Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has died at a popular Auckland beach.

Police were alerted at midday on Monday that a person was unresponsive in the water and had been pulled onto Takapuna Beach.

Officers gave medical help but he could not be revived.

The death will be referred to the coroner.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man is accused of stabbing a former employee more than 40 times in what appears to be an attempted decapitation, a court has heard.

The 35-year-old man accused of the murder, who is listed in court documents only as Rajinder, is on trial at the High Court at Dunedin.

The body of Gurjit Singh, 27, was found covered in blood on the lawn of his Dunedin home in January last year.

The defence claimed Rajinder had no reason to kill his former employee and there was no animosity between them.

Prosecutor Robin Bates said Rajinder left DNA evidence at the scene including hair and multiple blood stains around the house.

“The post mortem indicated that the deceased died from multiple sharp force injuries, at least 46 in total, including a large inevitably fatal wound to the neck which gave the impression of attempted decapitation,” Bates said.

There were wounds to the victim’s head, neck, torso and arms.

The defendant and victim had moved from India to New Zealand some years ago, and ended up working as contractors in Dunedin by 2023.

Singh had originally worked for Rajinder before going out on his own and purchasing one of Rajinder’s vans, Bates said.

In mid-2023, Singh bought his home on Hillary Street and had travelled back to India the same year to get married.

Bates told the court Singh attended a pizza party in Helensburgh on the night of 28 January, 2024.

A witness said he arrived about 9pm.

He stayed about an hour and appeared in a good mood.

When the witness tried to contact him the next morning about a concrete cutter, Singh did not reply.

The witness was contacted by a friend who said Singh’s wife had been trying to contact him for three hours but could not get a hold of him.

Bates said when the friend went to check on him, he found Singh’s body on the front lawn covered in blood with severe cuts to his neck.

He called 111, tried to perform CPR and waited for emergency services to arrive.

The house was examined with blood found in multiple spots across the dining room, lounge, outside steps and on the walls.

A large window was broken with glass shards on the ground.

Bates said some blood samples from the scene indicated it was the defendant’s DNA.

Rajinder first told police he did not know about the death and had taken his wife for a driving lesson about midnight for about an hour on the night in question, Bates said.

The interviewing police officer asked him about a cut on his left hand between his thumb and forefinger and Rajinder said it happened when a chain came loose on a chainsaw.

But a few days later when he was interviewed again, Bates said Rajinder told police he had lied and it was from a bike accident, but he did not go to the hospital because it would take too long and then he got scared he might be connected to the death.

When confronted about blood containing his DNA being found at the scene, he said it was impossible and denied killing Singh, Bates said.

A piece of glove from a pair Rajinder had bought around the time of the murder was also found at the scene, Bates said.

A knife and neck gaiter he had bought from Hunting and Fishing around the same time could not be found.

His clothing from the night was also not found.

Defence lawyer Katy Barker said Rajinder did not kill Singh and there was no enmity or animosity between them.

The defence accepted Singh was murdered and whoever attacked him must have had murderous intent, but it was not Rajinder, Barker said.

There was no grievance between the two and they had a good relationship, she said.

Rajinder had built a good life in Dunedin and it did not make sense for him to blow it up, Barker said.

The trial is set down for three weeks.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Four businesses have been ram-raided or fire-damaged in a small seaside village north of Auckland in the past three months, but police say so far no arrests have been made.

Officers launched Operation Governor after a deliberately lit fire at Orewa’s Sunflour Cafe left the interior of the building destroyed.

Several fire crews responded to the blaze at Sunflour shortly before 11.30pm on 1 November.

It was the latest in a series of businesses targeted on the main strip of the coastal town of Orewa, going back to September.

The first was between 21 September and 22 at takeaway business Bossburger. Images posted to social media showed the front of the store smashed in.

It was followed by a burglary and arson reported at the Shoreward Gastrobar in the early hours of 30 September.

It was understood the offenders drove a vehicle into the bar, before setting fire to the premises and fleeing on foot, police said.

Members of the public extinguished the fire before officers arrived at the scene.

“In both incidents, we are not aware of any items being stolen from these businesses,” police said.

Police told RNZ the Operation Governor investigation continued, and could not comment further.

Both businesses, and the local business association Destination Orewa, also declined to comment.

Waitematā North area commander Inspector John Thornley said previously attacks on local businesses would not be tolerated.

“These arsons are not only damaging property, but it’s affecting peoples’ livelihoods, and police is open-minded about whether any of these incidents are linked,” he said.

Thornley said they would be engaging with the public over the coming days, and they could expect a larger police presence in the area.

“We want to hear about any suspicious activity that people might have seen on Saturday night.

