Two a penny

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2000 complaints over police

Monday, 15 December 2008

Complaintsto the independent police watchdog have increased to more than 2000 in the past year – thought to be the highest number in its 20-year history – but they are being handled more quickly.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority annual report shows it accepted 1690 complaints for investigation in the past year.
The most common complaints were inadequate investigation or failure to provide medical help, police practice or procedures, bad attitude or language, and use of force. But it sped up the time taken to investigate complaints, reducing the number of cases more than 12 months old by 87 per cent in the year. Five public reports were issued last year.
The highest number of complaints came from Waitemata, Wellington, Auckland and Counties Manukau.
A review of the 1999 protests during a state visit by Chinese president Jiang Zemin found the rights of lawful protesters had been breached, and a review of the shooting of Graeme Burton found police were justified in shooting him but should have done more to return him to prison beforehand. The reviews of the deaths of three Auckland teenagers resulting from a police pursuit, police actions around the prime ministerial motorcade, and the Operation Austin investigation into allegations of sexual offending by police officers all endorsed police actions. .
"Independent oversight of police is part of the lifeblood of any just system of law enforcement," authority chairwoman Justice Lowell Goddard said. It provides public accountability. It exposes misconduct and poor practice or policy. It encourages internal discipline, and it builds public trust and confidence in the nation's system of law enforcement.
"And it is crucial for police themselves."

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Three found guilty of Jhia murder

Friday, 12 December 2008

GUILTY: Hayden John Wallace, 27, Karl Unuka Check, 26, and Ranji Tane Forbes, 21, have all been found guilty of the murder of toddler Jhia Te Tua.

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SAD DAY: The mother of Jhia Te Tua, Ria Gardiner outside Wellington High Court.

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A relieved senior police officer has thanked witnesses and the public after three men were this afternoon found guilty of murdering Wanganui toddler Jhia Te Tua.

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TENSION: The father of Jhia Te Tua, Josh Te Tua, centre, and supporters await the verdict outside the Wellington High Court.
A jury of six women and six men this afternoon found Hayden John Wallace, 27, Karl Unuka Check, 26 and Ranji Tane Forbes, 21, all guilty of her murder.
Two-year-old Jhia died on May 5 last year after shots were fired at her parents' home in the Wanganui suburb of Gonville during a gang-related drive-by shooting. Richard Anthony Puohotaua, 28, was found not guilty of her murder or manslaughter.
They will be sentenced on February 20. All the men had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Luke John Check, 24, was found not guilty of being an accessory to murder after the fact. Detective Sergeant David Kirby said the investigation and subsequent court proceedings had been long and extended.
Verdicts on several other charges were also returned today. .
He thanked the Wanganui public and the more than 100 people who gave evidence – including 20 whose identities had to be concealed – during the trial.
Following today’s verdicts, the killers were quickly ushered from court.
If gang violence flared up in Wanganui after the verdicts, police would deal with it in the way they normally would, Mr Borrows said. Jhia’s mum sobbed and hugged Mr Kirby.
They hissed and poked their tongues out as people shouted comments.15pm yesterday, and retired for the night at 7pm.
The jury began deliberating about 6. The court asked for calm as the verdicts were read, but emotion overflowed. They returned their verdict shortly after 1pm. Jhia’s father shouted gang phrases out the window of the car.
A large crowd of Jhia supporters then left the court, some wearing Black Power regalia, and prevented the media from approaching Jhia’s family before they could be whisked away in a vehicle.
The accused:
Hayden John Wallace – Guilty of murder and taking part in an organised criminal group.
The accused:
Hayden John Wallace – Guilty of murder and taking part in an organised criminal group. Not guilty of assault. Karl Unuka Check – Guilty of murder and assault. Ranji Tane Forbes – Guilty of murder and taking part in an organised criminal group. Richard Anthony Puohotaua – Guilty of taking part in an organised criminal group. Not guilty of murder/manslaughter. Luke John Check – Not guilty of being an accessory to murder after the fact.

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How Campbell cracked medals mystery – by accident

– Sunday, 26 October 2008

HELPING HAND: John Campbell may have unwittingly provided clues in the Waiouru medals inquiry.

