Two a penny

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A second prison officer working at Wellington’s Rimutaka Prison has been arrested on drug charges.

Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews said the prison guard had been arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act. .

“This second arrest should send a very clear and strong message that corrupt and illegal behaviour will not be tolerated in our prisons,” Mr Matthews said.

In June this year, a senior prison manager, Jeffrey Mark Reid, 43, was arrested and charged with selling cannabis to inmates. There is always the possibility of corrupt practices occurring within the system, he said.

He said it was disappointing such action had to be taken, but the department was confident the overwhelming majority of officers were honest.

In August a female prison officer was suspended on full pay, accused of having an affair with a violent criminal.

TVNZ also reported more arrests were imminent, following the investigation into one of the country’s largest prisons.

She was one of five Rimutaka staff suspended at that time – two years after a spate of staff problems prompted a more than 15-month inquiry into corruption at the prison.

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Mr Matthews said he could not provide further details on the arrest as the case was before the courts

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A 15-year-old ringleader in a vicious street bashing and robbery in Lincoln Road has been sent for sentencing in the adult court after admitting his offending in the Youth Court today.

He is heading for a lengthy prison term – a sentence the Youth Court cannot impose. That suppression will be considered again at his District Court sentencing.

Judge John Strettell declined jurisdiction for the youth, whose name remains suppressed as a result of Youth Court reporting restrictions.

“Denunciation and protection of the public are highly relevant to the sentencing process and are best dealt with in the District Court. .

At least one victim was knocked unconscious when they were attacked with lengths of wood.”

The youth was a member of the YSK youth street gang which carried out of the mugging under the Lincoln Road overbridge at 2am on Sunday April 18, robbing youths aged 18 and 19 years who were walking home together.

The police said YSK stood for Young Skuxx Klicxx, a youth gang with between 10 and 20 members. One had a broken jaw and both had bruises and cuts to the head and face needing stitches.

Tuari Damyn Karipa-Rangi pleaded guilty in June and is due to be sentenced on Friday.

A 17-year-old schoolboy visiting Christchurch from Tokoroa over the school holidays was the other ringleader of the incident.

Youth advocate for the boy who admitted the aggravated robbery in court today, Elizabeth Bulger, said a plan had been formulated and agreed for him to be sent for a crown sentencing, but the date available was in December. He was the other youth brandishing the wood.

He said it had been an unprovoked attack against two young people.

Judge Strettell said he would arrange for that to be brought forward, because the delay was too long for such a young offender.

“There needs to be a clear message given that incidents of this type are not tolerated in Christchurch and that those who take part in and are ringleaders, and carry out violence of this type can expect little sympathy from the court.

A prison term for the length likely to be imposed was not available in the Youth Court.”

He said the youth’s age would be taken into account at the sentencing.

“That applies to young people of your age as much as any others.

The boy received hugs and kisses from family members before he was led back to the cells.

He remanded the boy in custody for two weeks so that an earlier crown sentencing date could be set.

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The man who rang the council and threatened to sort out Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast also claimed to be “mates” with councillor Rob Goulden.

During the 41-second call the man said: “We’re going to be down there to sort that bloody mayor out at one o’clock . . She better bloody well pull her socks up otherwise she’ll be gone..

Ms Prendergast’s 24-hour protection was lifted by Wellington City Council yesterday morning after police said the man posed no risk.”

When asked for his name, he said he was one of Mr Goulden’s mates. The caller was interviewed by police on Tuesday and let off with a warning.

About an hour before the call, the councillor had criticised council process during a Newstalk ZB interview and discussed his expulsion from an earlier meeting after his foul-mouthed outburst at colleagues.

The threatening call came 15 minutes before a council meeting on Friday, from which Mr Goulden was escorted by police.

Council chief executive Garry Poole said the council had acted appropriately to increase Ms Prendergast’s security.

Mr Goulden declined to comment yesterday. She listened to advice she was given [by council's head of security] and accepted that advice. “In my view, council did not over-react.

“If we hadn’t taken any action and it turned out to be a real threat .

“If we hadn’t taken any action and it turned out to be a real threat . we’d all be sitting here now probably saying, `Why the hell didn’t we do something’..

“The guy sounds .”

A spokesman from Wellington security firm Protective Services, whose clients have included Peter Jackson and former mayor Mark Blumsky, listened to the call and said the council had done the right thing… He’s probably thought about what he’s going to say . agitated… There’d be some reason to be concerned there. There’d be some reason to be concerned there.”

