Two a penny

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The Office of the Auditor-General says there are no grounds for an inquiry into Finance Minister Bill English’s housing arrangements. .

The Auditor-General’s conclusions were predictable, Mr English says.

“Importantly, the Auditor-General concludes that the current parliamentary system is designed to establish whether an MP maintains a current residence outside Wellington, rather than where an MP lives in an everyday sense.

“I welcome the Auditor-General’s confirmation that I correctly completed my declarations and provided other information as required to claim Wellington accommodation costs.

The report called for a “simple and sensible” system for providing MPs and Ministers with support for the costs of their accommodation while in Wellington.

Mr English came under fire after it was disclosed he received more than $900 a week in allowances while living in his family home in Karori, twice what he was able to claim for living in the same house as an Opposition MP.

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The former partner of deceased Napier gunman Jan Molenaar has described her relationship with him as “awesome” but also one where he bullied her.

In Napier District Court today Delwyn Keefe, 44, gave evidence during a disputed facts hearing in front of Justice John Wild.

The dispute centres on a three-hour video interview Keefe gave on the morning of May 20 to Detective Todd Lee at the Napier police station.

The Crown says Keefe admitted during the interview to selling cannabis, in quantities up to ounces, continually over five years. The interview covered her relationship with Molenaar as well as cannabis selling at the address. The Crown says it came from the sale of cannabis.

Five-thousand Australian dollars were found at Molenaar’s Chaucer Rd address.

Keefe told the court she only sold the cannabis because Molenaar bullied her into it..

“He would get very angry . He would say ‘You do as you are told,’ so I would do it.. She sold cannabis on the “odd occasion”, in small amounts, usually tinnies, and on three occasions sold half-ounces of cannabis.”

Molenaar would arrange and order her to do deliveries when she got home.

Cannabis was not sold continually at the address because Molenaar had employment at various times and did not need to sell cannabis.

Cannabis was not sold continually at the address because Molenaar had employment at various times and did not need to sell cannabis.

She described her relationship with him as “awesome”. She had her own income and the Australian currency found at the address had come from her earnings. He was my best friend .

“He was an awesome person… . He was honest and kind. During the interview she was “emotional” and had not answered questions “properly”. She had expected to go down to the station to sign papers so she could move back into the Chaucer Rd house.

The shooting sparked a two-day siege that ended when police forced their way in and found Molenaar dead from a gunshot wound, believed to have been self-inflicted.

The shooting sparked a two-day siege that ended when police forced their way in and found Molenaar dead from a gunshot wound, believed to have been self-inflicted.

Keefe was later charged with offering to sell cannabis and possession of cannabis for supply at the house on the day of the shooting, and selling cannabis over a period of more than five years.

Keefe was remanded on bail for sentencing on December 4. Justice Wild will review the tapes of the police interview in the meantime before making a decision on the established facts.

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Two men have been charged with murdering 17-year-old Kaine Lewis in the Bay of Plenty town Murupara earlier this month.

A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old were due to appear in Rotorua District Court later today, acting area commander Inspector Greg Sparrow said.They had both been previously charged with participating in a criminal group activity.”Obviously we are pleased that we have been able to reach a point where we can charge two people with murder. .”This was a serious incident which has had a significant impact on the Murupara community. We are continuing to speak with a number of other people who may have been involved.”Mr Lewis was beaten and dumped on a driveway of a Murupara house, where he was found dying on October 3.”There was a vehicle involved but we don’t believe it was serious enough to cause those injuries,” Mr Sparrow said.He had extensive head injuries but Mr Sparrow would not say whether a weapon was involved. In January Jordan Herewini, 16, was run down by a vehicle allegedly driven by a gang member now facing a murder charge.Mr Lewis was the second teenager to die in Murupara gang violence in nine months.

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An online sex shop has sold New Zealand’s first gold sex toy for a big figure sum to a South Island woman.

The 18 karat gold vibrator, called Yva by Lelo, was custom made by a Swedish company and flown in especially for the anonymous buyer.

The modernist sex toy sold for $2,229 and is only the second sold in Australasia.co.

Sexgear.

“This really is the pièce de résistance of all vibrators so we were surprised to find that it had been sold during a time when money is supposedly so tight”.nz brand manager Natalie Blakemore said the company had been “stunned” to sell the piece in the midst of the recession.

“Every day you hear messages of doom and gloom about the recession, but we are yet to feel the effects.

