Two a penny

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A 25-year-old man has been arrested following an hour-long police pursuit of a stolen bread delivery truck through the Manawatu overnight.

The incident began in Foxton shortly before 3am, when a bread delivery man had his truck stolen by a man wielding a hammer, central police communications Inspector Paul Jermy said.

Shortly afterwards, police spotted the truck on State Highway 1, south of Foxton and attempted to stop it.

Despite the tyres deflating, the driver continued driving and the chase returned to SH1. .

The pursuit lasted an hour and five minutes – but did not exceed 110kmh as the truck was incapable of travelling any faster, Mr Jermy said.

The driver eventually stopped when the truck became more difficult to control.

A 25-year-old Palmerston North man had been arrested and faced numerous charges, including breach of bail, dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving whilst forbidden and robbery.

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Wellington relinquished rugby’s Ranfurly Shield in timid fashion when finishing a poor second to Canterbury at Westpac Stadium tonight. . The writing was daubed on the wall in thick red ink by halftime when Canterbury had powered their way to a 26-0 lead, leaving the home side gasping for breath as they searched for answers. Wellington captain Jacob Ellison said the memory of such a comprehensive defeat would linger for a long time. There were none, however, because Canterbury continued to apply all the pressure in the second half as well to regain the shield for the first time since 2007. We didn’t fire a shot and up front we were not too happy. “We won’t forget that one, it will hurt us deep. “We just did not fire in the set piece.” His Canterbury opposite George Whitelock could not be accused of hyperbole when he described his team’s performance as “pretty good”. We have to go back to the drawing board and sort it out.” All Blacks first five-eighth Dan Carter accounted for 21 points with his goalkicking return of eight-from-10 attempts, which complemented tries by skipper Whitelock, centre Tim Bateman and replacement hooker Corey Flynn. “We really dug in and showed what we got. Having lifted the shield off Auckland with a stunning 27-0 result last season, Wellington’s tenure ended at four matches after they’d seen off the challenges of Wairarapa Bush, Wanganui, Otago and Auckland. Canterbury were all over Wellington at the set piece, both scrum and lineout, and were too physical for the home side at the breakdown where they turned over possession regularly. They were not even in the contest tonight, finding themselves on the back foot from the outset as Canterbury threw themselves into their work. They were not even in the contest tonight, finding themselves on the back foot from the outset as Canterbury threw themselves into their work. Whitelock scored in the 19th minute when Wellington attempted to run their way out of trouble, only to see wing David Smith swallowed up by red and black jerseys just out from his own line. The Canterbury loose forwards trio of Whitelock, Michael Paterson and All Black Richie McCaw swamped the home side in the tackle, and backed up by their tight forwards, the visitors had both the intent and the numbers to call the shots. Canterbury’s superior scrum gave them a solid launching pad in the last minute of the half and they made it count when Bateman scored after accepting a clever offload from second five-eighth Ryan Crotty, who attracted three defenders. The Canterbury forwards arrived en mass and Whitelock emerged with the ball. Wellington continued to play a bit-part role in the match despite late tries to Hosea Gear and Ma’a Nonu which could not hide their deficiencies. The challengers stayed on top during the third quarter, even if they had only one Carter penalty to show for it until replacement hooker Corey Flynn used his low body position to burrow over the tryline from a ruck.

. Canterbury’s intensity had slipped by this stage and the Wellington backs appreciated the open space as a breakout by Smith ended with Gear crossing before lock Daniel Ramsay surged down the right-hand touchline before popping a delicate overhead pass to Nonu

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A tearful 12-year-old girl’s interview about a sexual assault arranged by her father for $40 was all lies to get him in trouble, she told a court today.

The girl, who has name suppression, was the first of five children to give evidence at the High Court at Auckland via CCTV from an adjacent room.

She earlier fled from the room while her police interview was being played to the court, and the jury retired until she was found. He then forced her to go to the men, who placed her up against a wall in a Farmer’s car park and held her there.

During her police interview in September 2007, the girl said she saw her father talking to three men at McDonald’s in Manukau. .

She described one man who masturbated against her, while another man held her down and kissed her neck.

