Two a penny

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A bank customer is being praised by Hamilton police after he responded to a call for help and chased a robber today.

Police said the robber, believed to be unarmed, demanded money from a teller in the Hamilton East branch of the BNZ about 10.

As the robber fled with his money, the teller called for help and a man in a queue behind the robber chased him. .

Detective Dion Bennett said it was a gutsy call by the customer.

He pursued the robber down Grey St but lost him when he turned down an alleyway to the rear of Sacred Heart school, said police.”

Mr Bennett said the customer’s first reaction was impressive.

“He realised something was wrong and turns and gives chase, it was really pleasing.”

However, he said police were also wary about urging people to chase offenders because someone could get hurt.

“We take our hat off to him.

The robber was a medium built Maori or Polynesian, between 180-185cm tall.

Details of how much money the man got were not available.

Mr Bennett said anyone with information on the robber could call him direct on (07) 834 9476. He wore a dark top and dark track pants.

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Air New Zealand today announced a normalised profit after tax of $118 million down 19 per cent on last year.

The airline said it had been hit by a rugged first half of the financial year but the second half had seen dramatic improvement.6 billion, down $58 million or 1.

Operating revenue for the year was $4.6 per cent decrease in demand.2 per cent on the same period last year, with passenger revenue down $74 million on a 7.

“Air New Zealand’s profitability against the backdrop of a global economic meltdown was underpinned by management’s decision to move rapidly ahead of competitors to reduce capacity at the first signs of waning demand and an ability to continue to invest and innovate with confidence.

“This result positions Air New Zealand as one of the top airline performers globally but it falls short of delivering shareholders an appropriate commercial return,” chairman John Palmer said.5 cents per share.”

The Board has declared a fully imputed dividend of 3.

“We will continue to invest in new products, technology and customer service, while keeping a strong focus on reducing costs and becoming even more efficient.

Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe said that while some certainty is provided by hedge positions relating to foreign exchange and fuel price, demand remains difficult to predict.”

“Although there are some early indicators that the slump in travel demand may be showing signs of having bottomed out, it would be naive to think that there won’t be bumps on the road to economic recovery. .

Normalised profit after tax of $118 million
Operating revenue down 1.”

Demand for air travel was stabilising, yields remain under significant pressure, fuel prices have resumed an upward trend and we are unlikely to achieve the same level of net hedging gains, Mr Fyfe said.6 billion
Passenger demand down 7.2pc to $4.6 billion, up 22pc
Final dividend of 3.6pc Net cash position $1.5 cents

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A man, who boasted about being “the youngest don in Christchurch”, was today committed for trial for kidnapping and beating another man.

Tasi Faitala Selini, 29, who police said represented himself as a leading figure in the criminal underworld, was remanded him in custody to a pre-trial conference in the High Court on October 2.

Selini faces 10 charges of kidnap, threatening to kill and assault using an assortment of weapons including a knife, a bar stool, a fire extinguisher, and num-chukkas.

They hung out together, getting up in the afternoons and smoking cannabis.

The alleged victim told the court today of meeting Selini through a friend and moving into his house.

The witness said he was initially impressed by Selini’s stories including him being “the youngest Don in Christchurch”.

They got on well for about a week but then the relationship deteriotated.

He thought this was a reference to “some type of high ranking gang member”.

When the deal went slower than expected the money was used on other expenses and Selini blamed his flatmate and threatened to kill him if his mother was affected. .

The witness said that on February 13 Selini accompanied him as he set off to Brighton to pick up cannabis.

She had also borrowed to provide the money.

The attack continued as they drove across Christchurch to Rolleston and flared when a person Selini was to visit proved to be out.

He said Selini had become “psycho” by then, and threatened him with nunchukkas and repeatedly punched him in the head.

Selini sat in the car making growling noises at him.

Selini sat in the car making growling noises at him.

He and Selini drove to Selini’s mother’s home in Bromley early next day.

Two people visited the house, but did not remark on his state and he said nothing to them about the continuing attack because they were Selini’s friends.

The witness said Selini then cried about it being a jail sentence and got his mother to take him to hospital. The attack continued on the way and at the house Selini stabbed him in the right leg with a knife.”

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Defence counsel Rupert Glover questioned the witness’s evidence about the timings of the travelling and the beating but he replied: “You don’t take notice of times when you have someone yelling and screaming and hitting you

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Former MP Taito Phillip Field will have to wait until next week to find out if he is guilty of criminal charges.

The jury considering Field’s guilt on 35 charges retired for the night at 4.

Justice Rodney Hansen reminded the six women and four men of the jury it was critically important not to speak to anybody else about the case over the weekend. .35pm yesterday and have been considering the case for about 11 hours.

Jurors began deliberations about 12.

He also faces 23 charges of wilfully attempting to obstruct or pervert the course of justice, alleging he tried to derail investigations into his dealings with the Thai tradesmen.

Field faces 12 charges of bribery and corruption as an MP, alleging he accepted work on his homes from Thai tradesmen in return for giving them immigration help.

Earlier in the day a group of Maori protestors occupied a foyer in the Auckland High Court where people were waiting for the verdict in the trial.

The trial before Justice Rodney Hansen is into its 15th week.

As well as protesting, they had been filming their own activities earlier today.

The 30-strong group, calling themselves the Mauri Nation State Hapu, had returned to the court earlier today after six members yesterday halted the trial briefly to protest at the ‘syntax’ of the charges laid against Field.

Police had earlier told the group they must leave the building after they ignored demands not to film and racially abused a court official. Use of cameras in the High Court is banned without permission.

The protestors are led by Tass Davis – an uncle of Maori Party MP Hone Harawira – who in June announced a planned campaign of civil disobedience targeting the homes of high-profile judges and occupying courtrooms to draw attention to the group’s bid for a Maori sovereign nation.

However it seems the group has now been allowed to stay.

By , , with

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The 75-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

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A man was beaten so badly he received two tears to his bowel after he commented that a relative of someone he boarded with in Richmond was chubby, a court has heard.

A trial for Vietnamese nationals Quang Van Nguyen, 50, and Binh Van Tran, 47, opened in the Nelson District Court yesterday.

Nguyen is also charged with assaulting the complainant.

Nguyen and Tran are jointly charged with resulting in grievous bodily harm with intent to another Vietnamese man, Thanh Van Nguyen, 39, on May 27 last year.

After dinner on the evening of May 27, the complainant made a call to Vietnam and spoke with his family in his bedroom.

In his opening address, Crown prosecutor Craig Stevenson said that in April last year, Thanh Van Nguyen was boarding at a Richmond house where the two defendants lived along with the wife of one of the defendants.

Mr Stevenson said the three men were the only ones at home and the complainant was talking with the two accused about family photos of Tran’s when Thanh Van Nguyen made a comment about Tran or a relative looking “somewhat chubby”.

After ending the call, he returned to the lounge area, where both the accused were sitting.

Mr Stevenson said that after that comment was made, Nguyen hit the complainant around his nose and eye with sufficient force to make him feel dizzy. . He was then repeatedly punched and ended up lying on the floor, where he felt a severe blow to his stomach, which he thought had come from someone’s foot.

Thanh Van Nguyen tried to get up and leave the lounge to go to his bedroom but was held back by one of the men.

He did not know who had hit him.

He also received several blows to his shoulder, back and thigh.

The following morning he was still in pain and asked Tran to arrange for him to go to hospital.

Mr Stevenson said Thanh Van Nguyen fainted and, after regaining consciousness, returned to his room in pain.

Mr Stevenson said Tran gave him something to rub on his stomach. He was told he wouldn’t get a doctor’s appointment.

At the hospital, surgeon Graeme Skeggs discovered the complainant had two tears to his bowel consistent with blunt trauma to his stomach. About 3pm or 4pm that day, an ambulance was called and the complainant was taken to Nelson Hospital.

Thanh Van Nguyen spent two weeks in hospital recovering after surgery.

Mr Skeggs also noticed a degree of bruising around the man’s head.

Thanh Van Nguyen said he had commented to Tran that a relative in one of his photos was “as big and fat as you are” and Tran had laughed.

