Three people have died following a two-car crash in the central North Island. A police spokesperson confirmed the three fatalities following the collision on State Highway 29 in Matamata about 5.30pm. The road was expected to…
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Greyhound destroyed after trainer gave her antibiotics prescribed for his chest infection
A greyhound trainer gave his sick dog antibiotics prescribed to him for a chest infection, instead of taking her to a vet for pressure wounds, leading to the animal’s destruction.”I should’ve got the right antibiotics from the vet,”…
Man stabbed to death at house party in Melbourne
A man has died after being stabbed to death at a house party in Melbourne's south-east in the early hours of the morning.
The 25-year-old Springvale man was found with critical injuries when emergency services arrived at the house in Noble Park around 1.10am.
Paramedics treated him but he died at the scene.
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A 30-year-old man of no fixed address and a 24-year-old man are speaking with Homicide Squad detectives, who are investigating the incident.
Police have been told a group was partying at the share house when a fight broke out.
The man was then stabbed in the chest.
Neighbours called Triple Zero after hearing screams.
Parking ticket row: Highest court rejects Dunedin councillor Lee Vandervis' appeal
A Dunedin City councillor’s legal battle after being pinged with a $12 parking ticket is now over.Cr Lee Vandervis was today declined leave to appeal by the highest jurisdiction in the country – the Supreme Court.His appeal raised…
Man jailed after bludgeoning brother to death with spanner
A man who killed his brother after bludgeoning him with a spanner for hours has been jailed for 10 years.
Michel Francoise Theodoor Willemyns, 62, attacked his younger sibling Patrick West of Brisbane while suffering a "hyper manic episode" in March 2017, the Supreme Court heard.
After becoming paranoid about his brother, Willemyns struck the 53-year-old with the spanner and stomped on his head repeatedly.
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Willemyns stopped at times to talk to his brother, filming it on his phone.
His sibling was too severely injured to respond.
The overall footage lasting about 10 minutes was considered too distressing to be shown in court but was watched privately by Justice Melanie Hindman.
"The video is disturbing to say the least," Hindman said.
Willemyns drove to his brother's Karana Downs residence after 9pm and practised swinging the spanner before smashing his way into the residence of his brother who was lying on the couch.
The attack was prolonged and lasted several hours, the court heard, before Willemyns finally left after 5am the next day.
The victim was later found with blunt force injuries over his body, with 10 lacerations on his head alone.
Two blows were so severe that they fractured his skull.
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Willemyns' mental health deteriorated amid escalating alcohol and cannabis use as his personal and professional life unravelled, the court heard.
He became paranoid about his sibling, who was head chef at the Karana Downs Golf Club, and was suffering a hyper manic episode at the time of the attack, the court was told.
Willemyns was kept in a secure mental health facility for two years before stabilising, his defence barrister said.
"He did not intend to kill his brother," she said.
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He has been in custody under medication since his 2017 arrest.
Willemyns had been initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility on Friday.
"Good luck Mr Willemyns," Hindman said after sentencing him to 10 years.
Latest political poll points to tight race for National and Labour with right and left blocs even
A recent political poll again points to a tight election next year with National and the right bloc neck and neck with Labour and the left.A commercial poll from Talbot Mills, who also poll for the Labour Party, has National on…
Bryce Edwards: Labour's fraught battle to retain the Māori vote
OPINION: Labour’s poll results are trending down. Yesterday’s Curia poll put the party down two points to just 33 per cent, while National is up three points to 37 per cent. When it comes to next year’s election, a key constituency…
Police probe data on Caddick's phone
The officer in charge of investigating Melissa Caddick's disappearance said data taken from her phone indicated it was potentially at Sydney airport the day after she went missing.
Detective Sergeant Michael Foscholo told an inquest on Friday that he took over the case more than a week after she was reported missing.
He discussed lines of inquiry with his team to follow-up that included obtaining Ms Caddick's toothbrush for a DNA profile, and some data checks on her phone.
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Apple data had raised questions as to whether someone was trying to externally access her account, he said.
They were also "following up on a potential pin data point at Sydney airport" on November 13, at 12.45am found on her Uber account.
It is not yet known what NSW police officers found after investigating this data point.
Det Sgt Foscholo replaced Detective Sergeant Michael Kyneur on November 23, as the investigation "might benefit from a fresh set of eyes", Detective Inspector Gretchen Atkins said of her decision.
The last verified sighting of Ms Caddick was when the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Australian Federal Police raided her Dover Heights mansion on November 11, 2020.
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The next morning she was purportedly heard leaving in the early hours to go for a run. Ms Caddick's husband Anthony Koletti informed police she never returned about 30 hours later.
Her Ponzi scheme victims, mostly family and friends, lost $20 million to $30 million she used to fund her lavish lifestyle.
Many of the people scammed by the conwoman were only made aware she was missing following a media appeal on November 20, "or that their nest eggs may be in peril", barrister Lachlan Gyles SC said.
Senior crime scene officer Ellen Konza was brought in to forensically inspect the eastern suburbs home 19 days after Ms Caddick disappeared.
"I saw nothing indicating any sign of blood, or clean up of blood, nothing of particular interest," she said.
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And her subsequent search of the luxury sports cars indicated they were also untouched.
"Your observation of the vehicles looked like they hadn't been cleaned for a period of time … for the 19 days most likely," Jason Downing SC counsel assisting the coroner said.
"Yes," she said.
Following Friday's hearing, the two-week inquest will break before Mr Koletti is due to give evidence on September 26. However, the current list of witnesses is running overtime.
Rescue success! Trapped cat back on the ground after 17 days stuck in a poisonous tree
Rio the cat is safely on ground level after 17 days stuck in a 9m-tall poisonous palm tree in Whanganui .Charm Animal Rescue owner Trieste Neilson said the cat was happy and well.”She’s in really good condition considering she’s…
Local Focus: Jenny Duncan on Candidate Camera
Watch the full Local Focus interview for Duncan’s views on the region’s biggest issues, and our less important quickfire questions Jenny Duncan is an anti-mandate candidate running for Whanganui District Council. Duncan says “people…