Asecret meetingbetween TV3 star John Campbell and one of the men charged over the theft of historic medals from the Army Museum at Waiouru was caught by a hotel security camera and helped police make arrests.
The controversial Campbell Live interview was screened in February, just months after two West Auckland men allegedly forced their way into the museum and stole 96 medals, including Victoria and George Crosses.
TV3 was forced to admit it had made a mistake by not informing viewers the interview featured an actor and was a re-enactment based on the covert meeting at a central Auckland hotel, just one street away from the city's central police station.
The suspects were finally arrested a fortnight ago.
It has emerged that detectives probing the medals theft seized the security footage from hotel management, and it is expected to be shown to jurors at the trial of the two men, who have been charged with one count of burglary.
But today it can be revealed the Campbell Live crew was unknowingly captured on closed circuit security cameras operating in the lobby of Auckland's exclusive Duxton Hotel where the secret meeting with the alleged thief took place. Their names remain suppressed."
The detective heading the inquiry was reluctant to comment on whether Campbell would be called to testify on his meeting with the suspect.
Asked whether he thought his star host would be called as a Crown witness, TV3's head of news and current affairs Mark Jennings said: "It is a possibility I suppose, but I don't think that will happen.

At the time of the interview, TV3 defended its decision not to tell police anything about the identity of their source, saying that was their job as a news organisation.
"This is very delicate but yes, this will be part of the court case," said Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Bensemann. He said the discussion with him was audio-taped but not video recorded.
Campbell said at the time he had been wary of giving too much away on the programme as it may have led to police identifying the man.
"We didn't have him on camera because he had anticipated and we had anticipated precisely what happened yesterday [February 21] that the police would turn up," Campbell told the Sunday Star-Times days after the interview.
"We didn't have him on camera because he had anticipated and we had anticipated precisely what happened yesterday [February 21] that the police would turn up," Campbell told the Sunday Star-Times days after the interview.
Police allege they left Auckland on December 1 last year, and as they approached Cambridge just after 6pm they were issued with a speeding ticket."

Meanwhile, details have emerged for the first time of the prosecution case against the accused.
The pair allegedly smashed their way in through a second-floor fire exit and activated an emergency exit switch allowing them to gain entry.
They arrived at the museum at 1am, allegedly repositioning two floodlights and plunging the building into darkness.

They then drove back to Auckland where the medals with an estimated value of $5,470,000 were allegedly stored in an inner-city storage unit registered in a false name.
Police believe the two then ran down the stairs into the Valour Alcove where the medals were displayed and, 45 seconds after breaking into the building, they smashed the cabinets and removed the 96 decorations. In February, high-profile Auckland barrister Chris Comeskey brokered a deal which saw the medals returned to police and the reward claimed.
Following the thefts, a reward totalling $300,000 was offered by England's Lord Michael Ashcroft and Tom Sturgess of Nelson.
The two men charged with the burglary of the Army Museum appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday, where they were remanded in custody to reappear at Wanganui District Court at the end of the month.
Last Tuesday the 96 decorations were finally returned to the museum in a military ceremony. . That followed arguments by defence lawyers who said identity, and the "stature" of the men would be important at the time of their trial. Expert evidence relating to how the men walked would be called.

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Nia very sleepy, says witness

By Saturday, 25 October 2008

A girlwitness in the Nia Glassie murder trial told a court the Rotorua three-year-old was "very sleepy" hours before she became unconscious and was put to bed.
The girl said Nia had wanted to go in the car with her mother, co-accused Lisa Kuka, to her aunty's house.
The witness was cross-examined yesterday, through closed-circuit television, by three defence lawyers for 2 1/2 hours on day five of the High Court trial in Rotorua. She had not been allowed because she was "sleepy, tired and grizzly".
The witness cannot be named for legal reasons. Much of the questioning centred on specific alleged incidents of abuse the Crown says contributed to Nia's death in hospital on August 3.
Nia stayed at home with co-accused Wiremu and Michael Curtis, who were helping prepare for Michael Curtis' 21st birthday party.
Under cross-examination by Craig Horsley, she said Nia had a sore head on Friday, July 20, and was quiet and sleepy that night before she became unconscious.
On the Thursday, Nia had fallen off a spinning clothesline to the ground. Nia slept all the next day and when the party got under way she was taken to her aunty's house. She sat on the top of the pole. Nia had asked to go on it because it was a game.
Earlier that day co-accused Michael and Wiremu Curtis, Oriwa Kemp, and Michael Pearson had talked about whether a child could fit in a dryer. She was not strong enough to hold on and fell when it was spun "medium" speed, the witness said.
"Everyone laughed because it looked funny. The witness said she saw Nia trying to get in head first.
"Sometimes when it got rough she would cry, other times she would giggle and laugh."
The witness said "fun" wrestling games were performed on Nia on a mattress on the floor.
The trial will resume on Tuesday."
Under cross-examination by Johnathan Temm, the witness said Michael Curtis took Nia out of the dryer but she was not sure if Nia's nose was bleeding.