“I’m asking anyone with dashcam footage around the Ōrewa township, between 10pm and midnight, on Saturday 1 November to make themselves known to the investigation team.”

“No piece of information is too small, so please come forward as soon as possible.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man on the run for more than a week has been found and charged with escaping custody.

The 42-year-old Mt Eden remand prisoner, who was in handcuffs, got free during a hospital escort on 7 November.

He has now been arrested and will appear in the North Shore District Court on Monday.

The Department of Corrections earlier said that any escape is unacceptable.

A review is underway.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Warning: This story discusses suicide.

The deaths of the three children and their father after a fire are being investigated as a murder suicide, RNZ understands.

The three children killed in a Sanson house fire on Saturday, have been identified on a page set up by the loved ones of their mother as August, Hugo and Goldie, aged 7, 5 and 1.

The Givealittle page has since raised more than $158,000 for their mother as she dealt with the “unimaginable loss”.

“They were the light and love of her life, and her entire world has been shattered,” the Givealittle page said.

“In the midst of this unimaginable grief, she also lost her home and everything she owned. She is facing the hardest journey possible, stripped of her physical security, while navigating the deepest emotional pain.”

The creator of the Givealittle page posted a thank you to “what felt like the whole of Aotearoa” on Monday for the donations raised.

“No amount of money will ever be enough to heal the wounds left in her heart and soul, but to have this safety net to rebuild her life, knowing what feels like the whole of Aotearoa is with her, and how you have all contributed to this outpouring of love in so many ways is more than we could’ve ever hoped for.”

The search for the body of one of the children is still ongoing, police said.

The bodies of two children were recovered on Sunday night and were blessed by the family with karakia.

The body of the adult was removed earlier. Manawatu Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham confirmed to Morning Report it was the children’s father, which RNZ understood was Dean Field.

Police had put up emergency tape roping off the entrance to the property. Down the driveway was a police car, and a police branded truck was visible. A couple of flowers look to have been placed near the front of the driveway.

Police said their focus now would be on finding the third child’s body.

“It’s unimaginable, the tragedy for the families going through this,” Grantham told Morning Report. “We are working very carefully through the scene to establish how it started, and that’s still going to take us some time.”

He said it was too early to tell yet if the fire was deliberately started.

“It’s pretty risky with the part of the structure still there and the the dust that’s generated from the fire, so it will take us some time just to go through and establish what’s happened.”

Grantham said police were not seeking information from the public at this stage, but if anyone knew anything, they could “reach out”.

He said it was “unusual” for a house fire to begin in the afternoon.

Neighbour describes seeing the fire as it happened

A neighbour told RNZ he was working at his home on Saturday, when someone noticed smoke from the nearby property.

“We all came out to have a look and we saw a horrific amount of smoke coming from about 300 metres away, where the neighbour’s house is – pretty thick black billowing smoke.

“It was a very, very windy day and we knew it wasn’t any kind of controlled fire. We knew it was some sort of what we considered to be a house fire at that stage.”

He said, over an hour, many firefighters turned up, attempting to put the blaze out.

An hour after it started, the blaze and billowing smoke was still visible. He believed it took two hours for firefighters to put the fire out.

“They were still dousing it down and there was just very slight wisps of smoke coming from the property two hours after it started.”

He said State Highway One near the property did not open until 8pm Saturday.

The neighbour said that, during the fire, he was “pretty shocked” at what was happening before his eyes.

“Nothing we could do about it and just a feeling of kind of despair, I guess just watching what was going on.

“Knowing that a young family was potentially losing everything they owned and knowing that is going to be a very, very hard place to come back from.

“Just the thought of not knowing whether everybody was alright or not, and subsequent to that we found out, that isn’t the case, which has made things 10 times worse.”

Manawatū District Councillor Alison Short said the fire was a “huge tragedy” for the community and said the family would need all of the community’s love and support.

“It will be an unimaginable loss, especially for the children’s mother. My heart goes out to them all. It will also be a huge shock for the Sanson community as they come to terms with the loss of so many, especially children.”

“I know they will rally their support and care for those involved and each other.”

Short said she had reached out to see if there was anything she could do to help over the following days and weeks supporting the family or community.

Police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the fire.

Where to get help:

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends
• Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
• What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds
• Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, and English.
• Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
• Healthline: 0800 611 116
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
• OUTLine: 0800 688 5463
• Aoake te Rā bereaved by suicide service: or call 0800 000 053

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has suffered a fractured eye socket and broken nose after being assaulted in Southland at the weekend.

Police said the man was lured from his Edendale home late on Saturday.

“At around 10.55pm on Saturday a woman knocked on the victim’s door, saying she had a flat tyre and needed help,” police said in a statement.

