have the material but knew it was bad to share it. Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020. Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:28:20 Z /news/crime/police-name-man-killed-in-hamilton-homicide-as-55-year-old/ /news/crime/police-name-man-killed-in-hamilton-homicide-as-55-year-old/ Police investigating a homicide in Hamilton have released the name of the person who died. Emergency services were called to a Lake Cres address about 6.15pm on Thursday night. A man died at the scene, and another person was taken to Waikato Hospital in serious condition. Detective Inspector Daryl Smith said the victim was 55-year-old Jason Poa, also known as Jason Tipene. Smith said they are appealing for any sightings of a Subaru Impreza hatchback, registration KZH714. Examinations underway after a person was shot dead in Hamilton. Photo / Mike Scott On Friday, forensic experts and armed police were stationed on the street with at least one home taped off. The nearby toilet block was also taped off, with an officer standing guard outside. “We have officers working at the Lake Cres address, and also at a second location of interest, several hundred metres away – the toilet block at the yacht club," Smith said. A police guard at the toilet block at Innes Common domain in relation to the Lake Cres shooting. Photo / Mike Scott Residents living near the cordon were shocked to find their normally quiet, friendly neighbourhood now the focus of a major police operation after a suspicious death. A resident living close to the cordon said he spoke to an officer last night who told him gunshots had been heard just “short” of his house. He said usually the street was “very quiet”, and police “very rarely” were there. “I don’t have many problems around here, [just] an occasional burglary ... but [it’s] not an area that has too many problems really.” If you have seen the Subaru or have information please report online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report”, or call 105. Please use the reference number 251218/5897. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers by calling 0800 555 111. Tue, 23 Dec 2025 02:30:49 Z /news/crime/driver-arrested-after-joining-police-convoy-in-commodore-with-flashing-blue-and-red-lights/ /news/crime/driver-arrested-after-joining-police-convoy-in-commodore-with-flashing-blue-and-red-lights/ A disqualified driver has been charged after his Commodore with flashing red and blue lights slid into a convoy of patrol vehicles outside a Northland police station. Mid/Far North Area Prevention Manager, Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong, said the copycat slid into a police convoy outside Kawakawa Police Station last Thursday evening. “After catching the officer’s attention, a check confirmed the registered owner of the vehicle was disqualified from driving. “The real Police officers signalled the Commodore to pull over.” Armstrong said that after the man was arrested, a search of his vehicle uncovered a loaded firearm underneath the driver’s seat as well as a 3D-printed gun, a stash of ammunition and methamphetamine. “It was quite the unexpected find,” Armstrong said. “Our team is extremely pleased to be able to remove these items from our community and hold this offender to account.” The 30-year-old will appear in the Kaikohe District Court on January 20 on charges including personating a Police officer, unlawful possession of a restricted weapon, driving while disqualified and possession of methamphetamine. It comes on the same week that police revealed they had caught a drunk man who tried to pull over an unmarked car of actual police officers. Counties Manukau Police said the “bizarre incident” occurred while officers were conducting patrols in an unmarked vehicle in the area on Saturday. A station wagon following the unmarked car began flashing a red-and-blue bar mounted on the vehicle. Police said officers were “perplexed” before clocking the car as not an actual officer. The real officers managed to pull over the man after he attempted to flee, who they said exhibited “impaired and dangerous driving”, coming in at twice the legal limit. The 38-year-old man will appear in the Manukau District Court on 24 December on charges of impersonating a Police officer and excess breath alcohol. Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:16:13 Z /news/crime/501-deportee-mana-herman-stabbed-hastings-motorist-in-the-neck/ /news/crime/501-deportee-mana-herman-stabbed-hastings-motorist-in-the-neck/ A 501 deportee stabbed another motorist in the neck during a “scuffle” on the roadside about driving behaviour. The dispute in Hastings arose after Mana Tridon Herman cut in front of another driver, almost causing an accident, on April 23, 2024. According to court documents, the other driver became angry and tailgated the 36-year-old for a while before pulling up alongside at an intersection and yelling at Herman. Instead of turning left, as he had intended, Herman followed the other man until they both stopped on the roadside. A “scuffle ensued” and Herman picked a fight, but the other man began to get the better of him. Herman then reached for a sharp object after finding himself in a headlock and “losing a fight of his own making”. Details of the altercation in Hastings are contained in a High Court judgment after Herman unsuccessfully appealed against the prison sentence he was handed in the district court. The stabbing: A gross overreaction Justice David Boldt said Herman found the unidentified sharp object in the back of his vehicle. He stabbed his victim twice in the neck, narrowly missing an artery. The victim then released his grip and Herman fled. The man required surgery and was left in “excruciating” pain during his “long and challenging” recovery. The object Herman used in the stabbing was never recovered, but was described by the original sentencing judge as “potentially lethal”. The sentencing judge said that using the weapon was a “gross overreaction” to being overpowered in the fight, and “went way beyond what would have been permissible when acting in self-defence”. In his appeal decision, Justice Boldt found the jail term, for a conviction of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, was not excessive. “The attack on the victim was serious and potentially life-threatening,” Justice Boldt said. “The [sentencing] judge made no error in selecting the starting point or in the final sentence of five years and seven months imprisonment.” Foster care and criminal convictions Herman grew up in New Zealand until he was 14, partly in a boys’ home and foster care, before moving to Brisbane with his mother. He accumulated more than 20 criminal convictions in Australia, including armed robbery and assault leading to actual bodily harm. About 10 years ago, he was sent back to New Zealand as a “501″ deportee - named after the section of the Australian Migration Act used to expel people who have criminal records or on character grounds. Herman has clocked up another 20 convictions since returning to New Zealand, including for wounding with intent, assault with intent to injure and possessing an offensive weapon. Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined 九一星空无限’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of frontline experience as a probation officer. Sat, 20 Dec 2025 23:26:38 Z /news/crime/police-commissioner-richard-chambers-on-the-beat-to-remember-fallen-nelson-senior-sergeant-lyn-fleming/ /news/crime/police-commissioner-richard-chambers-on-the-beat-to-remember-fallen-nelson-senior-sergeant-lyn-fleming/ The first hours of a new year are meant to hold promise — a fresh start, a clean slate. But in Nelson, as the city stirred under the glow of streetlights and celebration, tragedy struck. Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming would not see the dawn of 2025. In an instant, a routine patrol turned catastrophic, leaving a community shattered and marking a heartbreaking first in New Zealand’s policing history. Senior journalist Anna Leask reports.    Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming. Photo / NZ Police  It was 2.10am when all hell broke loose in Buxton Square.  Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming, 62, and Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay were foot patrolling the area when a vehicle driven by a member of the public drove towards them at speed.  Both officers were hit – hard – and were critically injured.  Soon after, at Nelson Hospital, Fleming died. The damage to her body was catastrophic and unsurvivable.  Ramsay was rushed into the surgery that would save his life.  Around this time, Commissioner Richard Chambers’ cellphone rang.  He had just gone to bed after finishing a shift with his troops on the beat in the Tauranga area.  “I’d just gone to sleep, and the phone rang, and that was when I was advised about what had happened,” he said.    Police Commissioner Richard Chambers fronting a press conference hours after his colleague Lyn fleming was killed on duty. Photo / Tim Cuff  “I said to my wife, ‘I’m going to have to turn the light on and iron my shirt and drive to Wellington and get to Nelson as quick as I can’.  “It’s the worst possible thing for any police person – but it’s particularly hard five weeks into your job as a commissioner, which is how I found myself – when you lose a colleague in the line of duty, going about their job that they love for the community.”  Chambers had known Fleming personally for many years. So, he wasn’t only reeling from her violent death professionally.  “I knew Lyn, I worked with Lyn. She was an absolute superstar,” he told the Herald.  “She was one of the most impressive policewomen that I’ve ever worked with. She was a person that I used to call on when I was the Tasman District Commander, when I had a particularly tough issue or thing that I needed to find a sensible way forward for.  “Lynn helped me many times deal with things. She was a remarkable woman who I’m personally very proud to have known and worked with. But all New Zealanders can be proud of the calibre of a police officer like Lyn Fleming.”    A memorial plaque to Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming was attached to the flagpole outside the Nelson Police Station within days of her death. Photo / Tracy Neal  Fleming, 62, is survived by her husband Bryn and adult children Rayna and Aren; parents Ray and Colleen and siblings Woody, Carol and Jo.  The Fleming family did not want to speak about the tragedy ahead of the anniversary.  By then, they would have endured their first Christmas without Fleming – and are undoubtedly preparing themselves for the trial of the man charged over her death.  Hayden Tasker, 32, is facing six charges, including the murder of Fleming and the attempted murder of Ramsay.  He is due to go on trial in the High Court at Christchurch in May 2026.  Police allege the brutal incident was “completely unprovoked” and that the vehicle Tasker was driving was “being used as a weapon”.    Hayden Donald Jason Tasker has been charged with murdering Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming. Photo / Tracy Neal   Fleming was the first police officer ever killed in the line of duty in the Nelson area, and the first female police officer killed on the job in New Zealand.  At her funeral, Chambers revealed that as a senior officer, Fleming did not have to work the New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day shift.  But she wanted to support her staff.  “At the start of the shift, Lyn produced a range of snacks for her colleagues to help keep them going through the night shift,” he said.  “She cared deeply about her staff.”  Chambers will mark the day of Fleming’s death on the frontline in Nelson – taking on the same shift she did alongside her colleagues.  “The right place for me to be on this New Year’s Eve is Nelson, alongside my colleagues who have had a tough year,” he said.  “I’ve made that decision because I know that the team down there, have done it tough - we’ve all done it tough, but not as much as Lyn’s people down there in Nelson and Tasman.  “So I’m going to be out there with them through the night.”  Chambers plans to start the shift “getting behind the barbecue” and feeding those on the late shift.    The Herald attended Fleming's funeral several weeks after her alleged murder.  Then he will head out on the street with Superintendent Tracy Thompson, the Tasman District Commander.  “It’s just the right place to be this year because of Lyn’s death,” he said.  “This time of the year is one of the busiest times for us in policing. There is alcohol consumption, people partying and celebrating - and that’s fine, but that brings with it its own set of issues.  “And also it’s a tough time for family harm. There’s a lot of pressure on families and separated families for all sorts of reasons. So, in policing generally, it’s a busy time of year for us.”  Chambers acknowledged police sacrificed a lot when they work over the holidays, missing time with their own families to keep their communities safe.  “Both police officers and our civilian colleagues sacrifice a lot because we’ve got a job to do,” he said.  “It’s no different for me. I want to be working on New Year’s Eve with my staff because I’m just like them, and I want to be there to support them.”    The family of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming at her funeral. Photo / George Heard   He said it wouldn’t just be Nelson staff thinking of Fleming on January 1 – and in the lead-up and days that followed.  “Police staff working across the country on New Year’s Eve will know that it was that night when Lyn was doing her job and lost her life.  “You know, we’ll be thinking about this for many years to come … I think New Year’s Eve this year is going to be tough, and I have no doubt that through the entire evening it won’t just be my Nelson staff that have that on their mind.”  Chambers said Fleming was formally recognised – alongside the 34 other officers killed in a criminal act – on Police Remembrance Day in September.  “That will be something that we do every year as well.  “But a service for Lyn [on the anniversary] – we’ll work with her family and decide how they would like us to help recognise Lyn.”  Chambers has kept in contact with Fleming’s family throughout the year. He has also spent time with Ramsay.  “I’ll see him when I’m down there. I’ve seen him a number of times during this year – he’s doing remarkably well,” he said.    Commissioner Richard Chambers and Bryn Fleming at his wife's funeral in Nelson. Photo / George Heard   “I’ve also seen Lyn’s son and daughter a number of times during the year, and also her husband, Bryn. I’ve touched base with them and spent some time with each of them.  “It’s been important for me to continue to acknowledge how hard the year’s been for them.”  Chambers said he was extremely proud of the police in Nelson – especially those who were the closest to Fleming.  “I’m very proud of how they’ve come together and supported each other – and I know that it’s been tough for a lot of them during the year.  “And there are people who have thought about whether policing is for them. But they have looked after each other and they are all doing remarkably.    A powerful police haka was performed at Fleming's funeral. Photo / George Heard  He would always be proud of his mate Fleming – her contribution to policing and her dedication to the people in and behind the blue uniform.  “Lyn was a remarkable policewoman who many, many police officers over the years have looked up to,” he said.  “She was a mentor to many in their careers. She was a person who dealt with the really hard stuff and did so incredibly well.  “My enduring memory of Lyn is a policewoman that the entire country can be proud of. She was such a bright soul who made the tough stuff a little bit easier to manage because she was such a supporting leader.  “And, I know that my experience with Lyn is no different to many hundreds of others who have come across her in their careers.”    The funeral for Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming, who was killed in the line of duty on New Years Day, 2025. Photo / George Heard   Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz  Sat, 20 Dec 2025 19:43:42 Z /news/crime/canterbury-woman-says-police-failures-after-violent-strangling-assault-left-her-terrified-and-unprotected/ /news/crime/canterbury-woman-says-police-failures-after-violent-strangling-assault-left-her-terrified-and-unprotected/ When Lisa* called the police to report a serious assault by her partner, she expected protection and support. Instead, she says what followed was a series of failures, including police repeatedly telling her the man was still in custody when he had been bailed. Her experience left her terrified and questioning whether victims’ rights are anything more than words on paper. Senior journalist Anna Leask reports.  In September, Lisa’s then-partner Mike allegedly assaulted her, strangling her so viciously that he left angry red marks on her skin.  She called 111, desperate for help. But she says help is the last thing she got.  “Right now, I wouldn’t ever call them again because they have made my life worse, not better,” she told the Herald.  “As part of my job, I advise women to call the police for family harm, but now I won’t.  “I can see why women don’t call the police, and that is not okay – it is not safe.”   Lisa said she had visible physical injuries and was mentally distressed.  However, the police left her home in Canterbury without having her examined by any medical professional.  She claims they did not follow up or provide her with any information about what would happen to Mike, nor did they provide her with any safety plan or connect her to any support agency.  “They just took him away, and that was it.  “I was hoping for some support … but they just left me here. They didn’t even call an ambulance. They did offer me a referral to the Cambridge Clinic, which I refused at the time. To be honest, I was just in complete fight or flight."  The clinic specialises in sexual harm, and Lisa’s assault was not of that nature.  The next day, she emailed police and said she would take a referral - for lack of any other support.  She said that, by the time the officer got back to her, she had contacted the clinic directly and had already been to an appointment.  “When I called the police, I expected that wraparound service that I’ve told thousands of women they can expect – and ongoing communication,“ she said.  “The lack of communication has been the most traumatic thing for me. I have had to beg and beg for information.”    Lisa said police left her with no support or medical help after the alleged assault. Photo / DepositPhotos  At 8.30am the next day, Lisa’s sister arrived, and they called the police for an update.  Lisa said she was told an officer in charge (OC) had been assigned and that no further information could be provided.  She was told to wait for the OC to make contact.  Soon afterwards, Mike’s brother sent her a message saying Mike had appeared in court and been released on bail.  Lisa assumed police would let her know – but no call came.  In the afternoon, two police officers arrived at Lisa’s house to film her video statement. It was only then that she found out Mike had been charged with strangling her, threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm and threatening behaviour.  She said she explained to them that she was not in a good place and asked them to come back another time. She explained that she had not slept since the assault, that she was significantly distressed, so had taken a sedative to help her anxiety, which meant she was “not mentally capable of providing a reliable or admissible interview”.  She said police “pressured” her for “many minutes” to speak to them.  “It was absurd. As if I wasn’t traumatised enough, they kept going on and on and I just disengaged.  “It was clear they just had no idea what had happened to me … just hours ago, I had been strangled by the love of my life.  “It felt like I was just a number, just a name in their game of cops and robbers. It has felt that way all along, like they don’t actually care that I experienced a significant trauma.”    Mike was arrested and charged after the incident in September. Photo / 123rf  During the visit, Lisa asked the police for an update on her ex-partner and told the officers she was concerned for her safety.  “I was told they were unable to provide one, they were just there to get the statement, and that, if the offender had been bailed or had appeared in court, ‘someone would definitely have contacted’ me.  “I thought that maybe there was a lag, that maybe his brother had been sitting in the court when he messaged me, and Mike was still being processed or something.”  She agreed to do a formal interview the next morning, and the police left.  “At 9.50pm, I rang 105 [the police non-emergency number] and the woman assured me that no courts ran on Saturdays in New Zealand and therefore Mike would be in custody until Monday.  “She said there was no way he’d be bailed over the weekend, that no one arrested on a Friday got out until Monday morning.”  Saturdays are generally considered a “court holiday”. However, according to the District Court rules, “some do operate if a judge considers it desirable to do so in order to dispose of business”.  The Herald has confirmed that Mike appeared before a Justice of the Peace the day after his arrest.  Lisa was frustrated – and terrified that Mike would appear at her front door. She had no idea where he was, or what state he was in.  To add insult to growing injury, the police did not show up to speak to her on the Sunday morning, as agreed.  When she contacted police, she was told to take herself to her nearest police station.  There, she was told again that, if Mike had been released, she would have been contacted.  “The fact that nobody from police or the courts had phoned me meant, according to them, that he was still in custody,” she said.  “I asked them to actually look it up, and only then did they confirm it.”    Mike appeared in court the day after the alleged assault and was released on bail. Photo / 九一星空无限  Lisa said she did not receive any formal notification or information about Mike’s bail conditions, or the charges he was facing, until the next Wednesday, when the OC finally made contact with her.  