Giving evidence, the complainant told Mr Stevenson that before the assault, they had been having a good time…. I said your skin doesn’t look too healthy.”

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One of the men accused of bashing a New Zealander to death during a brawl in a Bali nightclub is a champion boxer.

The family of 22-year-old Sean Headifen were shocked at the news last night. .
He suffered head and internal injuries and died in his hotel room about 6.
Mr Headifen, a former soldier, was allegedly attacked by 29-year-old Indonesian top- ranked middleweight boxer Andreas Seran at the Bounty Disco in Kuta early on Sunday.
Family friend Colette Drew said officials had told the family they needed to pay about $8000 to bring Mr Headifen back to Palmerston North.30am that day. “What’s going to happen to him if we can’t afford to get him home?”
Seran, along with Doni Suastika, 30, and Nengah Suastika, 34, a bartender and security staff member, are in custody. CCTV footage from the bar showed the men beating Mr Headifen and throwing bottles and glasses at him.
Police said Seran was drunk and became involved in the fight.
Miss Whitburn, 19, was due to leave Indonesia yesterday for her home town of Palmerston North.
Witnesses, including Mr Headifen’s girlfriend Sarah Whitburn, who tried to stop the brawl by jumping on the shoulders of one of the attackers, have also identified the men.
Mrs Drew said the family was feeling desperate knowing that his body was in a hospital morgue in Bali, and they wanted him brought home.
It was still unknown yesterday when the body of Mr Headifen, who served as a peacekeeper in East Timor, would return home.
“Why can’t the Government bring him home and bill us later?” she said.
“Why can’t the Government bring him home and bill us later?” she said.

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The Foreign Affairs Ministry pointed to advice on its website, which says that all costs associated with the death of a New Zealander overseas, including the repatriation of remains and the return of personal effects, were the responsibility of next-of-kin

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Tortured Kiwi sailor’s family awaits justice

By JUDITH HUGHEY Thursday, 19 February 2009

MAARTEN HOLL/
ROB HAMILL: Looks forward to ‘some sort of justice’.

KAING GUEK EAV: Ran torture centre.
Now justice is close as the first United Nations-backed trial of one of the notorious Cambodian leaders gets under way in Phnom Penh.

Thirty years ago Kiwi trans-Atlantic rower Rob Hamill's brother suffered a cruel fate, tortured to death by the brutal Khmer Rouge after his yacht blew off course. He was sailing from Singapore to Bangkok with the yacht's co-owner Stuart Glass, from Canada, and the charterer, British man John Dewhirst.
Kerry Hamill was 28 when he was killed in 1978. This was where Mr Hamill, Mr Dewhirst and possibly 10 or more Westerners, among more than 10,000 Cambodians, were tortured and killed.
On the stand at the trial this week is prison chief "Duch" – real name Kaing Guek Eav – who ran Tuol Sleng, the former primary school that was turned into a torture centre and prison.
Mr Hamill, who represented New Zealand at the Olympics in 1996 and rowed the Atlantic Ocean, setting a world record with Phil Stubbs, plans to go to Cambodia for the trial once it gets under way. Mr Glass was killed when the yacht was captured. He has spent several years trying to find out what happened to his brother.
"We look forward to seeing some sort of justice as far as the family goes," Mr Hamill said."
Four Americans and two Australians are among the Westerners murdered by the Khmer Rouge. "We think the weather blew him off course and he got into territorial waters.
The Tuol Sleng prison, also known as S21, is now visited by most travellers to Phnom Penh.
The regime ruled Cambodia, which they renamed Democratic Kampuchea, from 1975 to 1979, when the Vietnamese gained control and forced them into hiding.
"Duch" – now 66 – is charged with overseeing the torture and extermination of more than 12,000 men, women and children at Tuol Sleng. Photographs taken by the Khmer Rouge of their captives are displayed alongside "confessions" to being CIA operatives. . He was formerly a maths teacher.

