Two a penny

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Taito Phillip Field arranged a series of fictitious statements and documents to hide the fact that Thai workers he was helping with immigration matters were working on his property for little or no money, a jury has been told.

Crown prosecutor Simon Moore said the former MP arranged for the false statements and document creations to put a government inquiry and police investigators on the wrong scent.

Mr Moore was making his opening address at the trial of Field in the High Court in Auckland on 35 criminal charges.

Today Mr Moore began outlining the 23 charges of wilfully attempting to obstruct or pervert the course of justice, alleging Field took numerous steps to create a false impression of what happened at his properties.

Yesterday he outlined most of the 12 charges of bribery and corruption charges as an MP laid against Field, alleging that Thai nationals carried out tens of thousands of dollars worth of work on five of his properties in return for help with their immigration issues.

A few days before the election, Prime Minister Helen Clark ordered an inquiry into Field’s conduct, primarily over tiling work carried out at a house of Field’s in Samoa, to be undertaken by Auckland barrister Dr Noel Ingram.

Mr Moore told the jury how the allegations against Field broke in media in September 2005, during the general election campaign.

Mr Moore said there was also media coverage suggesting police were considering an investigation of their own.

They were to arrange false receipts or invoices to be created in relation to the work on the properties, arranging for witnesses to make false statements, and making false statements himself, Mr Moore said.

He said Field then took a series of steps which led to false or misleading information being presented to the Ingram inquiry.

“Mr Field embarked on this course in an attempt to conceal and hide what the true position was, and he did it for the purpose of preventing charges being laid against him.

Once the Ingram inquiry report had been released, Mr Field then arranged to have further false statements made to police and further false documents created once a police investigation had been formally announced, Mr Moore said.

“The circumstances that have given rise to the decision I do not propose to divulge,” he told the remaining jurors.”

Mr Moore was making today’s remarks to a jury of 11 after a man appointed jury foreman yesterday was discharged by Justice Rodney Hansen today.

“But what I do want to emphasise is that it involves no personal reflection in any way at all on the character of your foreman.

“But what I do want to emphasise is that it involves no personal reflection in any way at all on the character of your foreman. A further seven jurors, including the man discharged today, were empanelled yesterday and heard half of Mr Moore’s opening address yesterday.

Today’s development came after seven of the jurors originally empanelled on Monday were discharged the following day. .

The trial is expected to last 12 weeks

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Thieves have broken into the Invercargill pound in what has been described as a planned commando attack, and stolen two mastiff dogs who mauled an elderly woman last week.

The 68-year-old victim, Noeline Shaw, said she was horrified the dogs had been broken out of the pound and were back in the community.
Mrs Shaw had been delivering pamphlets in Holloway St last week when the two large mastiff dogs got out of their property and lunged at her, biting her arm and pulling on her clothing, she said. She feared someone else would be attacked. She was still feeling shaken by the attack.
Her bite wounds had since become infected and she was put on antibiotics.
“They should have been onto the job and shot them there and then.
The dogs should have been destroyed immediately, she said. That breed shouldn’t be allowed in the town boundary. Why should they have still been in the pound? They nearly killed me.
The owner of the two dogs, Renee Bartlett, said she had no idea who had stolen her dogs or where they were. They are vicious,” she said.
“People have been after those dogs for a long, long time . She blamed for the thefts as the paper had named her as the dogs’ owner, which had alerted people to the identity of the dogs in the pound, she said… . I feel maybe they are going to use them to breed…
It is understood the thieves cut through a wire fence to gain access to the city dog pound on Saturday night.”
She did not believe the dogs were a threat to the public, adding she had received hate mail since it was revealed they had attacked Mrs Shaw.
The council’s environmental and services director William Watt said it was a “planned commando attack”. They then used boltcutters to gain access to the locked main enclosure and locked cages holding the dogs. “I think security is a problem. “I think security is a problem. It’s a facility that’s been there for a number of years.”
Responding to claims the dogs should have been destroyed immediately, Mr Watt said the council had been unable to do so because the owner had not given permission. The dogs were being held in the pound pending court action to get them destroyed, Mr Watt said.