Wellington area commander Inspector Peter Cowan said that “through a process of Chinese whispers this matter may have been blown up more than initially intended”.

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The Maori Party is calling for open access to university for all Maori students even those with “miserable” academic records and is pushing for a Maori education authority.

What do you think of the proposal? below.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples called yesterday for universities to reserve places for Maori in an effort to turn around educational underachievement. Readers are reminded to keep on topic.

“We have seen how the dice are loaded against Maori, right through the school system.

Equal educational opportunities were a myth without support for those who needed special help, Dr Sharples said in a speech at Victoria University.”

The open access of the wananga system had shown that it was possible to take students who had dipped out of school and “fire them up”, even if they had a “miserable” academic record.

“That is not any reflection on the academic potential of our young people.”

He would be pushing the plan with the Government and saw it as part of a long-term goal to set up a Maori education authority and Maori language excellence centre, Dr Sharples said.

“Reserved places for Maori have proven the ability of Maori students to rise to the challenge if they are given the opportunity.

“He’s given a perspective and he’s fully entitled to do that,” he said of Dr Sharples. .

“This notion that we can make every kid into an astrophysicist without addressing basic literacy and numeracy and other learning impediments which have to be addressed well before they go to university show he’s more interested in cheap rhetoric.

But Labour MP Shane Jones, who was educated at Harvard, said Dr Sharples’ call only deepened the sense of Maori as victims.

“I think the important thing is to understand the nature of the problem here,” Prof McCutcheon said.”

University of Auckland vice-chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon told Radio New Zealand a key point of secondary school was to prepare students for tertiary education.”

The issue was resources to get tertiary institutions and schools to work together to close the gap.

“I think we all agree with Dr Sharples that there is a significant gap in New Zealand’s education system as far as Maori and also Pacific students are concerned.

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Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Maori Development Faculty history professor Paul Moon said Maori students needed to be able to meet the same standards as other students

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School sports stars are being targeted by agents trying to fill their client books, a New Zealand sports lawyer warns.

Sports lawyer and agent David Jones said there was a growing number of agents trying to make money from ever-younger athletes.

The New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association has issued an agent charter and set up a website with advice for rising stars “in recognition that younger and younger sports stars, particularly in rugby, are receiving approaches to join the semi-professional ranks”.

He said that while a deal might look good, the devil would be in the detail.

“With competition growing between the people who are agents and have clients, they naturally have to go further afield, so they approach younger and younger players,” Jones said.

Jones said more agents were chasing younger sportsmen and women.”

New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council executive director Garry Carnachan said some students were offered contracts with rugby unions to join an academy programme. .

The Rugby Players’ Association charter required that prospective agents tell under-21 rugby players to seek advice before signing up with an agent.

“Obviously, if they are being approached about any form of contract they might want to seek advice,” Carnachan said.

“It is a competitive market and there are good agents and bad some will not hesitate to stretch the truth and act aggressively to secure a player.

“It is important that the player does not just go with the first agent that he comes in contact with,” it said. “It’s too young for a player, much too young for a player to be (approached).”

Jones said school was not an appropriate place to tout for talent.

“Someone like a Danny Lee should certainly have representation from the right sort of person,” Jones said.”

There were some exceptions based on the sport, and for a few remarkable talents.

International Management Group (IMG) is expected to sign him up in a deal worth US$10 million (NZ$17.

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Lee, 18, is due to sign a multimillion-dollar deal today to mark his switch to the professional ranks of golf.

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1500 take opportunity for walkabout on roundabout

Monday, 02 March 2009

Pedestrians braved the wind and rain to go walkabout on the roundabout, at the new Dowse Interchange on State Highway 2.
The interchange opened to traffic for the first time today but was open to pedestrians on Saturday, with a gold coin donation fee going to Te Omanga Hospice. Despite the wet weather, about 1500 people turned out.
She urged motorists to show caution while they familiarised themselves with the new route.
NZ Transport Agency's regional director, Deborah Hume, said there would be a period of adjustment to the new layout but she expected it to significantly improve traffic flow.
Work is continuing on the next stages of the $65 million project, including the construction of an overbridge at Korokoro.
Those keen to be among the first to drive the new stretch of road had to be up early it was expected to open at 2am.
Lower Hutt Mayor David Ogden, who walked the interchange on Saturday, was pleased with what he saw.
"What I found is that it's quite elevated it becomes a new entrance to the city and lifts the traffic. "It will bring a bit of order to the area and leave out some of the bottlenecking that happens.
"It really changes the vista. .
The next phase of the project involves the demolition of the old Korokoro bridge and the construction of a new overbridge and intersection."
The expressway-style roading and overbridge replace three sets of traffic signals between Dowse Drive and Petone that caused congestion, delays and accidents.
Final completion is scheduled for early next year.
Final completion is scheduled for early next year