She said the whole process had been disappointing and frustrating. She listed her grievances in a detailed complaint to the IPCA, including:  That she had tried repeatedly to get someone to explain how the court system worked, and that neither the OC nor the prosecutor would help her.  That the police installed a safety alarm, but only provided the base unit and no pendant, meaning it was “functionally useless” unless Lisa was within reach of it. Contact by both Lisa and Women’s Refuge about the issue went unanswered.  That there were unnecessary court delays, caused by police failing to disclose evidence in time and the prosecutor being unprepared.  That she was not consulted at any stage about Mike’s bail conditions, which she says directly contravenes the Victims’ Rights Act.  She said the delays had “a very real and significant pressure” on her mental health and demonstrated an “ongoing lack of respect or concern” for her as the victim.  “It’s just incompetence.  “The system is broken … I am the victim here, but it’s like I don’t matter. Where am I in this process?  “The police only contact me when they want something from me. It’s devastating … I think they think I am stupid … I am strong, and I have a voice, and I have never been so disempowered in my life.  “My situation was a single isolated incident … and I think about other women in different situations, I can see why they don’t call the police, and that’s not okay. It’s not safe - and that is why I am speaking out.”  In November, she made a complaint to police about the handling of her case.  “I expressed that the ongoing failures were impacting my mental well-being to the point of feeling suicidal at times. I also said the process felt unmanageable for me,” she explained in her IPCA complaint.  “I was then told that, if I withdrew, the offender would either walk free or a warrant would be issued for my attendance.  “This was deeply distressing given the seriousness of the charge and the ongoing risk to myself and others and, in fact, felt like bullying.”  Lisa has provided a copy of her full IPCA complaint to the Herald.  She has asked the watchdog for a “full investigation” of how her case was handled, including a “lack of basic victim care, multiple failures to notify or consult me regarding bail, no ongoing follow-up or support (and) poor communication across every stage of the process”.  She wanted to “ensure accountability for decisions and omissions” by police and “prevent these failures from recurring”.  “These issues have had significant emotional, practical, and justice-related impacts on me,” she said.  Police were approached for comment on Lisa’s allegations.  Superintendent Lane Todd said he could not comment on the specifics of Lisa’s case while it was before the IPCA.  He said police were guided by policy when responding to family harm.  He confirmed that part of the “initial response” to an incident included “completing a safety plan” and “sharing information with others/agencies”.  Todd said any “non-fatal strangulation/suffocation” complainant was referred for a forensic medical examination. This was a “non-acute service and will typically be conducted three-days post incident”.    Canterbury Metro Area Commander Superintendent Lane Todd. Photo / Rachel Das  “If a victim does not consent to a forensic examination, they will be advised to seek medical attention from their GP or go to their local accident and emergency centre,” he said.  The spokesperson explained that police had “a number of obligations to victims under the Victims’ Rights Act 2002”.  “For victims of offences meeting the criteria set out by s 29 - which includes offences of serious assault and offences where the victim has ongoing, reasonable fears for their safety - police must make all reasonable efforts to obtain any views that the victim has about the offender being released on bail and inform the court of those views,” Todd said.  “Police must also notify these victims where the defendant is released on bail and their bail conditions.  “Police prosecutors use an app to arrange victim notifications for s 29 offences – there is a dedicated team who then carry out these notifications, although they only work Mondays to Fridays.  “On weekends and public holidays, it is expected that police prosecutors will carry out these notifications themselves.”  In relation to victim interviews, Todd said they must be conducted “as soon as possible”.  “For both investigative purposes and to minimise the risk of memory contamination/forgetting,” they said.  “As part of the assessment an officer makes as to whether or not a witness or victim is fit for interview, consideration is given to factors such as level of intoxication, any medications consumed, trauma, and whether or not the victim has injuries that urgently need to be attended to.  “Police appreciate that being interviewed soon after a traumatic incident can be an incredibly confronting and difficult thing to do, which is why gaining consent is so important.”  “The aim is for the victim to only tell their story once, in their own words, and because the VVS is played in court, victims don’t have to suffer the re-traumatisation of recounting the events later.”  Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz  FAMILY VIOLENCE  How to get help: If you're in danger now: • Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you.  • Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you.  • Take the children with you. Don't stop to get anything else.  • If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.  Where to go for help or more information:  • Women's Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7)  • Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7)  • It's Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450  • Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children.  • Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7)  • Ministry of Justice: For information on family violence  • Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services  • White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women.  How to hide your visit: If you are reading this information on the Herald website and you're worried that someone using the same computer will find out what you've been looking at, you can follow the steps at the link here to hide your visit. Each of the websites above also has a section that outlines this process.  Fri, 19 Dec 2025 22:56:12 Z /news/crime/wellington-meth-driver-with-young-daughter-in-car-first-to-fail-new-roadside-test/ /news/crime/wellington-meth-driver-with-young-daughter-in-car-first-to-fail-new-roadside-test/ A Wellington man has tested positive for methamphetamine while driving with his young daughter in the car.  It is the first positive result through the police’s new oral fluid screening testing.  The 40-year-old was pulled into a checkpoint on Hutt Rd just before 9pm on Thursday.  Police used the new device that screens for the presence of four drugs: cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine.  The test came back positive for meth, which required the man to provide a saliva sample for laboratory testing.  He couldn’t provide a sufficient sample and was then required to provide a blood sample, which he refused.  Director of road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said the driver was summonsed to court for refusing the blood sample request and has lost his driver licence for 28 days.  