She said her father eventually got out of his car and told them to stop.

“He told me to get in the car and put my head down and stop crying. One of them said “she was good”, the girl said. My dad was really drunk,” she said. He told me not to tell anyone about what happened.

“I don’t want to be with him.

He was paid $40 then spent the cash on cannabis in Otahuhu after his daughter’s ordeal was over. I’m not safe with him,” she said. I’m not safe with him,” she said.

She said she did not know.

Mr Borich asked the girl if she made up the story because she said during the police interview that she wanted her father to go to jail. They have eight children.

Her 37-year-old father and 33-year-old mother, who both have name suppression, are charged with three counts of assault on a child, eight charges of cruelty to a child and one charge of intentional damage to a Housing New Zealand home in Manurewa. He is also charged with two counts of assault on his children.

The man is also charged with sexual conduct with his then 12-year-old daughter and injuring her with intent by inflicting repeated blows with a broom.

The cruelty charges include wilfully ill-treating the eight children in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering, physical and mental abuse, generating a climate of fear, providing unsuitable housing, causing and maintaining poor hygiene and allowing them to go hungry. All charges related to events between January 2005 and September 2007.

During her interview in September 2007, the girl spoke about the drinking and drug habits of her mother and father.

The man pleaded guilty to one assault charge, while all other charges are denied. Afterwards, he gets ‘mental as’ and beats us up for no reason. Afterwards, he gets ‘mental as’ and beats us up for no reason. Sometimes he tells me to go up between the ceiling and the roof. I’ve been up there for two days nearly every week this year. I just have to lie down and I’m not allowed to make any noise. I get water but no food. I do a toilet up there too,” she said.

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LATEST:
Flight of the Conchords has received an Emmy nomination for best comedy series.

One half of the comedy duo, Jemaine Clement, has also been nominated for best actor in a comedy.

30 Rock picked up a leading 22 primetime nominations, including best comedy, best actress for its star and creator Tina Fey, and best actor for Alec Baldwin who all took home Emmys last year.

Nominations for United States’ television’s highest honours were announced overnight, with Tina Fey comedy 30 Rock and 1960s period drama Mad Men leading the list.

Another AMC show, Breaking Bad, was also among the drama and best actor nods.

But in a list that reflected the move of some of TV’s best writers to cable channels, last year’s winner Mad Men on AMC seized 16 nominations, including best drama, best actor and four of the five picks for writing.

“We don’t repeat ourselves, which every season gets a lot harder,” he said.

Mad Men creator Matt Weiner told that his writing staff worked hard to take the characters to deeper human levels each season.”

The number of nominations was expanded this year, allowing new contenders like the HBO polygamy series Big Love, AMC’s Breaking Bad, CBS comedy How I Met your Mother and HBO’s Flight of the Conchords to grab a piece of the Emmy action in a contest often criticised for getting stale. “You try to bring in new stuff and in a weird way, we’re getting better at it all the time.

“There is so much good work, we have really recognised the diversity on television today,” said John Shaffner, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, which gives out the Emmys. . Broadcaster NBC earned 67 nominations, followed by ABC (55), CBS (49) and Fox (42).

Among networks, cable channel HBO lead with 99 nominations, while Showtime had 29 and AMC 23. But the fresh faces meant some old favourites were snubbed.

OUT WITH OLD, IN WITH NEW

The Academy said 41 of the 83 nominations for comedy and drama programs for the June 2008-May 2009 season were different from the previous year.

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Kiefer Sutherland of 24 got a single miniseries acting nomination for Fox’s 24: Redemption special, while Katherine Heigl of Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) got nothing despite supporting actress recognition for co-stars Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson

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A medical student who overcame a learning disability and was on his way to achieving his childhood goal of becoming a doctor has died after contracting meningitis.

Zac Gravatt, 22, died in Auckland City Hospital on Wednesday night, after being suddenly struck down by the disease.

The British-born trainee doctor had turned 22 less than a week earlier.

On the day he died, he rang his father, Lance Gravatt, to say he was so sick couldn’t sit up.

He had overcome dyslexia to get into medical school and was just two years away from becoming a doctor. . “I said to take fluid and Panadol and see a doctor,” a devastated Mr Gravatt told the New Zealand Herald.

Lance Gravatt said his son would be remembered as a “full-on” person with a love of parties, who had put in all the extra work to overcome his learning difficulties.

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Zac Gravatt’s funeral is due to be held in Auckland on Tuesday

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Two teenagers have pleaded guilty to bashing to death a New Zealand man at a Sydney sporting oval.

The offenders, who were 16 at the time of the man’s death in 2007, were originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in the NSW Supreme Court.

A court had previously been told Christopher Leichester, 20, was on his way to a party in Woolooware in Sydney’s south on November 24, 2007.

According to a police statement of facts, Mr Leichester suffered a severed artery between his brain and central nervous system.

As the New Zealander crossed an oval he was set upon by a group of teenage boys who punched him to the ground and kicked him several times in the head.

Court documents revealed the attack appeared to have occurred because the teenagers mistakenly believed Mr Leichester had abused them a short time earlier. .

But a witness told police it was two other men who chased and hurled abuse at the teenagers’ car.

– AAP

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Both youths remain in custody

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A morbidly obese fraudster who argues he needs specialised medical treatment that can’t be provided in prison has lost his bid to be freed while he awaits further court action.

Max Heslehurst, who has been reported as weighing close toly 200kg, was earlier this year found guilty on 41 counts of fraud and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison a term partly reduced as a result of his obesity-related health problems.

But Heslehurst widely known as Mad Max or Fat Max has appealed the convictions, saying a note outlining one or more of his previous convictions was mistakenly handed to the jury. . He applied for permission to await the appeal’s outcome at home.

It was reported at the time of his sentencing in May that his obesity meant other prisoners had to help with his personal hygiene when he used the toilet.

Heslehurst had been found guilty by a South Auckland jury of fleecing at least 30 victims across the North Island of $344,000.

Meyrick told the Sunday Star-Times he would not appeal Heslehurst’s failed bail application to the Supreme Court, but his client’s condition meant he was “degraded” in the prison setting.

Heslehurst reportedly duped his victims including a solo mother, a dentist, a racedog trainer and a group of Hamilton bankers by offering to sell them cars or televisions for bargain prices. He did not believe the Corrections Department was equipped to care for prisoners like Heslehurst who effectively had a disability. But there were no televisions or cars.

He told one of his victims he could get seven wide-screen televisions cheaply because they had belonged to failed finance company Bridgecorp and were to be auctioned the next day. A treatment plan was in place which “covers all aspects of his healthcare needs and he has an appointment scheduled with a cardiovascular specialist at Auckland Hospital shortly”.

In opposing bail, counsel for the Crown said health workers were monitoring Heslehurst’s condition daily. There was also an emergency care plan to transport him to hospital if necessary. There was also an emergency care plan to transport him to hospital if necessary.

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She added that evidence from Corrections Department health bosses suggested Heslehurst’s health needs were not enough to “tip the scales” in favour of granting bail

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An inquest into the death of a loader driver on a Taranaki farm has been adjourned after the coroner took the unusual step of urging the Department of Labour to reconsider laying charges.

The inquest into the death of Paul Edwin Orin Robinson, 36, of Tapawera, 58km south-west of Nelson, was due to be heard in the New Plymouth Coroner’s Court yesterday.

She told the court she was “surprised” no charges had been laid by the department and put Mr Robinson’s former employers, Nelson-based South Pacific Movements Ltd, as well as the owners of the land where the fatal accident happened “on notice” that they might need to take legal advice. .

Forestry workers jumped into the water in an unsuccessful attempt to save their trapped colleague.

Mr Robinson died after his machine tumbled off a farm bridge and into the Mohakatino River, near Mokau, in June last year.

Ms Nagara said she was not prepared to proceed with the inquest, given the amount of evidence she had in front of her, and was concerned that proceeding with the hearing could prejudice the case.

Farm owner Ben Hutchinson was cleared in December of any blame, following an investigation by the Department of Labour, while no charges were laid against South Pacific Movements Ltd.

“The features of this case are such that I’m surprised that charges were not laid.

“I don’t consider I would do Paul any justice if I was to rush it [inquest] through,” she said.

Mrs Gichard then asked if the coroner had fresh evidence that the department was not in possession of.”

Department of Labour health and safety inspector Gail Gichard responded in court by telling the coroner that the case had been extensively peer reviewed before the decision not to lay charges was made.

“My concern is very much to do justice to Paul and get to the bottom of what happened,” she said, before adding that it was a difficult decision to adjourn the case, knowing that a number of Mr Robinson’s family had travelled from Nelson.

Ms Nagara responded that she was not prepared to discuss that in open court.

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Mrs Robinson said she did not want to comment on the coroner’s decision until after the case was closed.

Barbara Robinson, Paul’s mother, said after the adjournment that she “just wanted closure” to the case.

“The next step will be to discuss a number of issues with the coroner, and that’s pretty much as far as I can go,” he said.

Department of Labour Taranaki manager Brett Murray was also reluctant to talk about the decision.”

South Pacific Movements Ltd director Anthony Bamford, of Nelson, was not available for comment. “I don’t really want to say any more until I’ve discussed it with her.

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New car rescue method tested

Monday, 16 February 2009

Crash victims trapped in cars could have a better chance of survival, with the fire service testing a new method of pulling wrecks apart.
Five fire stations in Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Porirua areas with some of the highest front-impact-crash rates are involved in the trial.
It involves anchoring the wreck to a tree or truck before chains attached to the fire truck's hydraulic system pull away sections of the vehicle as its roof and door pillars are cut with the jaws of life.
Masterton station officer and trial coordinator Garry Nielsen said the rescue method was revolutionary.
A Masterton firefighter was sent to Norway last year to learn the new technique, which was tested in Wairarapa last week at a bad car crash. This is ground-breaking. "In the past, the techniques we have used could take up to an hour or more to free someone. We can have them out in 15 minutes. Every second is critical. For every 10 minutes someone is trapped, there is 10 per cent less chance of survival. ."
On Wednesday, Greytown firefighters used the chains to free a 74-year-old woman trapped in her car after it crashed into a bridge on Cape Palliser Rd close to Ngawi.

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If the trial is successful, it will be rolled out nationwide at a cost of about $500 per set of chains for each rescue fire-truck

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Cop had ‘seconds’ to decide

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Aformer top policeman who led a team in one of New Zealand's most infamous gun battles has backed the police involved in a fatal motorway shootout.
As debate rages about whether the police officer who fired the shot that killed 17-year-old courier driver Halatau Naitoko should be prosecuted, former armed offenders boss Murray Forbes has urged critics to lay off the police.
Mr Forbes, who led the team that killed mass murderer David Gray at Aramoana, close to Dunedin, in 1990, said the officer who fired the shot in Auckland on Friday had only a few seconds to make a decision. It happens so quick and it's all very well us talking about it a few days later, but he only had a few seconds to make a decision.
"The officer clearly thought the gunman was a danger. It was a huge mistake and the officer has to wear that.
"It would be devastating for the police. Whether it was justified, they've still got to wear it. But he should lose his job if it was proved he was "drastically wrong"."
It would be wrong to prosecute the officer, he said. Former police inspector and MP Ross Meurant also wanted the officer charged.
Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka said that, though the incident was not premeditated, it was still an unlawful killing. "I don't see how the Naitoko family are going to get any form of justice in this situation.
"In my dictionary, that means manslaughter," Mr Maka said.
"I think most New Zealanders would like to think that a law-abiding citizen, minding their own business, could not be shot to death by police in this country. .
"He'll be feeling guilty, he'll be full of remorse, he'll be second-guessing himself and he'll be wondering what impact this will have on his family. The incident would stay with him for the rest of his life. It doesn't take it away.
"These officers are extremely highly trained, but the training only reduces the risk.
The authority is called in to investigate whenever police have caused or appear to have caused a death or serious injury while carrying out their duties."
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has started an investigation, but a spokesman said he did not know how long it would take. The chairwoman is a high court judge.
The authority is independent from the police.