Two a penny

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The family of a man found dead at a Newtown halfway house earlier today will perform a karakia at the property this afternoon.

Police have launched a homicide investigation after a 37-year-old man died at the property – a halfway house for mental health patients and drug rehabilitation – on the corner of Mansfield and Horner Sts earlier today.

Police were called to the address by the ambulance service at 5.

Detective Inspector Paul Basham said one man was in custody charged with assault in relation to the incident.50am.

Police would oppose bail.

Police were this afternoon arranging for the man to appear in Wellington District Court today. They said additional charges might be laid later. They were all at Wellington central police station being questioned this afternoon.

Around 15-20 people were inside the property at the time, police said.

Police said it was being treated as a homicide investigation, but it was too early to say what happened.

Sections of Mansfield, Rhodes, Roy and Horner Streets arround the property were cordoned off and will remain blocked for most of today, police said.

A pathologist was at the scene this afternoon investigating the cause of death.

Mr Basham would not confirm the nature of any injuries the dead man suffered, but no weapons were found at the scene. An autopsy is likely to be held tomorrow. An autopsy is likely to be held tomorrow.

“About 5am we heard screaming,” she said.

Jana Meyer, who lives nearby the property, said she was woken by noise from the house early earlier today.”

Lyle Bassett, 26, who lives at the property police are investigating, said he felt lucky he spent last night at his girlfriend’s place. “It sounded like a haka. It’s a safe place.

“It doesn’t look too good. We all look after each other. They say it’s a halfway house but to me it’s a family house.

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The police national dive squad has started a grid search for the 22-year-old man who went missing in Lake Te Anau early earlier today.

Police said earlier today they presumed the young man, from Cromwell, had drowned.

Senior Sergeant Richard McPhail said this afternoon police understood three people on a small dinghy that sank shortly before 3.Early police inquiries suggested the missing man, along with another man and a woman, had taken a dinghy from the foreshore and rowed to a floatplane moored close to the jetty area.30am had been drinking before they decided to row out to a float plane moored not far from shore.One of the men and the woman had managed to swim back. The dinghy was swamped and sank as they rowed back to shore, Mr McPhail said.The alarm was raised when they could not find their companion.

The submerged dinghy and other gear had been found during the initial search, which had involved police and volunteers in a helicopter, boats and on foot. .A helicopter continued the search earlier today until the divers arrived from Wellington early this afternoon. However, there was still no trace of the Cromwell man.Police had contacted the missing man’s family in Cromwell. They had started a grid search of the lake, helped by search volunteers in boats.Mr McPhail said none of the group in the dinghy had life jackets or were authorised to take the boat or go on to the jetty or float plane.Mr McPhail said none of the group in the dinghy had life jackets or were authorised to take the boat or go on to the jetty or float plane.”Police were interviewing witnesses to the incident. ”Inquiries are continuing with the group but it appears to have been an alcohol-related act that has ended in tragedy.

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A woman with swine flu who died in Wellington Hospital this week was embalmed before the chief coroner’s office was even told about the death.

The 39-year-old had been pregnant but miscarried six to eight weeks before she died. It is not known whether she was sick with the virus then.

He has accused Capital and Coast District Health Board of breaching protocol after a death while under medical care.

Chief coroner Judge Neil MacLean said he was very concerned that his office was not directly informed about the woman’s death till after the death certificate had been signed and the body returned to the family. It brings the confirmed swine flu death toll to 13.

The woman died on Monday after 11 days in the intensive care unit.

The coroner’s office says it is investigating a further 20 deaths in which swine flu was the suspected cause. .

The number of New Zealand deaths attributed to swine flu remained at 13 today, with confirmed cases 44 higher than yesterday at 2748. Environmental Science and Research virologist Sue Huang, head of the national influenza centre in Upper Hutt, said that in rare cases, flu patients could appear to be getting better, only to develop secondary infections a week or so later, “sometimes with fatal consequences”.

She had earlier tested positive for pandemic influenza H1N1 09 swine flu.”

She said swine flu seemed to be affecting more pregnant women than was usual for seasonal influenza but it was not known why.