He is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court in January 2026.  “We took him and his daughter safely home in a police car,” Greally said.  The superintendent said he has seen some of the most harrowing scenes caused by drug driving that will stay with him forever.  “I’ve seen the devastation etched on the faces of whānau when they hear the unthinkable: that their loved one is gone.”  Greally said he makes no apology for testing drivers to see if they have taken drugs and is relieved police now have the tools to screen drivers for recent use.  “It’s a step that could save countless lives.  “Don’t take drugs and drive.”  The launch of roadside drug-testing began on December 15 in Wellington and is expected to be rolled out to the rest of the country in 2026.  For the tests, motorists will wipe the drug screening device’s pads on their tongue and wait about 10 minutes for a result.  This is one of the biggest changes in road policing since 1993, when compulsory breath-testing and speed cameras were introduced.  Fri, 19 Dec 2025 02:44:11 Z /news/crime/tiktok-livestream-helps-police-track-and-arrest-palmerston-north-alleged-youth-car-thieves/ /news/crime/tiktok-livestream-helps-police-track-and-arrest-palmerston-north-alleged-youth-car-thieves/ Six children, some as young as 12, were arrested after allegedly livestreaming car thefts on TikTok.  Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said they caught the group while they livestreamed their alleged car thefts about 3.30am.  Grantham said they were first alerted to the incident after a TikTok livestream was uploaded showing a vehicle crashing into a pole.  The vehicle sustained some damage before driving away.  During the livestream, the people inside the vehicle discussed stealing another car in Woodville.  Grantham said Dannevirke staff were called out, and police monitored the situation on TikTok while units converged on the area.  “The group of young people were travelling in two vehicles, both vehicles having been stolen earlier from Palm Ave in Palmerston North,” Grantham said.  He said the young people later abandoned the previously damaged vehicle at Mangatainoka.  Grantham said all the young people got into one vehicle and headed back towards Woodville.  “With their movements still being tracked, police deployed the Manawatū tactical dog team at the Ashhurst roundabout intersection.  “Police were successful spiking all four tyres which forced the occupants to abandon the vehicle.  “They fled on foot across the Ashhurst bridge, where all six youths were arrested without incident.”  In total, three vehicles were stolen from the Palm Ave area overnight with only one vehicle being spiked.  He said this incident was an excellent example of strategic planning and the effective use of staff from the wider Manawatū District to prevent a pursuit occurring.  The offenders, aged between 12 and 16, are from Palmerston North and will be referred to Youth Aid.  Fri, 19 Dec 2025 01:43:57 Z /news/crime/hamilton-homicide-armed-officers-at-street-cordon-as-police-probe-lake-cres-death/ /news/crime/hamilton-homicide-armed-officers-at-street-cordon-as-police-probe-lake-cres-death/ A resident in an upmarket Hamilton neighbourhood where a homicide probe is underway has been told by police that gunshots were heard not far from his home.  Homes and a toilet block remain under an armed police cordon this morning after a man died and another person was badly injured in Hamilton overnight.  Police launched a homicide investigation after they were called to a Lake Crescent address about 6.15pm, following reports someone had been seriously injured.  After arriving at the scene, police found a second person at the address with a serious arm injury.  The initial victim died at the scene, while the second was in a stable condition in Waikato Hospital.  Today, a police cordon blocks part of the upmarket lakeside street home and a public toilet block at Innes Common.  A police guard at the toilet block at Innes Common domain in relation to the Lake Crescent shooting last night. Photo / Mike Scott  Armed police are stationed on the street with at least one home taped off. A nearby toilet block is also taped off, with an officer standing guard outside. Residents living near the cordon were this morning shocked to find their normally quiet, friendly neighbourhood now the focus of a major police operation after a suspicious death. The scene at Lake Cresent, Hamilton, where a person was shot and a homicide investigation is underway. Photo / Mike Scott  A resident living close to the cordon said he spoke to an officer last night who told him gunshots had been heard just “short” of his house. He said usually the street was “very quiet”, and police “very rarely” there. “I don’t have many problems around here, [just] an occasional burglary ... but [it’s] not an area that has too much problems really.” Photo / Mike Scott Another resident living close to the cordon said she was unsure if the incident was related to someone living on the street or from the lake. “We don’t know if they were fighting each other or if somebody else [from the street] was involved. “We haven’t actually heard anything and everyone was messaging us asking what’s going on, and I thought it might have been down the other end because we didn’t even hear sirens.” She said she asked police at the cordon if they had caught the person, and was told “I think they have”. One neighbour said he came home at 7.30pm to police on the street. “We thought it was a booze stop.” Another neighbour who lives a couple of houses away from the incident said the police presence was “surprising” to him since he “hardly” saw any police on the street. “It’s usually just ambulances going to the hospital.” Forensic experts are on the scene in Hamilton today. Photo / Mike Scott He said he only noticed something was going on when he saw the police lights, he said there was no noise. “We don’t really know what’s going on. “There were quite a few of them. At first I thought there was a fire maybe because there was the fire brigade.“ Police asked him for CCTV footage. Another resident who has lived on the street for more than 40 years said this was “the first time I’ve seen police holding a gun in Hamilton”. He hadn’t heard anything about the incident until he read the news. He doesn’t feel unsafe due to the police presence, but is still shocked. “I never see police here holding [a] gun and blocking traffic, our area is very quiet.” He said the people of the street were very friendly, with people walking down the driveway to go to the lake. “It’s surprising … injury like this and gunshot, it’s never happened before.” Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Ambler said that cordons remain in place as police work to determine who was involved and find them. “Residents in the area can expect to see a police presence for the time being while we progress these inquiries.” Hato Hone St John said ambulances were sent about 6.30pm last night. “We transported one person in a serious condition to Waikato Hospital.” Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:26:59 Z /news/crime/manurewa-new-year-s-shooting-teen-gunman-chaelim-mccarthy-avoids-life-sentence-for-killing-mate/ /news/crime/manurewa-new-year-s-shooting-teen-gunman-chaelim-mccarthy-avoids-life-sentence-for-killing-mate/ A teen murderer who boasted of putting his enemies in “body baggies” hours after a fatal mistaken-identity shooting has been handed a hefty jail sentence but escaped life imprisonment.  