Two a penny

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Killed photojournalist’s family seeks justice

By LYN HUMPHREYS – Monday, 05 January 2009

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SEEKING ANSWERS: Nikki McKinnon, sister of New Plymouth photographer Trent Keegan, has returned home to be with her parents in the wake of her only sibling’s brutal death in Kenya last May.

TRENT KEEGAN: Found in a ditch with severe head injuries.

Trent Keegan's family is calling for the New Zealand Government to honour its promise and fully investigate his unsolved murder in Nairobi, Kenya.
But two men charged with assaulting and robbing the 33-year-old have recently been acquitted on the charges.
The Taranaki photographer was found bashed to death in a ditch in Nairobi in May.
Trent's sister, Nikki McKinnon, has just returned with her Australian cameraman husband from London, England, to live in New Zealand.
No one has been charged with his murder.
Her says her mission is now to support her parents – her mother lives in New Plymouth and her father in Auckland – and to fight to get the Government to assist in unravelling the mystery of his death.
"We're wanting to hear from the New Zealand Government on their promise to investigate further pending the outcome of the Kenyan inquiry," she said yesterday.
To date, the family was deeply disappointed that any government assistance had been totally absent and that their friends, working in Africa on their behalf, had been treated badly, she said.
"They issued a press release and we never heard from them again," Ms McKinnon said.
Shortly after Trent's death, former Prime Minister Helen Clark had called for a thorough investigation, she said.
Foreign Affairs is seeking further information from the Kenyan authorities in regard to the court case and whether an appeal or further investigations are being undertaken. .
The minister declined to comment on the verdict or Kenyan justice system saying it would be inappropriate at this time, his spokesperson said.
The minister declined to comment on the verdict or Kenyan justice system saying it would be inappropriate at this time, his spokesperson said.
"We (New Zealand) have only one representative for the east coast of Africa and they are based in Pretoria. New Zealand's closest embassy is in Pretoria, South Africa.
"To date they have been pretty uninterested.
"You wouldn't want to find yourself in a position that you wanted help from the New Zealand Government in Africa, that's for sure," Ms McKinnon said.
Ms McKinnon believed it was unlikely now that anyone would continue with his work." Trent, who was working on a Tanzanian story, documenting local people's lives, had been concerned that his life was in danger. There's a lot of very powerful people affected and they have a lot of interests at stake.
"It's almost too big a story for some people. The arrested men recently acquitted had been in possession of Trent's cellphone.''She believes that Trent was probably the victim of muggers. Certainly, did you have to kill the guy? It's very final. Certainly, did you have to kill the guy? It's very final.''
Several friends in Africa had continued to follow the case through on behalf of the family. One, Brian MacCormaic, was concerned enough for his own safety to leave Nairobi, she said.
Mr MacCormaic had been treated "pretty poorly'' when he tried to contact New Zealand's representatives in Pretoria, Ms McKinnon said.
Mr MacCormaic told a weekend paper, "it very much looks like the police in Nairobi and the New Zealand High Commission in Pretoria are not interested in putting any more effort into finding the true killers of Trent''.
Ms McKinnon said she and her husband had been in New Zealand for just two weeks. "My first focus had been my family.''
They realised that bringing anyone to justice would not bring Trent back. While Christmas had been hard for them, "it's tough every day,'' she said. Ms McKinnon said she and her husband were yet to decide where in New Zealand they would live and work. "Certainly New Plymouth is on the list.''
She has worked as Walt Disney's director in London for nine years.

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Eye in sky spots ‘smart-arse’ overtaker

– Monday, 29 December 2008

A "smart-arse" who overtook 20 cars lined up to crossa one-laned bridgewas caught in the act by the police spotter plane.
The yesterday joined Waikato Highway Patrol constable Lloyd Smith yesterday as he took to the skies for the first time in a Cesna 172 to patrol traffic travelling on the Waikato's major highways.
The morning kicked off with a smash about 10.
The aircraft part of Operation Rose which is aimed at reducing the summer road toll is costing police about $250 an hour to operate.
Police on the ground were in full control when the Waikato Aero Club plane flew overhead to see south-bound traffic banked up several kilometres from the crash scene.30am when two cars collided on the Waikato Expressway close to Rangiriri one car ended up in a paddock.
"It's no different to a normal Sunday," Mr Smith said of the traffic.
Next was a tour of the newly double-laned SH2 from the Bombay Hills toward Thames.
"Most cars are getting through in one hit.
The one-laned Kopu Bridge, renown for lengthy delays during the summer period, was the same as "any normal day".
The driver of the small black hatchback quickly cut back into the line just a few metres before the bridge infuriating Mr Smith who quickly contacted police on the ground in Thames."
But that didn't stop one "impatient" driver pulling out into the opposite lane and overtaking a line of about 20 cars waiting to pass over the bridge into Kopu. Unfortunately ground police were busy with other jobs and were unable to catch up with the offending car.
The plane tailed the car for some time.