“Mainly, these are respiratory infections but there have been reports of neurological symptoms associated with seasonal influenza.

Judge MacLean said he found out about the woman’s death from a third party and phoned the hospital.

Judge MacLean said he found out about the woman’s death from a third party and phoned the hospital…”

Capital and Coast spokesman Michael Tull said the board would be happy to discuss the matter with the coroner but that he could not comment further out of respect for the family’s wishes. From our point of view, we will still add it to the confirmed list [of deaths] but it’s not the same as if the coroner had a chance to investigate.

There was no requirement in the Coroners Act for coroners to be automatically informed of pandemic deaths.

Deputy director of public health Fran McGrath said she believed hospital staff had tried to inform the local coroner’s office.”

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“We’re very happy to discuss this with the chief coroner if he believes this case falls into a grey area, but it’s not appropriate to have that discussion in the media

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Wellington’s train network is expected to fully reopen by midday after a power fault shut it down, stranding thousands of commuters.

Limited services are running at the moment. KiwiRail spokesman Nigel Parry said the overhead fault occurred about 6.

Early indications were that the failure was linked to work being done to expand capacity on lines north of Wellington railway station.30am this morning in Kaiwharawhara. Mr Parry said some small sections of track remained in use.

The shutdown affected the Hutt Valley and Paraparaumu lines, and the Johnsonville line for a time.

”But it would have affected several thousand commuters. Mr Parry said the shuttle buses were now coping with demand.”

Buses were provided but passengers were warned to expect heavy delays.

”We were waiting for more than half an hour without knowing what was going on.

A passenger stranded at Silverstream Station said confused people were standing around in close to freezing temperatures.”

Stranded passengers were complaining that a Tranz Metro mobile phone messaging service advising of train delays was woefully inadequate. There were no signs up. .

”It didn’t clearly say what lines were closed.

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A police spokesman said the failure of the rail network did not appear to have increased commuter traffic on roads into the city

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Suspensions are likely to result from a brawl at Hamilton’s Fairfield College yesterday which led to police intervention and assault charges being laid. .

It was sparked after a senior student was “whacked in the face” after attempting to leave a student common room, he told Radio New Zealand.

Dennis Finn, who was appointment commissioner of the school following the resignation of its board members in February after a critical Education Review Office (ERO) report, said yesterday’s incident was a serious one.

Two girls, aged 13 and 14, were charged with assault after police were called to break the fight up, and were being dealt with through the courts and Youth Aid.

Mr Finn said it was a “vicious and serious” attack which escalated out into the school grounds.

Mr Finn said students involved in the fight had been stood down from school until the principal had a chance to go over reports on the incident.

The victim suffered bruising and swelling to her head and neck.

He said he had not seen similar violence at the school in the six months he had been there.

There was every chance suspensions would result from the fight, Mr Finn said.

Police, who had a presence at the school as part of a “Campus Cops” initiative in the city, would continue their patrols.

While it was a concerning incident, fights could happen at any school.

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A thief who stole jewellery from a widower was taken to the scene of his crime in an attempt to retrieve the dumped items.

Matthew Robert Voice appeared for sentencing in Masterton District Court this week on a charge of burglary and falsely using documents. .
The officer agreed that, if Voice was prepared to say where he had thrown the jewels during his getaway, she would drive him to the riverbed to try to find the spot.
Voice broke into a Te Ore Ore Rd house between January 15 and February 3, 2007, and took two blank cheques and jewellery. “What you stole was taken from a guy who lost his wife just three months earlier. Judge Harrop said it was worth a shot. It is not about monetary value but extremely sentimental.”
Voice was stood down but came back to court empty-handed. It was his wife’s personal jewellery.
He was sentenced to four months’ community detention, ordered to pay $922 reparation though the stolen items amounted to $6420 100 hours’ community work and ordered to undergo nine months’ intensive supervision. “It was two years ago and I really can’t remember exactly where I threw it,” he told the court.
The

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Regional councils, including Environment Canterbury (ECan), could be axed if a drastic move foreshadowed by a specialist government panel gains momentum.