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Escaped prisoner recaptured in Auckland

Saturday, 14 February 2009

An escaped prisoner has been captured by police in the Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach after a tip-off from a member of the public.
Bryce Storm Hughes had been on the run since February 11 after he escaped from Springhill Prison during a work party.
Hughes was arrested in the East Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach at 10. .30pm after a short police chase.
Hughes will appear in the Manukau District Court on Saturday 14 February on a charge of escaping custody and will be remanded to the Huntly District Court.
"That information and some quick and decisive work by police staff has given us a great result," he said.

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Breastfeeding mother of 10 jailed for drink driving

By GLENN McLEAN – Thursday, 05 February 2009

A breast-feeding mother of 10 has been separated from her baby and jailed for repeat drink driving.
Tania Cherie Tawa, 41, of Waitara, was sent to prison for six months when she appeared in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday. The legal limit is 400mcg.
Tawa was heavily pregnant in September when she was caught driving with a breath alcohol reading of 624 micrograms per litre of breath.
It was her third conviction in four years.
She told police she had drunk a dozen bottles of beer before deciding to drive. .
Defence counsel Barry Henderson, in asking for community work for Tawa, said she had 10 children aged from two and a half months to 21 years.
He filed an urgent appeal on humanitarian grounds within an hour of the sentence being handed down.
Mr Henderson said the baby, who was in a pram in court during the sentencing, will have to be cared for by the father because there were no baby facilities in Wellington's Arohata Prison.
He told the court she had told a probation officer she was not prepared to give up drinking because she enjoyed it too much.
Judge Allan Roberts told Tawa she had had plenty of warnings about her drink driving, but was not prepared to change.
Tawa was also disqualified from driving indefinitely.

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Anti-Israel cafe standoff sparks protest

Aus-based Ambassador upset

Friday, 16 January 2009

WILL HINE/
YOUR MOVE: Israeli chess grandmaster Victor Mikhalavski, left, takes on Hilton Bennett in the Queenstown Chess Classic.