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Hewitt to warn soldiers of perils of drink

– Monday, 15 December 2008

The army has engaged former All Black Norm Hewitt to teach soldiers about the dangers of alcohol abuse as it emerged yesterday Burnham soldiers were sent home from East Timor after a drunken pub crawl while on duty.
A New Zealand Army spokeswoman said alcohol was a concern for the entire country and the army as a section of society was no exception.
Hewitt has built a reputation as a responsible-drinking advocate since being forced to admit he had a drinking problem when he smashed through a glass sliding door at a Queenstown apartment in 1999.
"The New Zealand Defence Force has very strict policy with regards to the consumption of alcohol while on duty and takes these incidents seriously.
The army released a statement yesterday saying eight Burnham soldiers had been sent home for drinking while on duty.
"The soldiers received between 12 and 27 days detention in the services correction establishment at Burnham Military Camp.
"The breach of military procedures was dealt with firmly by a summary trial in Timor-Leste following a military police investigation."
The six-month posting to East Timor was a "dry mission", it said.
The soldiers got drunk, swore at locals and drove their army truck.
Eight armed soldiers had abandoned a patrol of the capital, Dili, and gone drinking in two bars and in a United Nations cafe, a Sunday newspaper reported yesterday.
The section commander in charge at the time of the pub crawl was demoted from corporal to private.
The army spokeswoman yesterday said none of the soldiers had been discharged from the army.
The programme was supported by Major General Lou Gardiner, the Chief of the Army, who felt strongly about the issue, the spokeswoman said.
The army's alcohol awareness programme was not in direct response to the incident, but as a "responsible employer" it had been looking at the problem for some time, the spokeswoman said. .
At Burnham, troops were spoken to by medical officers and senior staff, including the chief commander and formation sergeant major.
Their regular tasks in theatre include carrying out patrols, liaising with locals and providing assistance to UN police.
New Zealand troops recently left for the sixth, six-month rotation of about 150 Kiwi troops to serve in East Timor.

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Number of Kiwis closing in on 5 million

Thursday, 13 November 2008

The total number of New Zealanders worldwide has surged closer to five million, but overcrowding shouldn't be an issue as an estimated 600,000 live overseas.
Statistics New Zealand figures issued yesterday show the population in New Zealand increased by more than 40,000, to 4.
New Zealand remains a drop in a global population ocean of more than 6 billion but with about 600,000 Kiwis overseas, has the second-highest overseas population per head, behind Ireland.28 million, in the year to the end of September. .
Last year 35,700 more people were born than died.
Aging "baby boomers" contributed to the highest rate of population growth in the 65 years and over group, at 2.
Government statistician Geoff Bascand said New Zealand, along with other OECD countries, had an aging population as a result of low fertility and low mortality. However, in the past decade, the biggest growth was in the number of men and women aged 90 and over.1 per cent.8 per cent to 5600 and women increased 50.
The male population aged 90 plus rose 72. The Health Ministry says lower smoking rates and better and earlier intervention in heart disease are among reasons we're living longer.3 per cent to 14,700.

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Gang prospect ‘beaten for backdown’

The Thursday, 13 November 2008

Gangprospect Hayden Wallace was beaten for backing down from a fight at the Mongrel Mob pad the night he is alleged to have shot dead Wanganui toddler Jhia Te Tua, a jury has been told. .
The man who confronted Wallace and caused his loss of face – Patrick Williams – is now dead, but statements he made to police after Jhia died were read in court.
Security was tight in the High Court at Wellington yesterday after four car-loads of Jhia supporters arrived at court.
Mr Williams' statement said he hesitated when Check also invited him to the Mongrel Mob pad but Check said Mr Williams would be all right.
Mr Williams said Mongrel Mob member Karl Check, who was like a cousin to him, invited him home for a drink after they met at a rugby league game on May 5 last year. Mr Williams said he had enough of Wallace tormenting him and followed Wallace outside to ask about his "attitude".
But at the pad, Wallace, who was "prospecting" for Check so he could become a patched gang member, stared at him and tried to intimidate him. Wallace thought about it and then looked down, indicating he was not going to fight.
His statement said he was quite aggressive as he told Wallace to stop "talking about it" and whack him if he wanted. Check started punching Wallace "full on" in the head and others joined in.
The statement said Mr Williams apologised to Check and left as Check was asking Wallace why he had backed down."
Six police officers divided the public gallery in court yesterday after Jhia's supporters arrived.
Mr Williams said someone asked him to go back and stop Check giving Wallace a hiding but he said, "No way, I'm not going back.
The parents' group left early after technology that was supposed to relay the evidence of a secret witness failed. Her parents and their group sat on one side of the court and supporters of the accused sat on the other.