The possible abolition of regional councils and a recommended review of their effectiveness and efficiency comes from Environment Minister Nick Smith’s technical advisory group. It is part of the Resource Management Act (RMA) streamlining process.

The advisory group believes that, after the regional councils’ 20 years of existence, it is the “appropriate time for a reappraisal” of their performance.

A local government source said Smith was “surprised” at his advisers’ idea.

In their report, Smith’s advisers suggested a move from a three-tier resource management system national, regional and district-city to two tiers.

The Government wants to establish an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to strengthen support for environmental governance at national level.

The “functions and activities” carried out by regional councils would then be split between the new authority, working from regional offices, and city and district councils.

Smith’s press secretary said the minister had noted what was in the group’s report, but no work had been done on it.

Doctoral research from Massey University had suggested regional councils were “adding little public value” to environmental management, the advisers said.

Environmentalists say regional councils have been hamstrung as a result of a lack of policy guidance and support from central government.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide is distancing himself from the idea, saying it was National Party policy “to explore an EPA instead of regional councils”.

It said that while ECan had worked hard to address agriculture and water conflicts, that had led to “great difficulty” in progressing water issues of its regional plan and public concern over inadequate environmental protection. .

“It is not clear that elected regional governance and the associated cumbersome processes of public participation have been particularly useful in protecting the people of Canterbury,” the advisers said.

“It is not clear that elected regional governance and the associated cumbersome processes of public participation have been particularly useful in protecting the people of Canterbury,” the advisers said.

ECan chairman Sir Kerry Burke said the group’s “gratuitous suggestion” had stunned many in the sector.

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“It is important to remember that elected councillors have an important role in local decision-making and that this is an underlying theme of the Resource Management Act,” it said. They give it perspective and democratic accountability.

“Regional councils give a scale you don’t get with territorial authorities.

Environmental Defence Society chairman Gary Taylor said the EPA taking over regional council functions was a possible scenario in phase two of the reforms. We’re just starting to hit our straps,” he said. “There needs to be a lot more work done before you could justify something as drastic as that.

“It’s the big sleeper,” he said.

“I think there are questions about the performance of some of the rural regional councils. You can’t make that kind of major change without a proper evidence basis.

“In the relatively long life of the RMA, which contemplated a number of national policy statements, there’s only ever been one issued coastal.

“In the relatively long life of the RMA, which contemplated a number of national policy statements, there’s only ever been one issued coastal.”

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said little coherent direction for regional councils through the 1990s and early 2000s meant the RMA’s rollout was not as effective as it should have been.

“We need to be extremely wary of what is being proposed and examine it closely to see if it will improve environmental performance. [The group's] first round of advice was very anti-environmental and they will be providing advice on phase two.”

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Prostitutes are locked in a battle for the streets with a community group that wants them and their kerb-crawling customers gone.

Residents of south Auckland suburb Papatoetoe have declared war on street-walking hookers and formed The Papatoetoe Community Patrol to drive them and their clients out of infamous red-light area Hunter’s Corner.

A 2005 report by the Prostitution Law Review Committee estimated there were 423 sex workers in the Counties Manukau Police District, with 150 on the street.

The patrols come as the Manukau City Council tries for a second time to make street prostitutes illegal, following a failed attempt in 2006 by Manurewa MP and former police minister George Hawkins.

“These people are unregulated.

The Papatoetoe community group scares off the hookers’ customers by breaking up their negotiations and warning them of the potential health dangers of sleeping with prostitutes.

In just over a year, three members of the 15-strong patrol group have been assaulted and they’ve had to change their patrol car three times because prostitutes have lashed out with weapons. Some of them carry diseases, so there’s a risk not only to the client but also the client’s partner,” patrol member Stephen Grey told .

“They take to them with rocks, take to them with shopping trolleys, take to them with crow bars, kick them, kick the tail lights in.

“The cars we use get considerable damage on them,” Grey said. .”

He said the group had “broad shoulders” and wouldn’t be deterred.

The group is also sending the prostitutes’ clients letters, tracking them down through their car registration plates.

“Ultimately we’d like the legislation changed so selling sexual services in the street is illegal,” Grey said.

Grey said the group had sent “hundreds” of them.

