Two a penny

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A seriously ill man accused of sending MP Sue Bradford death threats says his Twitter account was hacked and he never sent the MP threatening messages.

Henk van Helmond, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and a heart condition, says his life has been made “hell” since Ms Bradford told media outlets of death threats made against her on the internet. .

Mr van Helmond says his Twitter account was hacked and the message had been sent to Ms Bradford without his knowledge. I’m a pacifist, I don’t believe in violence, I have MS and a heart condidtion, why would I make a comment like that?”

Mr van Helmond says his account was “picked on” because he hosts website CYFSwatch and is “absolutely anti her bill.

“Someone got into my account and made these death threats, I know it wasn’t me.

“I apologised to her because it came from my account, even though I didn’t say it, I caused it to be said.”

He said he had already apologised to Mrs Bradford on the website and sent out a tweet explaining the situation.

“If Sue had allowed police to do their job, this whole thing could have been sorted out straight away and the media wouldn’t have been involved.”

Mr van Helmond said he had not been contacted by the police.”

Mr van Helmond says he has no idea who would hack into his account, but has changed his passwords to prevent it occuring again.

“Sue is too keen on publicity of any kind, she’s a media hound.

He said he had not received such threats himself but had been the recipient of obscene and threatening emails.

Kiwi Party leader and pro-smacking advocate Larry Baldock told Radio New Zealand earlier today he did “certainly not condone” the threats Ms Bradford had received.

KEY SLAMS THREAT

Prime Minister John Key today said there was “no place” for threats to politicians in New Zealand politics.

Ms Bradford said she had not spoken with police about the tweet from Mr van Helmond’s account and was unsure of further action.

“People write stupid comments on social networking sites, so I don’t know whether there’s anything really sinister behind it, but there’s no place for it in our political debate,” he told Newstalk ZB.

Mr Key said New Zealand prided itself on having “fierce debates”, but “we don’t resort to political assassination”.

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Survivors of rape and sexual abuse will find it difficult to access therapy if proposed changes to ACC’s sensitive claims unit come into effect next month, according to rape survivor Louise Nicholas.

Ms Nicholas, an advocate for rape prevention education, said she was shocked that ACC believed shorter term therapy was more beneficial for clients than longer term therapy.

She explained that currently, survivors had four sessions with a counsellor to discuss their abuse experiences before their claim was assessed for ongoing therapy.

“Many survivors, including myself, speak about the difficulty in being able to open up and talk about their experiences which needs to be at their own pace and with someone they trust which is vital in their healing process,” Ms Nicholas said.

Ms Nicholas said the new clinical pathway proposed to come into effect on September 14 would mean survivors having to tell their story three times to three different professionals. Survivors would often choose to have ongoing therapy with the counsellor with whom they had already built up a relationship. .

She said they could also be declined help at any stage in the process, and would also have to prove they had a mental injury which fits the criteria for a psychiatric problem.

After attending ACC’s draft clinical pathways provider workshop in Auckland earlier this month, Ms Nicholas said it was not about seeking better services for survivors, it was about cutting costs.

“Finding someone who they can trust to disclose to is often a major issue as there are many barriers that need to be dealt with before they even get to the stage of being able to talk about the actual abuse incident,” Ms Nicholas added.

“Rape and sexual abuse is a crime that is committed upon a person by another person deliberately causing harm.

“I viewed it as taking vital resources away from counsellors and specialist service providers and putting them into the costs of assessments by clinical psychologists.

She believed the effect of the new clinical pathway would be detrimental to not only survivors of rape and sexual abuse but also to agencies, mental health services and other specialist service providers who would have to take on many more survivors who may be declined for subsidised counselling through ACC. It is not like a self-inflicted recreational or sporting injury,” Ms Nicholas said.

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“These agencies are also likely to be weighed down by the extra workloads that will inevitably see even more specialist services crumble under the weight of inadequate funding and resources,” Ms Nicholas said

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The family of the New Zealander killed in last Friday’s twin bombings in Indonesia has released a statement recalling a dedicated family man who did not suffer fools lightly.

Tim Mackay was at a business meeting at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta when a bomb blast ripped through the hotel at the same time as another bomb was detonated at the close toby Ritz-Carlton hotel. Seven others were killed in the blasts. He died in hospital after suffering severe leg as well as facial wounds.

“Tim was a quiet man with a mischievous sense of humour.