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Canterbury leads with tickets for boy racers

– Saturday, 31 January 2009

Canterbury boy racers received almost half of all tickets handed out nationally by police for noisy vehicles last year.
Canterbury's acting road policing manager, Senior Sergeant Neville Hyland, said that last year more than 3800 noise-infringement tickets were handed out nationwide. More than 1700 were given to Canterbury drivers.
A demerit system was introduced last year where police could issue infringement notices to people with excessively noisy cars, he said.
The high number of infringement notices issued in Canterbury was possibly due to police vigilance, Hyland said. Previously, drivers of noisy cars could be given just a fine, he said. If drivers got more than 100 demerit points they could lose their licence.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker has taken a stand against boy racers, banning them from certain areas on the outskirts of the city and introducing night-time no-stopping restrictions on Deans, Harper and Moorhouse avenues.
This month, Parker called on the Government to tell Christchurch residents what it would do to address the problem of boy racers. .
Parker called for urgent legislation to:
Use demerit points for offences such as unpaid fines, speeding, noisy vehicles and false or obscured registration plates.
"The ball is now in the court of central government to introduce legislation to curb the problem of young hoons terrorising our community," he said.
Police being able to ticket immediately without having to warn drivers at unruly gatherings.
Licences suspended for unpaid fines.
Third-party insurance for all vehicles.
Third-party insurance for all vehicles.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce said he would visit Christchurch in the next six weeks to see the problem at "ground level".
Lowering the legal level of blood-alcohol for drivers.
The Ministry of Transport is writing a report for Joyce on proposals to curb noisy cars.
He said he would talk to Police Minister Judith Collins on whether current laws gave police enough power to act against boy racers.

. The report should be finished mid-year

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Family wins second Madagascar trip

The Thursday, 22 January 2009

PATRICK HAMILTON/
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES: Chrystiana, 8, and Chase, 5, Wright are old enough this time to accompany parents David and Shelley after the family won a trip to South Africa for the second time in a Madagascar movie promotion.

The lucky dip gods might soon start examining twice at a Stoke family. They will soon pack their bags for a second trip to South Africa as winners once more of a national competition run in conjunction with the launch of a movie.
The Wright family has won national competition draws more times than the odds would normally allow.
Last week, they learned they had won again, after entering a competition to promote the sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
Four years ago, their names were drawn from the barrel of entrants in a nationwide competition run through the TV Guide to promote the animated movie Madagascar. The family then sent in a couple of entries, tempted by the smaller prizes available, Shelley Wright said.
The competition involved counting the number of times the logo of the movie's character Alex the Lion featured during a recent television screening of Madagascar."
Last week they got a call from the movie's distribution company, Paramount Productions, announcing them as winners.
"I thought it would be a waste of time entering, but they had such great runner-up prizes, and the kids love the movie.
Paramount Productions spokesperson Matt Andree Wiltens said the competition, run with TVNZ (TV2) and the TV Guide, had a great response, with thousands of entries.
"Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to win again," said her husband, David Wright, operations manager at the Nelson City Council. I know they put in more than one entry to the competition, and I guess it goes to prove the adage that you've got to be in to win.
"The Wright family were the lucky winners drawn out of the barrel.
He said that while there were many memorable highlights from their first trip to South Africa, sharing a picnic with other winners from around the world, who were then gatecrashed by a mob of 20-30 hungry baboons, stood out."
The Wrights' two children, Chrystiana, 8, and Chace, 5, were too young to travel the first time, so the second opportunity was a rare blessing, Mr Wright said. They attacked the van, and the authentic African barbecue we were having.
"They came charging over the sand dunes. . One baboon grabbed the bag of an Irish lady, but she held on and screamed loudest and the baboon let go," Mr Wright said. I had four because no one else was eating anything," Mr Wright said.
"That day we went to an ostrich farm and got offered steaks for lunch. The couple also won their honeymoon to Sydney in 1995, and then a competition in December 1999 to meet American actor and comedian Robin Williams while he was in Auckland promoting his movie Bicentennial Man.
Mrs Wright has the lucky hand and regularly enters competitions.
The family plans to take up their latest prize during the April school holidays.
The family plans to take up their latest prize during the April school holidays.