Peace group plans nationwide Gaza protests

Invercargill cafe breaches human rights

Reader comments

LATEST: A protest has broken out across from an Invercargill cafe where the owner refused to serve two Israeli women earlier this week.30pm today.
About 12 pro-Israel protestors gathered across the road from the Mevlana Cafe about 12.
He said he would not serve anyone from Israel until it stopped killing innocent babies and women in the Gaza Strip.
Mevlanaowner Mustafa Tekinkaya, a Turkish Muslim, told two Israeli women, Natalie Bennie and her sister Tamara Shefa, to leave his cafe on Wednesday.
Countering today's pro-Israel protestors were three supporters of Mr Tekinkaya's stand, who gathered outside his shop. Mr Tekinkaya, and his wife Joanne, said they had no family members living on the Gaza Strip."
"At this moment you don't need to bring the Middle East into New Zealand .
The protest action follows a call by Israel's ambassador to New Zealand- Australian-basedYuval Rotem – for ourgovernment to ensure nothing similar to happened again: "This anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish sentiment needs to be stopped…
Meanwhile,a spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission yesterday confirmed Mrs Bennie had lodged a complaint, while 15 others had called the commission. you need to take the spirit of New Zealand into the Middle East," he said.
And protests against Israel's military offensive on Gaza moved to an international chess tournament in Queenstown yesterday.
Race Relations commissioner Joris de Bres said it was illegal for providers of goods and services in New Zealand to discriminate in this way.
Signed by veteran protester John Minto, the letter said campaigners would ask tournament organisers to expel Mikhalevski if he did not voluntarily withdraw.
The Israeli top seed, Victor Mikhalevski, was asked to withdraw by Global Peace and Justice Auckland from the $50,000 tournament as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Mr Tekinkaya's action has sparked international media interest as well as debate within New Zealand.
However, Mikhalevski refused to bow out and his decision to remain in the tournament was backed by organisers.
Mr and Mrs Tekinkaya yesterday remained defiant.
More than 100 comments were posted on the Stuff website, with the vast majority condemning the cafe owner.
"No one's sticking up for them. .
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"… what happened to freedom of speech and the rights of a business to serve or not to serve?"
The cafe's neighbouring takeaway shop, Turkish Kebabs, also said on Wednesday it was not serving Israelis.
Mr Tekinkaya said he had received dozens of phone calls from people supporting him and a handful of calls opposed to his stance.
Mrs Bennie said from her home close to Invercargill she and her visiting Israeli sister had received over a dozen calls from strangers to say they were appalled by Mr Tekinkaya's stance.
Ambassador Rotem said New Zealand should not become part of the conflict and the government needed to make a declaration or statement giving the "red light" to such actions.
He expected "full fledged action" from the government and would address the issue when he visited New Zealand in the next few weeks, he said.
Foreign Affairs minister Murray McCully did not return calls last night.
Mrs Bennie commended the Israeli ambassador's actions, saying Mr Tekinkaya had displayed "anti-semitic" behaviour.
"He might as well have put a sign outside his shop saying `No Jews Allowed'."
Mrs Bennie said her mother, who lives in Israel, was concerned she could now become a target for New Zealand radical Muslims.
"It could be a possibility, you never know."
WHAT THEY SAID:
Israel's ambassador to New Zealand Yuval Rotem:
"This anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish sentiment needs to be stopped.
"At this moment you don't need to bring the Middle East into New Zealand … You need to take the spirit of New Zealand into the Middle East."
Mustafa Tekinkaya, Mevlana Cafe co-owner:
"Everyone is going on about racism. This has nothing to do with racism. This is all about the killing of innocent children."
Joanne Tekinkaya, Mevlana Cafe co-owner: "Those dead women and children don't have a voice. No one's sticking up for them. Innocent women and children are being punished, so how can we be quiet and stand by and support that … what happened to freedom of speech and the rights of a business to serve or not to serve?"
Natalie Bennie, Israeli national ordered out of the Mevlana Cafe in Invercargill:
"It was very anti-semitic behaviour.
"He (Mustafa Tekinkaya) might as well have put a sign outside his shop saying `No Jews Allowed'."

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Gaming machines ‘worst form of gambling’

– Tuesday, 23 December 2008

Gaming machines are the most harmful form of gambling, new research shows.
Massey University researchers have completed the largest survey of the social and economic impact of gambling in New Zealand.
More than 7000 people nationwide were interviewed, with more than 60 per cent having participated in some form of gambling in the past year.
Another 8 per centhad used pokies in bars or at a casino, and 4 per centhad used them in clubs.
Many respondents had bought Lotto tickets, while just under 10per centhad placed bets at a racetrack or TAB.
Pokies affected people's feelings about relationships with family and friends, their sense of self, quality of life and satisfaction with life, the survey showed.
Users of gaming machines reported poorer physical health and mental well-being.
This contrasted with other types of gambling, such as betting on horses or playing poker, which in some cases had positive aspects.
He lost his house, his partner and about $250,000 before realising he had a problem.
Colin Partleton, 47, of Christchurch, knows the downfalls of playing the pokies after a 10-year addiction left him with only the clothes on his back.
It took 18 months of counselling to break the habit, which had seen him spend up to 10 hours at a time in front of gaming machines.
He has been gambling-free for six years and has managed to put his life back together. .
Despite working up to 70 hours a week to feed his addiction, Partleton ended up heavily in debt. Within six months he was going four or five times a week. Within six months he was going four or five times a week.
"It's like massive tunnel vision. It took all the worries of the world away," he said.
"I lied to just about everybody really. You just don't see what you are doing; the addiction itself is so strong."
One night while sitting at home alone with no furniture and no friends, he finally made the call for help.
"I always knew where I could get money from.
"For this country to keep supporting the pokie industry as a form of entertainment and as a cash cow for community funding is both inaccurate and immoral," he said.
Problem Gambling Foundation communication director David Coom said more than 80% of the foundation's clients had gambling problems caused by pokies."

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"For the amount of harm that pokies cause and for the way that these machines suck money out of poor communities such as at best returning $1 for every $3 spent we should be seriously asking questions around their safety and viability