In a statement released today the family of Mr Mackay said the response to his death reflected Mr Mackay’s character and the fact that New Zealanders felt a loss keenly when a Kiwi was killed in such a way. . He was a dedicated family man, not just to his own family but also to wider family,” they said.”

The family said Mr Mackay, 62, had a passion for sailing and enjoyed fishing and hunting when he was younger. At the same time he was not a man to suffer fools lightly.

The Mackay family said they wished to thank people throughout New Zealand and internationally for their support since the death of Mr Mackay, who as well as being the president director of the cement company Holcim Indonesia was involved in a number of charities to help struggling Indonesians.

They acknowledged the support from the Indonesian people and from Mr Mackay’s friends and colleagues who helped return his body.

The bombings are believed to be linked to a group known as Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al Qaeda affiliate responsible for the Bali bombings in 2002.

The funeral will be held in Wellington tomorrow.

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A juror in the trial of Clayton Weatherston has been rushed to hospital, bringing a halt to proceedings this afternoon.

Justice Potter has adjourned the High Court in Christchurch after the juror was taken away by paramedics at about midday.

The judge told the jury she would get updates on the juror’s condition this afternoon and make decisions on the continuation of the trial in consultation with Crown and defence counsel.

The juror collapsed in the jury room at the morning adjournment.

Earlier a former girlfriend of Weatherston gave a tearful account of a letter she sent to him in prison, urging him to stay resilient.

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow morning.

She said that when she wrote the letter she “did not realise the extent of what he [Weatherston] had done”.

The woman, whose name is suppressed, broke down as she read the letter to the jury in the Christchurch High Court earlier today.

Weatherston admits the manslaughter of Elliott but denies her murder, saying he was provoked.

Weatherston, 33, allegedly murdered of his ex-girlfriend, Sophie Elliott, 22, by stabbing her more than 200 times at her Dunedin home on January 9 last year. .

The court has heard the letter from her said: “Dig deep, find those coping skills… Don’t over-analyze, that’s a strict order, okay. . .

“You have lots of people rooting for you out here…

“I understand you are being sent socks, it will be a turn-up for the books if you wear them. I’m worried about you but know that you will be fine. … I will send you letters, you should write back to me.

“Anyway, everyone … says hi and sends you a hug.

“You know that resilience is a wonderful thing.

“You know that resilience is a wonderful thing.”

The woman said that after she sent the letter, she did not go and see Weatherston in prison.

“I was in shock, I was coping as well as I could at the time,” she said.

“Up until then, I thought maybe a mistake had been made, as people do when they are in shock.

“When I found out what had gone on, I couldn’t believe it.”

She said she would not have written what she had once she found out what Weatherston had done.

The court also heard the full transcript of Weatherton wrote back in reply.

His letter said:

“I have been better and have also been thinking about you. This is a rough ride and it’s not looking like getting any easier. I am in a cell (3.5 x 2.5m) most of the day, getting some time for a shower and outside in a small yard.

“The food is pretty good! Knowing I have your support is crucial to me. I am so sorry for not seeing how great you truly are. I will see you and Mum and Dad et al. soon as possible.

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French seamen on a New Zealand-bound warship have rescued one of Auckland’s top medical specialists and his family from their dismasted yacht 375 kilometres north of North Cape. .

On a medical website Dr Bradfield lists his interests as “Sailing, Sailing, Sailing, Sailing, making children.

The yacht ran into the storm that caused foul weather across the North Island last weekend and knocked three yachts out of the Auckland to Noumea yacht race.”

The family left Auckland in May and stayed in Tonga before setting sail for home last week.

The New Caledonia based 55-metre patrol boat La Glorieuse, which was on the way to Auckland, was guided to the scene by the Hercules.

Dr Bradfield activated his distress beacon yesterday afternoon and an RNZAF Hercules flew to the scene, reporting the yacht had dismasted.

Sailors onboard the 55-metre patrol boat La Glorieuse found their 12.

The yacht had become dismasted, its rigging tangling around the rudder and keel while travelling from Tonga to New Zealand.6m sloop Carenza at 10pm yesterday, about five hours after the yacht’s captain had activated an emergency beacon.

No-one had been injured, Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand search and rescue officer Christine Wilson said.

Surviving yachts in the Noumea yacht race were alerted to be aware of La Glorieuse cross the fleet’s path.

La Glorieuse rescued the family and was ordered to sink Carenza because it was a hazard to shipping.

The warship stayed alongside the yacht overnight, evacuating the New Zealand-resident family about 7am today.

La Glorieuse is due in Auckland on a scheduled visit tomorrow morning.

La Glorieuse is due in Auckland on a scheduled visit tomorrow morning.

“It’s a long way.

“We’ve had a reasonable day with a few showers -somehow this time the trip feels a lot slower and we are keen to be home,” Dr Bradfield said.

“This dead downwind sailing under head sail – although easy – has an unpleasant motion, and the kids have spent most of the day sleeping with the lethargy that comes with a bit of sea illness.

“We are looking forward to a more northerly wind shift tomorrow and an increase in boat speed.

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Josh added on the blog that time was going slowly: “only 3 things to do on board, sleep, stare aimlessly at the empty horizon or cough up your guts overboard

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The former nanny of Michael Jackson’s three children said she regularly had to pump his stomach to remove cocktails of painkillers, British newspapers reported today.

Grace Rwaramba, who was abruptly sacked by Jackson in December, also spoke of her fears for the future of the children following his death and has flown to Los Angeles from Europe hoping to be reunited with them.

The Jackson family are angry at the unanswered questions surrounding the star’s final hours, amid reports that the singer’s doctor Conrad Murray injected him with the painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.

Dr Murray “helped identify the circumstances around the death of the pop icon and clarified some inconsistencies,” spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik said Saturday in a statement.

But a spokeswoman for Murray said that after a three-hour interview with detectives the cardiologist, who was with Jackson when he collapsed, is “in no way a suspect”.”

In comments reported by The Sunday Times Rwaramba, 42, said that the star was addicted to narcotic painkillers.

“Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy.

“I had to pump his stomach many times.

“There was one period that it was so bad that I didn’t let the children see him. He always mixed so much of it…”

She said she once appealed to Jackson’s mother, Katherine, and sister, Janet, to intervene and persuade him to seek treatment for his addiction, but Michael turned on her and accused her of betrayal. He always ate too little and mixed too much.

“He didn’t want to listen; that was one of the times he let me go,” she said. .

Tabloid newspaper News of the World – which is owned by the same company as The Sunday Times – said she had screamed with shock when she heard of the star’s death, while she was at the Swiss home of TV interviewer Daphne Barak.

She was finally dismissed in December last year, but claims she returned several times to see the children, making her most recent trip in April.

“I’m really distraught for them.

Rwaramba told Barak in an interview quoted by the tabloid that her first thought was for the children.

“Now the youngest has been saying, ‘Why Daddy? God should have taken me not him. Michael hadn’t been eating and the kids have been so scared for him.’

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The winner of Lotto’s record $36. .

Do you know who won the $36.co.1m prize? Email newstips@stuff.

The district’s mayor already has one piece of advice: don’t park your new Porsche and Audi in the same street.nz

The Big Wednesday winning ticket will be verified today by the Lotteries Commission as the region’s 22,623 inhabitants scramble to work out who the country’s newest multi-millionaire is.

The ticket was bought at Masterton’s Kuripuni Take Note Lotto and Post Shop and netted the lone first division winner $34,453,401 in cash, plus a slew of luxury prizes. Last night’s win follows a $5.

The first division winner also won the second divison prize of $696,795.

In an unprecedented move, the Lotteries Commission set up an 0800 phone number so last night’s winner could claim the prize in “total secrecy”.5m Powerball win just 12 days ago in Masterton.

“The winner’s privacy is very important.

Spokeswoman Karen Jones said the number was set up so the winner could sidestep the usual process of turning up to the Lotteries Commission in Wellington. We don’t want them rocking up to a store or to our offices, because there is intense interest. We don’t want them rocking up to a store or to our offices, because there is intense interest.

Local residents Doug and Liz Wishart said the excitement last night had been “almost too much to bear”.

Speculation as to their identity is intense today.”It’s not something they are going to be able to keep quiet for long.Though not the holders of the winning ticket, like everyone they wanted to know who the newly-minted multi-millionaire was.