“The victim – a man in his 50s – walked with the woman to the corner of Melvin Street and Turner Street, where he was accosted by a man and assaulted. During the assault, the offender also attempted to restrain the victim by tying his hands behind his back.”

Police were appealing for information from the public to identify the man and woman involved.

“Following the assault, the victim saw an SUV leaving the area at speed, and we believe it is likely the man and woman were in this SUV,” police said.

“To help us locate this vehicle, we would like to hear from any residents who have street-facing security cameras on Turner Street, Melvin Street, Seawood Road or Ferry Road, and who may have captured footage of the vehicle on Saturday night.

“We would also like to speak to anyone who saw an SUV in the Edendale township between 10pm and midnight, or anyone with other information which could assist our enquiries.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 105, quoting file number 251116/4977. Information could also be provided anonymously via CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Early Childhood centres are concerned about the cost to remove and dispose of potentially asbestos contaminated products after asbestos was found in a range of coloured play sand.

Some schools and childhood centres have closed after a significant recall last week that included four products sold by Kmart.

The Early Childhood Council’s chief executive Simon Laube told Midday Report the news was worrying to centres.

The cost of testing for asbestos and then potentially disposing of products was significant, he said.

More than 200 schools and childcare centres have sought advice from the Ministry of Education.

Laube said the cost was something many centres could not afford.

He wanted the government to step in and play a role.

“We’re talking about young children in ECE and the parents who care for them and I think they deserve better than nothing really.”

Remediation work would take time, Laube said.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said four products sold by Kmart – the 14-piece sandcastle building set and the blue, green and pink Magic Sand sets – tested positive for tremolite, a form of asbestos associated with higher cancer risks at low exposure levels.

Some schools using the products closed as a precaution for asbestos testing, including Burnside Primary, Clearview Primary, Waitaha School and Gilberthorpe School in Canterbury, and Dunedin’s Balaclava Primary.

The Ministry of Education said it could not confirm how many schools had closed.

Operations and integration leader Sean Teddy said 150 schools and 90 early learning services had sent queries as of 2pm Sunday.

“We are working closely with MBIE and WorkSafe to provide schools and early learning services with advice on testing, remediation and closure decisions,” he said.

“We appreciate that the presence of asbestos in products that are used by children will cause worry for parents and caregivers. We recommend they contact Healthline with any health concerns they may have about their children who may have come into contact with these products.”

Rolleston’s Clearview Primary said it had identified one home base that used the recalled Kmart product. The school’s board of trustees said a further four classrooms had used other brands of kinetic sand, or kinetic sand that had been removed from its packaging, making its origin unclear.

“At this stage, there is no immediate risk to staff or students. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are closing the school on Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday this week while all our teaching and learning spaces are professionally tested,” Clearview Primary said.

In a Facebook Post, Burnside Primary School said a recalled kinetic sand product sold at Kmart had been used in “some areas of our school”.

The school said while the risk to staff and students was considered very low, it had been advised by WorkSafe to close on Monday as a precaution to complete testing and ensure learning spaces were safe.

In a post to Facebook, Waitaha School said it was also closed on Monday.

“Waitaha School will be closed on Monday November 17 as we have become aware that a number of areas of the school across satellites and the base school have been exposed to various coloured sand brands that have been recalled. The Ministry of Education have advised the Board to close the school and arrange for an investigation and clean by professional asbestos cleaners,” the school said.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment product safety spokesperson Ian Caplin said he understood how alarming the discovery would be for families.

“We appreciate that the presence of asbestos in products that are used by children will be concerning to parents and caregivers. We urge families who have purchased these products to stop using them immediately, secure them safely, and contact your local council for advice on where and how to dispose of the contaminated material safely,” he said.

“If you are a workplace, where you may have higher volumes of these products or more people may have come in contact with the products, you should contact a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist for immediate advice and support on your specific situation. A list of these is available on the WorkSafe website.”

Wellington City Council said following the urgent recall of Kmart’s Magic Sand there was free disposal of the product at the city’s Southern Landfill.

“To dispose of the sand, double bag the product and tape it shut. Clearly label it with ‘Contains Asbestos’. Take it to the Southern Landfill and let the weighbridge staff know you have an item that may contain asbestos, and they will direct you to the appropriate place to dispose of it at the transfer station for free,” the council said.

The contaminated Kmart products include:

• 14-piece Sandcastle Building Set
• Blue Magic Sand
• Green Magic Sand
• Pink Magic Sand

The newly identified products are in addition to the previously recalled sands from Educational Colours and Creatistics:

• EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg)
• Creatistics Coloured Sand (1kg)

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand