Two a penny

.
Nelson man carried 100m in raging torrent

By HELEN MURDOCH - Wednesday, 26 November 2008

HELEN MURDOCH/
SWAMPED: A car belonging to retired school principal Rod McKenzie lies stuck on the edge of a weir in the Collins River, north of Nelson, yesterday.

Rod McKenzie has covered a 100m section of Nelson's flooded Collins River in record time in his car.
"One minute I was on the road; the next I was in the river," he said.
McKenzie, a retired primary school principal, was driving to Nelson from his Okiwi Bay home in torrential rain on Monday when he aquaplaned over an 8m bank into the normally slow-flowing river.
He estimated he was carried another 100m by the swollen waters.
McKenzie was tossed down the "raging, roaring torrent" for about 100m before he fled his car. The worst part was trying to grab the blackberry bushes and clamber out, the river was moving so fast," he said.
"It was only when I got out that I thought I may be in trouble. .
Picked up by a farmer who took him home for a hot shower and a change of clothes, McKenzie then continued his journey to Nelson to collect his wife and take her to the airport.
"I suspect if I had stayed with it something bad would have happened.
"I've been told it continued down the river and got jammed under a bridge for a while before it popped out," he said.
The heavy rain also trapped three Tasman District Council hydrologists in the Upper Lee Valley on Monday night and caused flooding in Golden Bay and Nelson City."
McKenzie escaped with only scratches but faces an unpleasant aftermath police yesterday told him they were considering charging him with dangerous driving and he has to figure a way to get his car out of the river.
The trio bunked down for the night in a council ute, dined on a few biscuits and watched the Upper Lee River flood over a bridge, said Doyle.
Hydrologist Martin Doyle and two of his colleagues were measuring flood and sediment flows at the proposed Upper Lee Valley dam site when the heavy rain made the ford crossings impassable.
The ranges between Takaka and Collingwood were lashed by 328mm of rain in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday.
The persistent rain was pushed into the hills above Nelson and Golden Bay by strong northerly winds, dumping 136mm above the city and 257mm above Upper Takaka. Some schools closed early, while shops and homes were sandbagged to prevent flooding as water flowed down Takaka's main street.
In Golden Bay, roads were closed, stock were rescued from low-lying areas and the army ferried stranded motorists. "We were lucky to get away without major flooding.
"People haven't seen that sort of water across the road for some time," said Golden Bay Senior Constable Crispin Lee, of the East Takaka area.30pm high tide."
Nelson came within 30 minutes of a major flood when the rain stopped just before Monday's 8.
"We were concerned about the high tide, but the rain stopped about an hour before it came in," he said.
"We were concerned about the high tide, but the rain stopped about an hour before it came in," he said.

.
Brother, sister talk to police after attempted kidnapping

By JARED MORGAN - Tuesday, 25 November 2008

A brother and sister at the centre of an attempted kidnapping in Invercargill will be spoken to today by police and a psychologist specially trained in interviewing children.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Bowman, of Invercargill CIB, said the children would be interviewed to gain extra insight into the attempted abduction, which happened in daylight on Sunday.
A man tried to grab the four-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy as they played at the rugby league grounds on the corner of Ness and Ettrick streets about 3pm.
The man then grabbed the boy, but the pair managed to escape when the man went to open the van door.
He attempted to pull the girl by her arm into a white van but the boy held her other arm.
"It's certainly not something we've had for a long time here and of course one (attempted kidnapping) is too many," he said.
The incident and its timing was of concern to police, Bowman said.
THe officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Fred Shandley, said police planned to interview the boy today while his sister, because of her age, would be spoken to by a psychologist.

.

.
Fire closes down Far North power station

Northern News Friday, 21 November 2008

Northern News
FIRE HAZARD: A new fire rages at Ngawha, less than a day since fire destroyed more than 60 hectares of DOC land there. Inset: The corner of Ngawha village is closed off by police and fire crews.
Forestry workers were evacuated and fibre optic control cables linking parts of the power station were burnt through when the fire, which had been burning since Wednesday, flared up this afternoon.

A scrub fire which caused the Ngawha geothermal fire station in the Far North to be closed down was brought under control tonight.
"Once we knew we were going to lose those (fibre optic) controls, the station was closed down in an orderly fashion," he told tonight.
Top Energy chief executive Roger de Bray said the station was closed down about 4pm.
"If the fire flares up again they will call 111 but intrinsically it should be out," he said.
But by 9pm everybody at the station had been stood down, except two nightwatchmen and Mr de Bray said the Department of Conservation also had someone there.
Total damage would not be known until the morning and he did not know how long it would take for the power station to be fired up again. .
Department of Conservation fire crews regained control of the blaze using helicopters, backed up by the Fire Service.
The Ngawha Valley fire appeared to have been brought under control yesterday, but jumped Bannister Road into a Carter Holt Harvey forest about 3pm after flaring up again, said Fire Service spokesperson Jaron Phillips. At that stage forestry workers were being evacuated from the area because of the danger.
Earlier this evening he said the fire was "moving quite rapidly with the wind — it's out of control at the moment".
The fire had already burnt through private land and Maori land, as well as the Ngawha Conservation Area, Ngawha Scenic Reserve and the Lake Waiparaheka Scientific Reserve, regarded as a unique place because of the geothermal flora and fauna.
Police had also closed roads to the public in the area.
The first-floor fire was near the southern motorway, prompting a lot of calls from motorists, Mr Phillips said.
In Auckland, two people suffered burns to their hands and smoke inhalation after they were caught in a fire at a commercial unit on Great South Road in Manukau about 5pm.
-

.
The fire was extinguished within about half an hour and the two people were being treated by ambulance staff

.
Man charged over McCahon theft

Thursday, 20 November 2008

DEVELOPMENT: Police have today charged a 60-year-old Wanganui man with theft of this Colin McCahon sculpture.

Police have today charged a 60-year-old Wanganui man with theft of a Colin McCahon sculpture, which was later bought at auction for $25,000 by a prominent Wellington millionaire.
The iron cross sculpture was purchased by Lloyd Morrison in 2006 during an auction at Dunbar Sloane, but seized from his Wellington home in February this year after a complaint to police. .
The cross had been given to Wanganui artist Joanna Paul, a former student of McCahon's who died in 2003, then stored by relatives in a Wanganui building, from where they claim it later disappeared before being put up for auction.

.
Tourist not guilty over shooting

By FLORENCE KERR - Saturday, 08 November 2008

Supplied
SHOT IN HEAD: Matthew Purchase is still recovering from his injuries and is now wheelchair bound.

Dreams of one day running the family farm in the English county of Dorset have been shattered for 22-year-old Matthew Purchase.
Once an outgoing sporty type, Matthew is now imprisoned in a body that won't work in time with his mind.
Jensen, 48, was charged with careless use of a firearm causing injury after Matthew was shot on the back of a ute during a rabbit hunt at Waotu, close to Putaruru, on December 8 last year .
Bjarne Jensen, the man accused of shooting the English agricultural exchange student in the head and causing injuries that have left him partially paralysed, partially blind and wheelchair-bound, was acquitted at the end of a High Court trial in Rotorua on Thursday.
Matthew's father, Ian, who flew in from England for the trial, was supported by his eldest son, Simon, as the verdict of not guilty was read out.
Jensen would not talk to the as he left the court.
Outside court, Matthew's father, Ian Purchase, said he felt deflated that he could not find closure for Matthew.
Matthew is unable to live with his family.
"Allowing this person to avoid having to accept responsibility for his actions sends out the wrong message to all people who use firearms," Mr Purchase said. Before the shooting Matthew was a keen rower and golfer and had just graduated with a rural resource management degree. Instead he lives in a specialist rehabilitation unit where he has to be assisted in close toly everything.
Almost a year after the shooting, Matthew has made major milestones, and is now able to speak with a slight slur. He chose to do his gap year in New Zealand. "The real victim in this is not the Jensen family, nor is it me, it's Matthew, who will pay the price for the rest of his life," Mr Purchase said. "The real victim in this is not the Jensen family, nor is it me, it's Matthew, who will pay the price for the rest of his life," Mr Purchase said."
We have received no financial aide for Matthew from the Jensens, we have had no communication from him at all .
"From my understanding Bjarne had to pay $100,000 as a bail bond so he could return to Denmark…"
Matthew's rehabilitation costs are expected to run into millions, according to Mr Purchase who may possibly seek a civil action suit. .
"I leave New Zealand with a heavy heart, but I am determined to do all that I can to help Matthew overcome his disability.
"It is a possibility, it's just making that decision - do we chuck our money into a civil action suite or do we put more into Matthew's rehabilitation?" Mr Purchase has vowed never to return. However the message that this verdict has sent out has unfortunately increased the chances of this occuring again." "I just hope that no one else has to go through what Matthew has endured and will continue to endure. "He has remained remarkably positive throughout this whole ordeal, even when we have struggled to do the same. "He has remained remarkably positive throughout this whole ordeal, even when we have struggled to do the same."
Mr Purchase and his son Simon flew home yesterday.

.
Man in hospital after Upper Hutt stabbing

Monday, 03 November 2008

A man has suffered a punctured lung in an overnight stabbing in Upper Hutt.
The 31-year-old was found in the city early yesterday morning with life threatening injuries.
“We could have quite easily been investigating a homicide.
Detective Sergeant Tony Heathcote said the stabbing happened on Main St, close to the intersection with Royal St.”
The victim had surgery and is now in a stable condition in Hutt Hospital. The victim has stab wounds to the side of his chest, one of which has punctured his lung.
“We believe there was a large group of people in the area who saw what happened or who have information about the stabbing,” Mr Heathcote said.
Police believe at least three people were involved in an altercation with the victim, and are interested in talking to witnesses. .
A 19-year-old man was arrested at the scene of the stabbing and was charged with possession of a knife in a public place.

.
Art in living colour at tattoo show

Monday, 03 November 2008

MAARTEN HOLL/The
NEEDLE WORK: Don McClintock, 54, who `never liked tattoos’, was named overall winner of the Lower Hutt Charity Tattoo Show yesterday.

Ittakes seven years and $70,000 to get a body like Don McClintock's. He also won the best tattooed arm, back, leg and full body sections as he stormed his way to the $1000 winner's cheque at Lower Hutt Town Hall.
The 54-year-old was named overall winner of the Lower Hutt Charity Tattoo Show yesterday.
"Then I had Lady Luck tattooed on, so our luck would change, and the whole thing just took off from there.
A family crisis seven years ago resulted in the self-employed joiner from Christchurch having the names of his children tattooed around his neck."
Mr McClintock has lost count of how many tattoos he has, or how long they took his tattooist, Steve Johnson from Downunder-Tattoo, to create. I never liked tattoos before that to be honest."The only remaining parts of his body left to cover are the backs of his feet and areas on his inner thighs. .
The 3500 people at the two-day show also had the chance to watch tattooists, in action, including Ali Reid from ALC Headquarters in Cuba St.
Sarah Munro, 20, from Karori nailed the runner-up spot with her tattoos by Manu Tattoo.
More than $1000 was raised for Life Education Trust.

.
Policeman’s conduct ‘truly outrageous’

- Saturday, 01 November 2008

A judge has slammed the "truly outrageous" conduct of a Christchurch police officer who elbowed a man three times in the face while he was handcuffed in a patrol car.
Judge Colin Doherty said Constable Nathan Connolly committed a "gratuitous assault" and awarded $5000 to victim Steven Fredericks.
Fredericks, 23, of Taylorville, and friend Ronnie McGee were driving out of Revingtons Hotel, in Greymouth, on September 8, 2005, when the incident occurred.30pm, they were stopped by a police patrol, which included Connolly.
Leaving the carpark about 10.
Although the judge found McGee was "obstreperous" during the incident, he concluded Fredericks was a "reticent and relatively subdued personality". McGee took a breath test, which he failed.
Earlier this month, the Greymouth District Court heard that Connolly tried to get Fredericks out of the car and a scuffle developed which ended with him being handcuffed on the ground and then put in the police car. .
As Connolly put the seatbelt on Fredericks, the officer elbowed him in the face, the judge found. His conduct carried with it a sense of retribution; of reinforced arrogance.
"Constable Connolly was in my view frustrated and wanted to teach the plaintiff a lesson as a result of his earlier resistance.
Connolly denied he hit Fredericks and a fellow officer said he had not seen anything "untoward"."
The judge said "right-minded people" would find these actions "abhorrent".
The judge said the case came down to one man's word against the other's, but that Fredericks' evidence had "the ring of truth about it".
The judge said the case came down to one man's word against the other's, but that Fredericks' evidence had "the ring of truth about it".
Fredericks' co-counsel Jonathan McCarthy said the judgment gave him the "greatest confidence in our justice system"."
A doctor said the injuries to Fredericks' face were consistent with being hit in the eye socket and nose. was told yesterday that he was taking "extended leave".
Since the incident, Connolly has moved to Christchurch. The officer was being dealt with under a human resources employment process.
Police spokesperson Jon Neilson said the case was still "in the court process in terms of a right of appeal".

.
Rising star one of two killed in crash

Friday, 19 September 2008

One of the two young shearers killed in a road crash in Central Otago was a rising star in the shearing world.
Police have said speed and fatigue were likely factors in the deaths Southland shearing gang members Stewart Hetaraka Smith, 20, of Mataura and Lavenia Setefano, 19, of Gore.15am when a van containing six shearers rolled on a straight stretch road about 4km east of Poolburn, between Ophir and Oturehua.
They were killed about 6.
Smith andSetefano died at the scene.
All six were thrown from the van when it rolled on a straight stretch of road and came to rest in a paddock. They were two women, aged 17 and 20, from Alexandra, and a 40-year-old man from Masterton.
Three others were seriously injured and flown by helicopter to Dunedin Hospital. The two young Alexandra women were his daughters.
The gang worked for Alexandra shearing contractor Dion Morrell.
"They are fairly well battered and bruised," he said.
Morrell said just before he left for Dunedin yesterday that doctors believed his daughters would pull through.
He said Smith and Setefano were "superb, absolute gems".
Smith, Setefano and the other survivors had worked for him for about two months..
"It's a hell of a loss . As people you couldn't wish for better..
A 36-year-old man from Gisborne was taken to Dunstan Hospital with moderate injuries. They really were cool kids," he said.
He was in three successive finals at Golden Shears in Masterton, was a runner-up in the junior class in 2006, fourth in the intermediate class in 2007 and fourth in the senior class in March this year.
Mr Smith was a promising young competition shearer who had spent two years on the "modern apprentice" programme with industry trainers Tectra.
Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw, of the Central Otago CIB, said he understood neither Smith nor Setefano was driving.
He had started last season finishing second in the New Zealand Spring Shears intermediate final at Waimate in October, before going up to the senior class, and finishing third at the Southern Shears in Gore in February, before heading for Masterton.
No other vehicle was involved in the crash, Shaw said.
No other vehicle was involved in the crash, Shaw said.
He described the crash scene as "horrific and tragic".
Smith was from a prominent Mataura shearing family, and had made the final at the past three Golden Shears competitions.
- With