The letters contained in pink envelopes alert them to the fact they’ve been spotted and warn them of the dangers of their late-night activities.

“We don’t send the letter unless we’re absolutely sure they are negotiating with a street worker or they have picked a street worker up and we have two or three people in the car to confirm that,” he said.

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Some recipients had contacted the group to deny they were kerb-crawling but Grey said the patrol was careful about who they send them to.

“We’re really upset this is happening,” she said.

Prostitutes Collective national co-ordinator Catherine Healy said she found the group’s actions “astounding”. The men aren’t law breakers, assuming they are seeking someone over the age of 16. “It’s harassment.

Healy said the patrol groups’ actions were not the solution.”

There had been similar action taken around the country, Healy said, but this was the first time a “formal, organised group” had targeted street workers.

Grey said the patrol’s actions were a last resort, borne out of frustration with authorities not solving the issue.

Grey said the patrol’s actions were a last resort, borne out of frustration with authorities not solving the issue.

“We’ve had enough of the activities of these street workers and the body waste they leave behind, the condoms they leave lying around and the activity that goes all night long,” Grey said.

“It’s (also) the way they go about their soliciting. Some of them place themselves in residential areas.

“They work there all night and every car that goes by, they yell at, and if the car doesn’t stop they yell abuse at the car and this goes on all night.”

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A Northland Maori leader who is a descendant of Hone Heke has done an about-turn on the sale of what may be a piece of the country’s most famous flagpole.

David Rankin originally said he was delighted a piece of the flagpole his great, great uncle Hone Heke cut down in Russell in 1845, was about to go under the hammer.

Now after being “barbecued” by other Ngapuhi Maori over the weekend, he said the sale of the small piece of wood was “outrageous”.”

It is valued between $20,000 and $30,000.

The piece of wood measuring 20cm by 9cm has a inscription on a silver plaque saying: “Piece of Flagstaff at Russell, Bay of Islands on which was English Flag cut down by Hone Heke in 1845 and was the cause of the New Zealand War.

“The people are outraged it should go under the hammer,” he said today.

Mr Rankin said today action would be taken over the sale of the piece of history at auction in Auckland on Monday. .

He said it put him in a difficult position to have to change his mind over the sale.

People he had spoken to from Ngapuhi were angry at the sale and believed the piece of wood still belonged to his hapu (sub tribe).

Hone Heke, the Ngapuhi leader, was the first to sign the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, but his relations with the ruling British authority soured and in 1844 he cut down the flagpole which had been erected at Russell, then known as Kororareka.

“I have been barbecued over it,” he said.

Mr Rankin said the flagpole was the biggest survey peg in the country, and to Hone Heke it was “driven into the ground to state the ownership of this country by the Pakeha”.

He had given the timber for the flagpole but after it was replaced it was chopped down again twice in January 1845, and for the fourth time on March 11.

The piece was being sold at auction by Dunbar Sloane for its owner, Lady Caroline Simmonds, a granddaughter of the Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor-General from 1897 to 1904.

The piece was being sold at auction by Dunbar Sloane for its owner, Lady Caroline Simmonds, a granddaughter of the Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor-General from 1897 to 1904.

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Three people were killed in separate crashes in the North Island this weekend.

A 68-year-old Hamilton man was killed and his wife seriously injured after their car veered off State Highway 1 into a ditch near Hamilton on Friday night.30pm at Horotiu, 14km north of Hamilton, police said.
The man lost control of the vehicle about 6. Police said neither speed nor alcohol appeared to be factors that contributed to the crash. .30am on Saturday.
Wiremu Lawrence, 15, died when the car he was driving hit a tree on Te Irirangi Dr, Manukau City, at 1.
His elder brother Zar Lawrence was representing New Zealand at the Hong Kong Sevens, and would continue playing at the tournament in memory of his brother.
A female passenger was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A 29-year-old woman motorcyclist was killed after a crash on State Highway 35 at Tolaga Bay, on the East Coast, at 10.
“My thoughts are back there but my family told me to stay here and do it for him,” he said.
Police said it appeared the southbound motorbike crossed the centre line and headed straight into the path of an oncoming car.26am today.

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