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Fox Glacier ice collapse recovery postponed

Melbourne brothers named

Friday, 09 January 2009

BROTHERS: Ashish Miranda, 24, and Akshay Miranda, 22, of Melbourne, at World Youth Day in Sydney last year.

Photo 1 of 3

DOC/Supplied
ICE FALL: Two tourists lost their lives when they were buried by falling ice at the face of Fox Glacier.
Ashish Miranda, 24, and Akshay Miranda, 22, of Melbourne, were crushed by ice after crossing safety barriers at the terminal face to take photos around 4.

Photo 2 of 3

FOX GLACIER

Photo 3 of 3

LATEST: The recovery of the body of one of two Australian brothers crushed by falling ice on Fox Glacier yesterday has been postponed because it is too dangerous, police say.
The body ofAshish Miranda, an aerospace engineer for Boeing, was recovered last night while the body of his brother Askhay – presumed dead – is thought to be right at the bottom of the ice shelf, an area believed to be exceedingly dangerous.20pm yesterday. Some piecesof the ice werethe size of large vehicles.
More than 100 tonnes of ice was believed to have fallen on the men.
"We are pretty certain we know where he is and a decision will be made on whether we try and get him out.
Constable Paul Gurney, of Franz Josef police station,said the search was continuing today and had been narrowed down to a specific area where searchers thought the body of Akshay Miranda had fallen… . There is a possibility that he will be left there," he said.
The body of Ashish Miranda was found buried beneath the fallen ice around 10 to 15metres away from the ice face.
"The guys took a risk yesterday getting the other man out and this guy will be even more at risk," he said. The rain is not expected to ease until later tonight.
The recovery attempt is set to be hindered by heavy rain as the Metservice have issued a severe weather warning for the South-Westland area.
The parents were in the Fox Glacier township, Constable Tony LeSueur, of Hokitika, said.
TRAGEDY ON FAMILY HOLIDAY
Thetwo men were the only children of their parents who they lived with in Melbourne.
The brothers attended World Youth Day in Sydney in last year, with the younger brother Akshay describing it as "the most kick ass week ever'' on his Facebook profile.
The family was due to fly back to Australia on Sunday morning.
He was an engineering student at Monash University, due to finish his studies this year.
The profile also revealed Akshay as a football fan who proudly celebrated his Indian heritage.
According to Indian website Daijiworld Media Network, the family had migrated to Melbourne from Indian city Mangalore.
According to Indian website Daijiworld Media Network, the family had migrated to Melbourne from Indian city Mangalore.
The boys parents, Ronnie and Winnie Miranda, were original from Mumbai, it said.
Tributes to Ashish were already being posted on his Facebook page.
"Rest in peace, Akshay,'' wrote Elise Aycardo. "You'll be forever missed, forever loved, and always, forever, in our hearts. I'm sorry … And my thoughts and prayers are with your family.''
John Oddo wrote: "You were such a great man and such a valuable friend. I will really really miss you and I know you're making fun of me right now from up there but I love you and thanks for putting up with me.''
An aunt of the brothers told Daijiworld the family was still praying Akshay, whose body has not been recovered, would be found alive.
On Sunday, Akshay proudly boasted on Facebook that he had completed a 134-metre bungee jump.
GLACIER RISKS
Conservation Minister Tim Groser said it was a "tragedy of almost unimaginable proportions (for the parents) to lose both sons in one tragedy".
Mr Groser was at Fox Glacier but was staying out of the way of the operational staff conducting the search.
"There are extensive safety procedures in place, these are reviewed annually, there's also been independent assessment of these procedures.
"We're dealing with a situation that is a highly dangerous and dynamic natural environment involving rock, ice and rivers."
The procedures were last reviewed in August last year.
He said the facts of the latest incident would be reviewed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), police and probably the coroner.
There will always be risk, but also "some responsibility on the part of these individuals who go into these areas".
In 2007, DOC said almost a third of the 600,000 visitors to the West Coast glaciers ignored warning signs and entered danger zones.
In February that year, a tourist standing beside an ice cave at the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier was injured when the roof collapsed.
He had walked past signs warning of the danger of falling ice.
– With Michael Fox, , Arjun Ramachandran