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Woman on the pull gives blokes a shock

Tuesday, 04 November 2008

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‘ONE OF THE BOYS’: Towie Pam Manning lovers her job and the reactions she gets.

Tired of sitting at home watching television while her husband was out towing vehicles, Pam Manning decided to become Kapiti Coast's first fully licensed "lady towie".
Getting the licence was "a piece of cake".
She was an office manager for 30 years before deciding to sit her HT licence and complete a course to get behind the wheel of one of her husband's tow trucks.
"You do not often see a woman getting out of a tow truck – women are often rapt and really interested to see a woman doing what is usually a man's job," she said. She loves her job and is amused by the reactions she gets when she hops out of the cab. It is very chivalrous of them, but I just say, 'Don't worry, I have my licence, I know what I am doing. . "I can see no reason why women cannot do it – the only thing a man can probably do is ratchet the tie-down one more notch.' "
She says she is "not a small girl" and has no problems using raw power to push vehicles into position to be picked up or winching them on to the truck. "We have worked as a husband and wife team for 17 years, she has helped with salvages, which rely on trust, especially when a vehicle is 20 metres down a bank."
Husband Bruce says he is delighted to have his wife driving trucks. She is good at her job, one of the boys.
"There is not much she cannot do, believe me, but she has got more bolshie."
Since Mrs Manning got her licence last year, another Kapiti Coast woman has followed suit and got her licence last week. A lot of people like dealing with her at emergencies when people are upset – by the time she has had a laugh with them they are easier to deal with.

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Sir Ed stamps to help Himalayan projects

By STACEY WOOD Friday, 31 October 2008

Stampscommemorating Sir Edmund Hillary go on sale next week, but New Zealand Post will not say how much of the proceeds will go to his beloved Himalayan Trust.
The series of five stamps, marking Sir Ed's life, from his conquest of Mt Everest in 1953 to his induction as a Knight of the Garter in 1995, go on sale on Wednesday. . A limited-edition coin will also be available.
The $2 stamp features Sir Ed with a group of Nepalese children, who benefited from the work of the Himalayan Trust, which he established in 1960. Some proceeds would go to the Himalayan Trust Sir Ed founded – but he would not say how much.
Coin and stamp dealer John Mowbray said the stamps and coins were likely to be around in sufficient numbers in the future, so would not be worth a lot to collectors. For four decades he worked closely with the charity and helped to build more than 30 schools, 12 medical clinics, three airfields and many bridges and freshwater pipelines.
Tokelauan stamps featuring Sir Ed will be issued on the same day, in a run of 10,000.
However, he predicted they would be the most popular in a long time. They will be available to buyers in New Zealand and focus on Sir Ed's earlier career as a mountaineer and explorer.

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Police bust Hamilton ‘pot’ street

By BELINDA FEEK – Tuesday, 16 September 2008

A raid on a quiet Hillcrest cul-de-sac has shocked police who discovered cannabis cultivation in every house on the street.
Although there are only three homes on the Hamilton street, all were busted for cannabis and two of them were linked. The occupants of that house, three men and one woman, now face cultivating cannabis and possession-for-supply charges.
Acting Detective Sergeant Graham Pitkethley, of the Waikato Crime Control Unit, said "a sophisticated indoor hydroponics operation" was found in the first property, growing more than 40 cannabis plants.
Cannabis seedlings were found growing outside the third property.
One of the men is also connected to the neighbouring property and faces additional charges for 10 cannabis plants found there.
Mr Pitkethley said the cultivation operations in the first two properties were believed to be linked while the third house was operating separately from its neighbours. A woman now faces several charges, including possession of cannabis for supply. "We don't come across that too often .
The crime control unit or drug squad were not easily shocked, but Friday's bust surprised them…"
All five people were expected to appear in Hamilton District Court this week. It is unusual that you get something at every house, so it was a surprise.
A World Health Organisation report this year put New Zealand second only to the US in a survey of illegal cannabis use in 17 countries. Although Hillcrest was a high-student area, Mr Pitkethley confirmed those arrested were not students, but people "that should know better".
"From a policing point of view the increased use of hydroponics-growing operations means cannabis is no longer a seasonal threat," Mr Pitkethley said.
Meanwhile, the availability and strength of cannabis being found by police is causing concern."
The maximum penalty for possession of marijuana (Class C) is three months in prison and/or a $500 fine.
"It is now a drug available year round and there's significant information out there to suggest it is used as a stepping stone to other drug use.
Twelve ounces of cannabis, LSD and ecstasy were allegedly found in the possession of a 25-year-old man earlier this month. The maximum penalty for importing, cultivating and/or supplying cannabis is eight years in jail. Three people appeared in court on Friday on drug charges.
The cannabis was found in his car while a search of a house near Waikato University revealed the LSD and ecstasy and more cannabis.