And the victim’s father has spoken of his excruciating grief, saying he has lost purpose and “reason for life” after his son’s death, and feels he “failed as a father” for not being able to protect his boy.  “The pain and guilt will stay with me forever,” Misi Faletolu said in a victim impact statement about his slain son, Jaymis.  “Jaymis’ life was full of promise, and now it’s been taken away in an instant because you thought you were tough.”  Chaelim John McCarthy, now 20, fired a gun through the window of a green Lexus after a violent early-morning altercation in Manurewa on New Year’s Day 2024.  The blast resulted in a fatal head wound for Jaymis, who was the front-seat passenger. The car’s 17-year-old driver lost an eye from the same blast but survived.  McCarthy didn’t realise it at the time, but both victims were his mates.  He thought the car belonged to two people who had just violently raided the New Year’s Eve party, throwing punches at random people before running off shouting Head Hunters gang slogans, lawyers said.  Police investigate a Lexus on Addington Ave, Manurewa, where two teens were shot – one fatally – on New Year's morning 2024. Photo / Dean Purcell  McCarthy admitted to manslaughter at the start of his High Court trial in Auckland in August this year, arguing he did not intend to shoot the victims and was only trying to intimidate them by aiming for the vehicle’s bonnet.  But the jurors found him guilty of reckless murder.  It emerged that on the day before the killing, McCarthy had posed for a photo with a gun while wearing a balaclava.  And hours after the shooting, he texted a friend saying: “Just killed three [racial slur],” adding, “Body baggies”.  He also said: “I’d do it again, uso. They chose the gangster life. They wanna be gangster. We showed them that life.”  McCarthy appeared yesterday for sentencing before Justice Laura O’Gorman, who said that because of his youth and background, it would be “manifestly unjust” to sentence him to life in prison.  The public gallery was packed with the victim’s loved ones, as well as a large contingent of family and friends supporting the young killer.  The court heard McCarthy had taken a shotgun wrapped in a bandanna to the party for protection as he suspected potential trouble from a rival Kelston group.  When two men burst into the party and attacked revellers, McCarthy was left bleeding after his earring was yanked out. Two of his teeth were also dislodged.  He was drunk and made an impulsive decision to fetch the shotgun from a car before pointing it towards the Lexus and firing, the court heard.  On arresting 19-year-old Chaelim McCarthy in January 2024, police found a shotgun in his car that had been broken into three pieces. The weapon was introduced into evidence at McCarthy's High Court murder trial. Photo / Craig Kapitan  Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield said the then-teenager did not intend to kill. His aim was affected by his intoxication, and he acted impulsively due to his injuries after the unprovoked attack.  “They just wanted a quiet night,” Mansfield said of McCarthy and his friends.  “Despite all they were doing to keep themselves safe, violence still found them.”  Mansfield dismissed the boasting text messages as “complete bravado from a drunk youth who just didn’t understand what had occurred”.  He asked the judge to impose a finite sentence, rather than crushing the young man’s hope and rehabilitation prospects.  McCarthy had made a split-second decision that he would regret for the rest of his life, Mansfield said.  The devastating loss caused by his client’s offending “will only be compounded by a sentence of life in prison”.  Crown prosecutor Chris Howard. Photo / Michael Craig  However, Crown prosecutor Chris Howard said a life sentence was “entirely appropriate” in the circumstances.  McCarthy had taken a firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition to the party in preparation for conflict, firing the weapon towards the victims at “close range”.  “This should not be mistaken for any sort of accident,” Howard said.  McCarthy had mocked the victims in his text messages after the shooting. Video recorded later that morning showed him “laughing, giggling and fooling around”.  His actions caused significant harm, including the loss of life, serious injuries to the survivor, and ongoing grief and pain across several families.  Howard said McCarthy was considered a high risk of reoffending. He had still not taken responsibility for his actions, showing limited remorse or insight.  Misi Faletolu said he felt “shock and confusion” at his son’s death. Every day was a struggle.  “I still pray and hope that somehow this is not real.”  The grieving dad could not cope with going to work and had lost his job. The tragedy had a devastating impact on the wider family.  Faletolu said his son was a “good boy” with a life “full of promise”.  But that potential had been extinguished by McCarthy’s “showy actions with a gun”.  Judge O’Gorman said McCarthy had pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and explosives, and had been found guilty of murder and wounding with reckless disregard.  She said he had been part of a group called “Southbound”, who were into boxing and fitness. They had an ongoing violent conflict with the Kelston group called the “Kelly” boys.  “Whether it be bravado or not, you discussed with your friend that you were willing to use a gun to shoot someone in the legs.”  Chaelim John McCarthy, 19, appears in the High Court at Auckland on a charge of murder regarding the fatal New Year's morning 2024 shooting of another teen in Manurewa. Photo / Jason Oxenham  After the trial, the jury rejected McCarthy’s claims that he was only aiming to fire a “warning shot” that night.  She said she must denounce McCarthy’s conduct, deter others from similar offending and protect the community.  But the judge ruled a life sentence was not appropriate in this case.  “It would be counter-productive to crush hope.”  She said McCarthy did not deliberately kill the victim, and the murder was not premeditated.  Justice O’Gorman set a starting point of 27 years before allowing a 35% discount for McCarthy’s age, previous good character, rehabilitation prospects and background.  The judge ordered McCarthy to spend 17 years and six months in jail, with a minimum non-parole period of eight years and nine months.  She also ordered the destruction of the shotgun and ammunition.  Lane Nichols is Auckland desk editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry.  Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.  Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:07:49 Z /news/crime/storm-constable-carter-jailed-in-nelson-court-for-extreme-child-abuse-images-zoosadism-files/ /news/crime/storm-constable-carter-jailed-in-nelson-court-for-extreme-child-abuse-images-zoosadism-files/ WARNING. This story contains details of extreme offending against children and animals and may be distressing to readers. He once told an internet user he wanted to be a “famous child sex offender”. Storm Uriah Constable-Carter then named two offenders, who were known for their “significant sexual abuse of toddlers”, as examples of those he wanted to be like. Today he was sentenced in the Nelson District Court to five years and five months in prison for offending described by specialist investigators with the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) as among the most extreme ever encountered. Judge Tony Snell arrived at his decision after the Crown sought a 14-year starting point – the maximum available, prosecutor Daniel Baxter said. Defence lawyer Steven Zindel agreed trading child exploitation material was insidious and people involved deserved to be punished, but contended the Crown’s starting point was “slightly over-cooking” the matter. Nelson man Storm Constable-Carter during his August plea appearance in the Nelson District Court to multiple charges of possessing child exploitation material. Photo / Tracy Neal Constable-Carter, who appeared for sentence via video link, remained largely without emotion for the duration. The victims in the material held and distributed by the 22-year-old former hospitality worker ranged in age from newborn to early teens. Many files included images of young children bound and sexually violated or tortured. He also shared files depicting zoosadism, described as the aggressive sexual abuse, torture, and illegal killing of animals for a sexual purpose. ‘Graphic and horrific’ Judge Snell said the schedule of images made “graphic and horrific” reading. He said far from being a victimless crime, the offending involved “real infants, toddlers, children and young people” suffering horrific and sickening abuse including rape and torture, and the torture and murder of animals for viewers’ sexual gratification. Baxter argued the nature of the material, which included a deceased infant among the victims, could not have been more extreme. Zindel agreed that although it was among the worst cases so far, society was not greatly aware that people who possessed such material were not necessarily a danger to children. “Only about 3 to 4% go on to contact-offend,” Zindel said. Zindel described Constable-Carter as a young person who led a flamboyant lifestyle and was finding his place in the world when he veered into the offending. One of two psychiatric assessments revealed he was on the spectrum of being neurodiverse, which manifested itself in different ways. But Judge Snell said he knew “exactly what he was doing” in distributing the material. He agreed it was at the top end of the band of offending category, but challenged the description the offending as being the “worst ever”. “The difficulty I have is that tomorrow, there will be something worse,” he said. Offending on a ‘massive scale’ Constable-Carter pleaded guilty in August to 50 charges linked to his possession and distribution of thousands of videos and images showing the sadistic torture of animals, young children and babies. Judge Snell said most of the charges were representative, which meant the offending was on a “massive” scale. The charges included four counts of creating objectionable material depicting bestiality and urination, 21 counts of distributing objectionable material, and 25 counts of possessing objectionable material which showed the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and bestiality. ‘Wide array’ of animals in videos The DIA summary of facts said the conversations Constable-Carter engaged in online displayed his sexual preference for dogs but a wide array of animals were shown being sexually abused by adults in the files he held and distributed. They included various breeds of dogs, horses, donkeys, cows, pigs, chickens, snakes, dolphins and fish. Constable-Carter’s activities were traced after investigators from the DIA Digital Child Exploitation Team identified a video file in a cloud storage account depicting bestiality involving an infant. The investigation team’s manager, Tim Houston, said after Constable-Carter’s plea hearing in August that child sexual exploitation material depicts the worst moments in a child’s life. “Every time an offender shares or accesses an image or video of child abuse, they are continuing the abuse of that child and exacerbating the threat of child sexual exploitation.” Caught after moving to Tasman Constable-Carter moved from Auckland to live in the Tasman district in April 2022. Days later, he made the first of four objectionable publications in the form of short videos involving a dog at the property. They were later found in an encrypted internet communications account. Other videos showed him naked and performing various acts on himself. Constable-Carter was arrested and charged after the police and a team from the DIA searched his home in August 2022. Judge Tony Snell said the schedule of images made graphic and horrific reading. Photo / Stephen Parker Constable-Carter was in control of internet accounts across four separate platforms that he used to possess and distribute objectionable publications for several years. He also attempted to access internet accounts that had been suspended for possession of child sexual abuse material until May 2023. Across all internet accounts created and controlled by him, he was found with at least 61,061 objectionable publications. The summary of facts said more than 30,000 more files obtained from Constable-Carter’s cloud storage account were yet to be categorised but a visual review indicated the vast majority would also be objectionable child sexual abuse images. The DIA was made aware in June 2022 of two cloud storage accounts based in New Zealand and attributed to Constable-Carter. Additional storage accounts for possessing and distributing objectionable child sexual abuse images were later identified as having been created and operated by him. The department had also received 74 referrals from an international organisation that managed child sexual abuse reports originating from an internet platform that allowed users to store and share image and video files. Constable-Carter was linked to those sexual abuse reports. In total, he was found to have operated nine cloud storage accounts on one storage platform that he used to possess child sexual abuse material. Seven of those accounts were also used to distribute child sexual abuse images. Encrypted communications The summary of facts showed Constable-Carter also used an encrypted internet communications platform to discuss his sexual preferences. Evidence obtained from the account also showed he had created and distributed four unique objectionable publications, two of which showed him engaged in sexual activity with a dog. Over the course of several years, he distributed 4245 objectionable publications from this account, most of which showed bestiality in the form of zoosadism and was sent to 10 individuals in private messages. Judge Snell said in formulating his sentence from a 12-year starting point, and factoring in mitigating features including Constable-Carter’s guilty pleas, his young age and prospects for rehabilitation that equally he needed to denounce the offending and protect the community. Crown prosecutor Daniel Baxter argued the nature of the material could not have been more extreme. Photo / Tracy Neal He said the impact on victims was the abuse, shame and trauma continued forever, through the constant distribution and unstoppable nature of the internet. Constable-Carter was sentenced to five years and five months on the distribution charges, four years for possession of the material and four years for manufacturing it, to be served concurrently. His release from prison would be determined by the Parole Board. He was automatically registered as a child sex offender. In 2024, the Digital Child Exploitation Team conducted 69 investigations into child exploitation. Additionally, a specific filtering system blocked over one million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material, the DIA said. Houston thanked the team members who dealt with the worst aspects of child sexual abuse daily in their “relentless pursuit” to protect children and prosecute those who engaged with child sexual exploitation material. SEXUAL HARM Where to get help:If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:• Call 0800 044 334• Text 4334• Email support@safetotalk.nz• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nzAlternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault. Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at 九一星空无限. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail. Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:33:58 Z /news/crime/ruatiti-double-homicide-police-issue-arrest-warrant-for-mitchell-cole-hunt-continues-for-wanted-man/ /news/crime/ruatiti-double-homicide-police-issue-arrest-warrant-for-mitchell-cole-hunt-continues-for-wanted-man/ Police have issued a warrant to arrest a Whanganui man as they investigate a double homicide. A photo was released yesterday of 29-year-old Mitchell Cole as part of the police investigation into two deaths in Ruatiti and sought help from the public in locating him. Central District Commander Superintendent Dion Bennett said police were still making inquiries to locate Cole. He was believed to be in the Ruatiti area and the public had been warned not to approach him if seen. Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of 29-year-old Mitchell Cole. Photo / Police “Police have concerns for Cole and we also want to speak to him in relation to our ongoing inquiries,” said Bennett. Additional police staff have remained in the Ruatiti area to help with the investigation and a warrant has been issued for the 29-year-old’s arrest for unlawful possession of firearms. “Police will pursue every lead available to us in relation to this investigation and are working to locate Cole as quickly as possible.” The public have been urged to call 111 if they see Cole while non-urgent information about the incident can be shared by calling 105 on the phone or at 105.police.govt.nz, using the reference number P064773873. Advertisement Advertise with 九一星空无限.Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:45:02 Z /news/crime/young-actor-from-shortland-street-breaks-man-s-eye-socket-in-brutal-assault-flees-in-luxury-suv/ /news/crime/young-actor-from-shortland-street-breaks-man-s-eye-socket-in-brutal-assault-flees-in-luxury-suv/ A young actor who was a regular on Shortland Street has pleaded guilty to a brutal road rage assault in which he broke a man’s eye socket before fleeing the scene with his mother in a luxury SUV. Brooklyn Nathan, 20, punched his victim repeatedly in the face during a roadside dispute following a crash caused by the mother of the young actor and aspiring musician. The accident on January 19, 2024, occurred after Nathan’s mother, Innes Clark, pulled out into oncoming traffic on Redoubt Rd, in the Auckland suburb of Goodwood Heights, without giving way. The white Land Rover Nathan and Clark were in struck the side of a Toyota hatchback and “shunted the complainant’s vehicle across the road and into oncoming traffic”, according to a police summary of facts. The man behind the wheel of the Toyota was able to manoeuvre his vehicle out of the way of oncoming traffic and then approached Nathan and his mother to check if anyone was hurt and obtain their insurance details. Clark had parked in nearby Santa Monica Dr to assess the damage to the large SUV which belonged to a friend of Nathan. While his mother and the Toyota driver were talking, Nathan became “increasingly agitated … swearing and blaming the complainant for the accident”. Despite Clark telling her son to stop, urging that they needed to “hurry up and leave”, Nathan continued to swear at the Toyota driver. Fearful, the Toyota driver began to call 111, at which point Nathan punched him in the eye. His victim held up his hands to protect his face from a barrage of punches to his head, face and arms which knocked him to the ground. “Ms Clark shouted at Mr Nathan to stop, screaming that they had to get out of there. Thinking that the assault had stopped, the complainant attempted to get to his feet. As he stood up, Mt Nathan punched him in the face again, knocking him back to the ground and causing his nose to bleed profusely,” the police summary of facts detailed. Brooklyn Nathan was a child actor who appeared in 46 episodes of Shortland Street in the 2020 and 2023 seasons as the homeless teen Boogie Jones. Source / Facebook A member of the public had witnessed the assault and then intervened, after which Nathan and his mother fled the scene. The victim of Nathan’s attack was transported to Middlemore Hospital with a fractured eye socket, haemorrhaging of the blood vessels in the left eye and bruising to the face and back of the head. He underwent surgery four days after the assault and, almost two years later, continues to suffer from debilitating double vision and has ongoing medical appointments for his injuries. When spoken to by police, Nathan claimed he had acted in self-defence as the Toyota driver “was coming at him”. In August, Nathan pleaded guilty to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard which has a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. He was initially due to be sentenced on November 14 in the Manakau District Court but it was adjourned. The 20-year-old did not turn up to that court date and was issued with a warrant to appear on November 18 by the judge who told Nathan’s lawyer he “really should be [here]”. Nathan had initially sought a discharge without conviction, but his lawyer abandoned it at the November 14 court date. Nathan was a child actor who appeared in 46 episodes of Shortland Street in the 2020 and 2023 seasons as the homeless teen Boogie Jones. The character was one of several teens living rough in the fictitious suburb of Ferndale where the show takes place, and was portrayed as a protector of other vulnerable kids. Brooklyn Nathan as his teenage Shortland Street character, Boogie Jones. Byron Repia as Christian (left) and Brooklyn Nathan as Riley in the TV series Head High. Photo / Supplied He also appeared in 14 episodes of the schoolboy rugby drama, Head High. However, he has not had any acting credits since 2023. His profile page on his former agent’s website, Johnson and Laird, is now blank and labelled as a “missing page”. Nathan was also an aspiring musician, with a Spotify profile and a 2018 single, Jump I got you. It’s also understood he has trained at renowned MMA gym City Kickboxing in Auckland. Nathan attended Manurewa High School in South Auckland. In a 2020 interview with Stuff, the then 16-year-old spoke about how he had to adapt to being recognised in public for his acting roles. “It’s impacted my life pretty hard. I’ll go to a rugby game or something and some of the players are calling me Boogie or Riley and I’m just like, ‘Oh, okay’. It’s pretty weird to get that kind of exposure.” Nathan is now due to be sentenced this month. Tom Dillane is an Auckland-based journalist covering local government and crime as well as sports investigations. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is a duty editor and senior reporter. Sun, 14 Dec 2025 22:54:14 Z