So far this morning, dozens of punters have flooded through the doorsat the store where the winning ticket was sold. Masterton is just too small and there are too many tongues that wag,” said Liz Wishart.Shop owner Maureen Taute believed the winner was local. Media crews have staked out the shop since 6am, hoping to catch of the big winner.”Most people who come in here are regulars and live locally. The shop is tucked away in a small shopping village and away from the beaten track of visitors.5 million from a ticket bought here recently came in ten days later to say very privately and quietly, thank you.5 million from a ticket bought here recently came in ten days later to say very privately and quietly, thank you.”

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LATEST

The family of an elderly man killed in a road rage attack says “justice will be done”.

The relatives spent Tuesday night praying for his survival before watching him die.

Jasmatbhai Pancha Patel, known to friends as Jasmat, died in Auckland Hospital’s intensive care unit yesterday, never regaining consciousness after being dragged from his van and beaten on a busy street.

However, shock set in when the Te Atatu grandfather of five died barely 30 hours after coming face to face with an irate motorist, following a minor prang in Auckland’s rush hour.

Son Suryakant “George” Patel, 53, said family members kept a bedside vigil “hoping and praying” the 78-year-old would recover.”

Bio O’Brien, 27, an engineering student, appeared in Auckland District Court this morning, where Judge David Harvey remanded him in custody until April 27. “We tried to talk to him but he couldn’t come out [of his coma].

The court appearance lasted for less than 20 seconds.

George Patel said that, as a Hindu, his father was a very religious man and believed in the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, including forgiveness.

Police say they cannot yet confirm whether he will face homicide charges. He [the attacker] will do the justice and it will be in this life time not afterwards.

But, pointing to the sky, Mr Patel said: “Justice will be done.”

The alleged attack happened about 7. He will pay for it.50am on Tuesday as the elder Mr Patel was driving his blue van to the family’s foodmarket in Mangere.50am on Tuesday as the elder Mr Patel was driving his blue van to the family’s foodmarket in Mangere.

The incident reportedly happened in front of children outside a primary school.

O’Brien, a student at Unitec, allegedly leapt from his car and began punching Mr Patel, pulling him from his vehicle and continuing the attack. He was taken to hospital and put in an induced coma.

A witness saw Mr Patel lying on the grass verge, his eyes closed. I don’t know how I’m going to cope without him.

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George Patel said: “He did everything.

He helped with the family business four days a week, did the accounts for the household, tended the garden and virtually raised the grandchildren, taking them to all their sports games.”

Jasmatbhai Patel came to New Zealand from India 33 years ago and lived with his two sons, their wives and five grandchildren in a large house in West Auckland.

“If you were ever in trouble he was always the first person I went to,” he said. Grandson Mukesh Patel said the family was struggling to come to terms with the loss. .”

Despite his age, Mr Patel could still lift 30kg boxes, his son said.

“He was still helping us on his last day alive.”

Yesterday O’Brien stood with his head bowed in court during an earlier 10-minute appearance and entered no plea. Media applications to photograph him were turned down by Judge Eddie Paul.

His lawyer, David Nevin, had requested that his client be remanded in custody until today.

There is a suggestion that Mr Patel fell after the assault, hitting his head on the ground.

O’Brien comes from a prominent family on the Pacific island Funafuti, capital of the Tuvalu group. His father was prominent in local government on Funafuti.

A person who knew O’Brien said he had moved to New Zealand last year as a student and married a Tokelauan woman.

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Trade Minister Tim Groser said last night that he had just discovered he still held shares in a company he resigned from in February to avoid any possibility of conflict of interest.

Mr Groser was a director of Indian Overseas Group Ltd and resigned as a director after he was appointed trade minister.
The Labour Party has previously raised questions about the gap between his appointment in November and his resignation as a director on February 15, which was a few days before Mr Groser announced New Zealand was going to negotiate a free trade agreement with India.
“I discovered that I had 2000 shares in Indian Overseas Group Ltd, representing my initial start-up capital contribution,” he said.
Mr Groser said tonight that after receiving a media call he checked the companies register.
“I have taken immediate steps to divest myself of this shareholding.
“I was unaware that when I resigned as a director on February 15 2009 that I had a continuing financial interest, given that I believed the shareholding had no value because the company is inactive and there is no prospect of it becoming active. .
Mr Groser was once a director of New Zealand Aviation as well, but he resigned from it in January.
Mr Worth was reprimanded by Prime Minister John Key for going to India on a private trip and then speaking in his capacity as a minister while he promoted an aviation company he had an interest in.
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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.