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Body identified as missing Alaskan

Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Oamaru Police have confirmed the body found close to the Kakanui River mouth earlier today is that of a missing Alaskan man.
Sergeant Tony Woodbridge said the dead man had been identified as 20-year-old Sean Francis Lawson of Alaska.
His body was found on the south beach close to the mouth of the Kakanui River around 7am earlier today.
Mr Lawson's family wished to thank the search and rescue volunteers and the Kakanui community for their help in locating their son, he said.
"The matter has now been handed on to the Coroner's Office and police will be assisting with any ongoing enquiries," he said. .
"The matter has now been handed on to the Coroner's Office and police will be assisting with any ongoing enquiries.

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Cloak with a history comes home to Te Papa

Thursday, 19 February 2009

MAARTEN HOLL/
OUT OF THE CLOSET: Angela Ewing gifted a cloak given to her father in the 1950s to Te Papa. The historic garment had been hanging in the back of a cupboard.

Angela Ewingalways knew her British father's Maori cloak was special.
Covered in kiwi and kaka feathers, with a solitary kereru feather, the cloak, say museum experts is an unusual and distinctive taonga.
"I just didn't know how special", she said as she gave it back to New Zealand at Te Papa yesterday.
Ms Ewing, a Londoner visiting relatives in New Zealand, said her father came to this country on exchange as a teacher in 1953.
Though its origins are unknown, it is believed to have had an illustrious history, even adorning a prime minister's shoulders.
After working in Dannevirke, he was given the cloak, or korowai, by a colleague surnamed Walker and was able to take it out of New Zealand without trouble.
She thought her father had an idea of the cloak's significance but said he gave it to her when he next travelled to Asia.
Mr Walker was apparently a wrestler, and the cloak had been given to him by New Zealand's first Labour prime minister, Michael Joseph Savage, who shared a love of the sport, Ms Ewing said..
"I've been meaning to give it back for at least 20 years . it's just been stuck in a cupboard," she said.. Ms Ewing was presented with a greenstone necklace after she gave back the cloak. .
Te Papa planned to include the cloak in a publication in the next 18 months, as well as a public exhibition within four years, Mr Hakiwai said.
The stories and history of the cloak she had shared would help to track down its origins, he said.
Marks of the weaver were clear, from a series of small triangles in one corner to the solitary kereru feather.
Maori curator Awhina Tamarapa said the cloak was especially distinctive as it was decorated with three columns of feathers with tassels in between, and staff had dubbed it a "feather korowai".

. Further research would be done to try to locate the cloak's origins

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Mangere fire victims still seriously ill

Thursday, 08 January 2009

/The
FLORAL TRIBUTE: Flowers outside the burned Mangere house, in memory of the four children who died there.

Twovictims of a fire that killed four children remained in hospital with serious burns as the mother of two of the children who died flew to Auckland to join the grieving extended family.
Mr and MrsEvile were burned as they tried frantically to rescue their trapped children from the house but were beaten back by the intense heat, blinding smoke and flames.
Fetu Evile, 39, who lost a daughter and grandson in the Mangere house fire on Tuesday, was discharged from hospital yesterday but her husband, Misi Evile, 50, is still in a stable condition in Middlemore Hospital.
Yesterday, police named the children who died.
Mrs Evile's 19-year-old son, who was also caught up in the fire, is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
The fire started when a pot of hot oil used to cook chips was left on the stove and burst into flames, which spread rapidly through the small brick house.
They were Mrs Evile's 15-year-old daughter Brenda Simati, her one-year-old grandson Tyreece Simati, and Mr Evile's two daughters, Taua Evile, 11, and Mia Evile, 8.
She planned to visit her daughters at a Mangere funeral home and also wanted to visit the scene of the fire.
The mother of the Evile sisters, Helen, arrived in Auckland yesterday from Christchurch, where she lived with the girls.
The girls had been staying with their father for the holidays. Yesterday a tribute of soft toys and flowers was placed outside the charred shell of the house.
Mr Ponifasio said MrEvile had to undergo surgery for a second time yesterday.
Life Church pastor Lui Ponifasio said it was possible their bodies would be taken back to Christchurch for burial.
Mrs Evile's 19-year-old son was having difficulty breathing and his face and back were badly burned. He had burns to the back of his head, torso and legs.
The fire had prompted 30 residents who lived nearby to ask the Fire Service to install smoke alarms in their homes.
Mr Ponifasio said family members were still traumatised by what had happened but were getting over the initial shock.
Despite findings by Fire Service investigators that there was no evidence that working smoke alarms were installed in the Sau house, Mr Thompson said he had twice visited the house in the past 10 years. .

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The first time was to install smoke alarms and the second was to replace batteries

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Police name dead Chch taxi driver

Saturday, 06 December 2008

RICHARD COSGROVE/
NASTY SCENE: The body of taxi driver Abdulrahman Ikhtiari lies in Worcester St just east of the intersection of Barbadoes in Christchurch after he was murdered in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police hunt taxi killers

Taxi drivers consider protective screens

Christchurch police are hunting for two people seen running from the scene of a fatal stabbing of a taxi driver in Christchurch early on Saturday.
The 39-year-old driver, originally from Afghanistan, died where he was stabbed in Barbadoes Street near Worcester St in central Christchurch shortly after midnight. .
Police namedhim as married father-of-five Abdulrahman Ikhtiari, police said.
They were described as in their mid-20s, about 1.
He was found lying dead near his taxi about 1am and witnesses told police they had seen two men running from the scene, heading east.8m tall, both with dark skin, of medium athletic build with short dark hair.
He was found lying dead near his taxi about 1am and witnesses told police they had seen two men running from the scene, heading east. One man was wearing a white bandanna or cap and dark clothing, and the other was wearing a white top and dark trousers.
A post mortem was due to be held later today and police appealed for information from anyone who may know the killers or details that would help.
Police cordoned off the scene today and put up the tent over his body to protect the area while they hunted for clues.
The dead man was described by his work colleagues as a "lovely guy" and a peaceful family man.
The Christchurch taxi industry was shocked at the news.
Police have said little about the killing.
Police have said little about the killing.
"He was a peaceful man.
Manager Lynne Ellwood it was bad news and had upset all the drivers in the fleet. I knew this driver for a long time."
"It is a sad time for all of us."
Others in the industry said it was "a dirty business" and taxi companies would have to start thinking about providing protection for their drivers. He was a really nice, quiet family man.
He said drivers on the night shift knew there was a risk and knew not to do anything to upset people.
One worker in the industry who did not want to be named, said the driver would not have been antagonising or provoking the people who stabbed him.
Johnson said it was "a tragic crime which someone will know or have been told about.
"It's a dirty business and it is not getting any better," he said.
Policeappealedto anyone with information about this crime to contact the Christchurch police on 3637400.
Policeappealedto anyone with information about this crime to contact the Christchurch police on 3637400.
– with

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Hunted man nabbed

By MICHELLE DUFF – Manawatu Standard Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Manawatu Standard
CALL OUT: A man handed himself after police received calls about a man wielding a gun in Palmerston North.