Ms Blackmore said the secret to the company’s success was the growing popularity of buying online along with the privacy and discretion it offered customers.”

The company had experienced 130 per cent growth in sales since last year, she said.

“In these difficult times, no matter how tough it’s been at the office, it’s good to go home to a nice bed — and a little intimacy.

“On a more personal level, we’re fortunate that the products we sell make people happy and increase the level of closeness and pleasure in their lives.

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The jury in the former MP Taito Phillip Field trial have finished their deliberations for the day and retired for the evening, following a day of disruption by Maori protestors.

The six-woman, four-man jury deciding the case at the High Court in Auckland retired for the night about 4.

Earlier in the day Judge Hansen was nearing the end of his summary of the case when the mentried to address the court.45pm, a little over four hours after Justice Rodney Hansen asked them to begin their deliberations. Journalists in the court said the six men leftthe courtroom and police arrived.

Justice Hansen would not allowthem to continue and adjourned for 15 minutes. He described the interuption as most regrettable, but stressed to the jury that it had nothing to do with Field and had no implications to their decision making.

Justice Hansen returned and told the jury, “so near and yet so far”.

He said he had chosen the Field trial because the ex-MP was “tangata whenua”.

After court resumed, one of the men in the group,Tass Davis -part of what he called the Mauri Nation State Hapu – said the time had come to tell Prime Minister John Key andMaori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples that the justice system was unfair.” This, he said, meant they were not binding. .

The75-year-old former Auckland police constable said at the time that he expected between 300 and 400 Maori would be involved in the non-violent campaign.

In June, Mr Davis -an uncle of Maori Party MP Hone Harawira -announced a planned campaign of civil disobedience where they would target the homes of high-profile judges and occupy courtrooms to draw attention to their bid for a Maori sovereign nation.

“The judge instructed people to have me removed.

Another of today’s group,Roger Tozer – who labelled himself a Christian peacemaker and prophet – said hehad beenevicted by Judge Hansen. So I told him [the judge] that if he tried to do that, if he carried through with what he was threatening, to evict a senior kaumatua, then he could be removed from his position as Judge,” Mr Tozer said. Then the police tried to evict me from the building.”

Mr Tozer said the Crown had not upheld its promises to the native people.

“The Crown has been acting treasonally in many ways.

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The funeral service for Te Papa chief executive Seddon Bennington, who died tramping in the Tararuas, will be held at the museum where he worked this week.

Dr Bennington, 61, and his tramping companion Marcella Jackson, 54, were found dead in the snow in the Tararua Ranges shortly before 11am on Wednesday, four days after they went missing.

The marae will be closed to the public during this time, Te Papa spokeswoman Jane Keig said.

The funeral service for Dr Bennington will be held at Rongomaraeroa, Te Papa’s marae, on Wednesday at 1pm.

Dr Bennington’s body would remain on the marae overnight until the end of the funeral service, Ms Keig said.

However, Dr Bennington’s casket would be brought onto the marae at 4pm on Tuesday and those wishing to pay their respects would be able to do so until 10pm. A preliminary post mortem showed Dr Bennington and Mrs Jackson died of hypothermia.

Dr Bennington’s family thanked the Levin police and the search and rescue teams involved in the recovery operations.

After more than two days of searching, their bodies were found about 1km from the hut. The pair had headed into the ranges for a weekend tramp to Kime Hut but failed to return as planned on Sunday. .

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The funeral service for Te Papa chief executive Seddon Bennington, who died tramping in the Tararuas, will be held at the museum where he worked this week.

Dr Bennington, 61, and his tramping companion Marcella Jackson, 54, were found dead in the snow in the Tararua Ranges shortly before 11am on Wednesday, four days after they went missing.

The marae will be closed to the public during this time, Te Papa spokeswoman Jane Keig said.

The funeral service for Dr Bennington will be held at Rongomaraeroa, Te Papa’s marae, on Wednesday at 1pm.

Dr Bennington’s body would remain on the marae overnight until the end of the funeral service, Ms Keig said.

However, Dr Bennington’s casket would be brought onto the marae at 4pm on Tuesday and those wishing to pay their respects would be able to do so until 10pm. A preliminary post mortem showed Dr Bennington and Mrs Jackson died of hypothermia.

Dr Bennington’s family thanked the Levin police and the search and rescue teams involved in the recovery operations.

After more than two days of searching, their bodies were found about 1km from the hut. The pair had headed into the ranges for a weekend tramp to Kime Hut but failed to return as planned on Sunday. .

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There is “little doubt” that Clayton Weatherston ‘dissociated’ during his lethal stabbing attack on Sophie Elliott, the chief mental health advisor says.

Evidence has also emerged that it “may not be unreasonable to believe”

Weatherston’s heightened dose of Prozac in the days before he killed Elliott “played a part in this tragic event”.

The national Director of Mental Health Dr David Chaplow is giving evidence at the High Court in Christchurch in Weatherston’s trial for the murder of Elliott.

Chaplow said he had twice examined Weatherston and interviewed family and close friends and had listened to evidence in court.

Weatherston admits killing his ex-girlfriend at her Dunedin home on January 9 last year, but says he is guilty only of manslaughter, because he was provoked. .

“Practically everything that I have seen support my previous opinion,” Chaplow said.

“I am mindful that one of the character trait of the narcissist is the propensity for ‘narcissistic rage’ when frustrated or humiliated,” he said.

“There is little doubt that he ‘dissociated’ during the frenzied attack on Sophie,” Chaplow said.

In the moments prior to the killing, comments Weatherston claimed Elliott had said to him denigrating his mother and knocking off his glasses “all summated in rage against Sophie”. This can be a normal state of behaviour during high stress.

“Dissociation is a mental mechanism whereby behaviour is ‘dissociated’ from feeling.

“Symptoms of agitation, known as ‘akathisia’, are often associated with this type of medication and occasionally with associated ‘rage-reactions’ and/or suicidal or homicidal propensities,” Chaplow said.”

Chaplow said Weatherston claimed to have increased his normal dosage of Prozac from 20mg to 60mg on each of the three days prior to the killing.

Weatherston’s increased doseage probably did hyper-arouse him and disrupt his sleep.

Weatherston’s increased doseage probably did hyper-arouse him and disrupt his sleep.

“It may not be unreasonable to believe that the excess medication played a part.

Weatherston was, however, a vulnerable character with characteristics of anxiety, obsessionality and narcissism. He agreed he was not a witness called to pass a verdict on the case.”

Chaplow is now under cross-examination from Crown counsel Marie Grills.

JANE AUSTEN ‘ROMANCE’?

Earlier today the court was told how Elliott created a plot for the relationship she had with her killer in which she was Elizabeth Bennet and he was Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

“The only reason we’re here is to assist the ladies and gentleman to make their decision,” Chaplow said.

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LATEST:
Police in Hastings are investigating the deaths of a woman and her two young children after their bodies were discovered earlier today.

The three were found dead in their Rockwood Place home in Haumoana, just before 10am today.

A family member was visiting the house and discovered the bodies.

Police have tonight released the names of the three dead.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave De Lange said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths and police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Mr De Lange said police would be able to confirm their cause of death until post mortems had been complete. They are Melissa Dorward, 31 and her two daughters Keira Watson, 4, and Ellah Watson, age 2. .

“I would stress though that investigations are nowhere close to complete and there is still a lot of work to be done to ascertain how they died and under what circumstances,” Mr de Lange said. It appeared they died in the house.”

Police have been speaking today to various family members and friends of the three dead people.

“Until we can confirm those facts, we are not in a position to confirm any rumour, speculation or other people’s versions of events.

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Eight people have been committed for trial over an alleged multi-million-dollar drug ring operated from within Auckland’s maximum security prison.

A depositions hearing to determine if eight others charged in the same case should also face a high court trial continues in the North Shore District Court next week.

The depositions hearing has been told that inmates in Auckland Prison at Paremoremo ran a importing and manufacturing ring.

The shipments were alleged to have been sent to the homes of associates of prisoners and the pseudoephedrine was used to make P. The operation involved smuggling cold tables containing pseudoephedrine from China inside toothpaste, chocolates and cakes, the New Zealand Herald reported today.

Asian crime figures and several gangs were linked to the operation, including the King Cobras, the Killer Beez, the Head Hunters and the Mongrel Mob.

The accused include inmates Arthur William Taylor, Ulaisi “Rocky” Pulete, Michael Anthony Laumanu, Ernest Tofaeono, Wayne John Clarke, Wanzhe Gui and Fraser Samuel Milham.

Associates outside the prison were charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine by allowing packages of drugs to be sent to their homes.