A slug gun-wielding young man sparked an armed police callout in Palmerston North last night before handing himself in at a cordon less than half an hour later.
Police set up a road block stretching between Malden and McGregor streets in Milson Line about 6.
Senior Sergeant Brett Amas, of Palmerston North police, said a call had been received from an address on Milson Line, where the man was involved in a domestic incident.30pm, after it was reported a young man could be on the loose with a slug gun.
But the man then ran out the back entrance of the property, and his family feared he had taken another slug gun with him out onto the street, Mr Amas said.
It appeared the man had produced a slug gun during the argument, which was then wrestled off him by a family member.
"It was removed by a family member, but it was believed he may be in possession of another one. Charges had not yet been laid last night. .

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Festival-goer faces bus theft charge

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

A ToastMartinboroughreveller was left with more than just a hangover after allegedly stealing a bus, only to crash it moments later and fall flat on his face in front of security guards.
Sunday's festivities, which drew 10,000 wine and food lovers, were drawing to a close when the man commandeered a Transit bus at Martinborough Square after its driver got off to talk to a supervisor, police said.
With six people still on the bus, the man jumped into the driver's seat and took off, Sergeant Caroline Watson said.
The bus hit a traffic bollard, ripping it from its foundations.
The bus was driven around Martinborough Square, but the man at the wheel – who was said to have drunk his fair share of the 12,666 bottles of wine swilled that day – failed to take a corner.
The driver then allegedly tried to run but tripped and fell, directly in front of a passing car of security guards. The man continued driving along Kitchener St before ramming a bus-stop sign, Ms Watson said. .

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‘Boobs’ parade ends at Parliament (+pics)

By MICHAEL FOX and CLIO FRANCIS – Friday, 07 November 2008

NICKI PARSONS/The
BOOBS IN CAPITAL: The controversial Boobs on Bikes parade took to the streets of Wellington today.

Boobs at Parliament

View photos (Caution: nudity)

Thousands of people thronged the capital's central business district today for the inaugural Wellington Boobs on Bikes parade.
Naked News presenter Lisa Lewis, clad in snug a Lions uniform, was seen on the back of a ute, courting attention amongst the throng of expectant bystanders.
Onlookers and amateur photographers jostled for prime viewing positions and most seemed to be enjoying the views of 20 topless females on the back of bikes.
"It should happen more often.
Onlooker Liam Cain, 19, said the parade was "fantastic, bro".
Construction workers at the Supreme Court stopped work and wolf-whistled in excitement as the half-naked passengers roared past."
Along the parade route, a cross-section of society could be seen making the most of the occasion including schoolboys, businessmen, mothers with prams and the South Korean girls Under-17 soccer team.
David and Suzanne Jackett were also impressed by the parade and said they were already looking forward to next year.
Green MP Sue Kedgley campaigned forlornly on Lambton Quay, holding a Greens placard, as the attention of the crowd instead focussed on the main event.
Suzanne said she had also enjoyed it and had taken plenty or photos for keepsakes.
"Auckland has had it for years and its time that we caught up – and it was a lovely day for it," David said.
Parade organisers defied orders from the Office of the Speaker not to enter Parliaments grounds, in spite of a heavy police presence.
"I wouldn't mind sitting on the back myself but I'm a bit old now," she said.
Beehive staffers could be seen peering out the windows as the excited crowd stormed up the hill at Parliament to gain a good vantage point.
The models dismounted their bikes and walked side by side with organiser Steve Crow to the statue of Premier Richard Seddon where they posed for the cameras of the excited crowd.
When informed by that the parade, minus the bikes, had made it on to Parliament grounds, The Family Party leader Richard Lewis said it was"an affront to the traditional values of our country.
Porn Star Evan Stone, who participated in the parade, ventured on to Parliament's steps to the cheers of the crowd before being escorted off by security.
"He's waved his finger at the New Zealand public before and he'll do it again."
"It reflects the kind of guy Mr Crow is.
A spokesman from the Speaker's office told Crow all requests to use the grounds for commercial purposes were declined."
The Family Party had earlier this week laid a complaint with the Speaker's office about Crow's plans to take Boobs on Bikes to Parliament. .
Crow had previously told the the parade was a "freedom of expression" ride.