Man hands himself in to Auckland Sikh temple after alleged machete attack
Daljit Singh, a spokesman for the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand, told the Herald the man had contacted them wanting to carry
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NZ Herald
4 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Auckland teacher who abused, photographed girls, had prior indecent act convictions
But the Thursday afternoon sentencing at Manukau District Court wasn't the first time Fisher had been before the courts for committing indecencies. A court document obtained by the Herald reveals that in 2002 he was convicted of three counts of committing an indecent act. Despite these convictions, it appears he was able to pass background checks and gain employment at various schools and teaching providers. It is unclear if his convictions were subject to the Clean Slate scheme. EduExperts, the Crimson-'powered', after-school tutoring brand that Fisher worked under, said it was shocked by the revelations and undertaking an urgent investigation. In a statement provided by a public relations representative, the company said Fisher was a contracted teacher at an independently-owned franchisee with a licence to operate under the EduExperts brand. 'Our understanding is that the contracted teacher had been working at [the independent franchisee] since 2019 and his contract was terminated once police commenced an investigation into his conduct. Timothy Fisher pleaded guilty to 14 charges and was sent to prison after sentencing this week in Manukau District Court. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 'As a nationwide and trusted education provider, EduExperts is disappointed by this case and expresses its sympathy to those impacted by the contracted teacher's conduct. The safety and wellbeing of students is our top priority.' The statement said Fisher held a current practising certificate and the independent franchisee had received a positive reference letter from a school where he formerly worked. Franchisees were required to follow strict recruitment processes, including only hiring registered teachers with current practising certificates from the Teaching Council. Any teacher applying for or renewing their practising certificate was required to undergo a police vet, the statement said. 'EduExperts is conducting its own investigation into this case and working with [the franchisee] to review this in detail. Any further questions relating to the case should be directed to police.' 'You see the face but not the heart' The independent franchise owner, who the Herald cannot name for legal reasons, said she was devastated to learn of Fisher's offending and her heart went out to the victims. She said she bought the franchise in 2019. The previous owners told her Fisher held a current teaching licence, provided the school reference letter and 'said they did all the checks'. She was stunned to learn yesterday that Fisher had previous convictions and that some of the offending had happened at the company's premises. 'We feel shock and sorrow. We trust our teachers ... and try our best to keep an eye on everybody.' She said her company had security cameras and had passed all the footage to police. It had co-operated fully since learning Fisher was under investigation last year and immediately dismissed him as a teacher when alerted. She said Fisher was a 'very good' teacher. Learning he was a child sex offender was difficult to comprehend. 'You see the face but not the heart.' Sexual predator 'knows he does have a problem' At the Thursday hearing, Judge Sacha Nepe sentenced Fisher to four years and five months' imprisonment on 14 charges, which included committing indecent acts on children and making objectionable material. She gave him a 25% discount for his guilty plea, 10% for childhood issues raised in his psychiatric report and 5% for the counselling he had undertaken. Judge Sacha Nepe (right) being sworn in as a new judge by Gisborne Judge Hemi Taumanu in May this year. His lawyer, Tim Blackwell, said Fisher 'knows he does have a problem'. Blackwell sought a discount for remorse and told the court some of his client's comments to report writers had been taken out of context. Prosecutor Kristy Li said Fisher told a report writer he did not feel remorseful because he felt the victims were not 'traumatised' by his offending. Judge Nepe sided with Li: 'I am not prepared, Mr Fisher, to give a discount for remorse. I have looked at the material before me… In my view there was an almost justification for the behaviour.' She uplifted his sentence by two months for his prior offending. A place on the sex offender register was automatic. Details of abuse laid out in court A summary of facts says Fisher taught English at two of the franchisee's branches. The youngest victim was 9 and the oldest 14. Almost all of the indecent offending listed on the document occurred at one campus, with the physical offending occurring in February 2024. Fisher indecently abused the young girls in various ways, including touching their buttocks, lower backs, chest, thigh and groin area over clothing. Timothy Fisher was sentenced to four years and five months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to 14 charges. Photo / Sylvie Whinray He tried to photograph one child's groin area and legs from under her desk while she did schoolwork in an undisclosed location. Eight of the nine victims were offended against physically. Judge Nepe said some of the videos Fisher created were made at an unnamed high school he had worked at. On one occasion, Fisher filmed himself masturbating in an undisclosed location next to two female students who were blindfolded and not aware of his actions. Other footage he captured showed unknown prepubescent girls swimming in a public pool while he pleasured himself from inside a sauna. Another video depicted him recording himself masturbating in a classroom at the high school while nearby students were unaware. In a different clip, he filmed himself masturbating with a child on his lap. He also was found in possession of objectionable material, including of adults abusing children. When spoken to by police, he denied indecently assaulting the students but stated he had 'crossed a line' with the girls and 'got too comfortable'. For his most recent offending, Fisher was charged with seven representative counts of committing an indecent act on a child. Each carries a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment. A representative charge means the offending occurred more than once. Police also laid four attempted intimate visual recording charges and one representative indecent act on a young person charge. In addition, Fisher faced a representative charge for possessing objectionable publications and another representative charge for making an objectionable publication. The maximum term for these charges is 10 and 14 years' imprisonment respectively. Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Bienvenu, Counties Manukau CIB, acknowledged the courage of the young people who came forward to report the offending. Asked if Fisher had been subject to the Clean Slate scheme, Bienvenu said he couldn't comment and referred queries to the Ministry of Justice. A Justice Ministry spokeswoman said convictions were automatically concealed under the scheme if the person was eligible. However, the scheme did not extend to people applying for certain jobs or roles. She said the Children's Act required safety checks for people working with children and the Clean Slate Act did not apply to those safety checks. Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020. Lane Nichols is Auckland desk editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years' experience in the industry. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Spinoff
a day ago
- The Spinoff
What's going on with the Auckland Night Markets?
And how much is too much to pay for a market stall? Aucklanders love a market – wandering around an asphalt carpark with a steaming bao or paua pie, surrounded by their compatriots. Markets have become big business, proliferating throughout the city, and providing options every evening for hungry and thrifty locals. For vendors, all of it comes with a cost; time, stock, labour and the money you pay to a market's organisers for your spot. Stall fees at one market have been the subject of recent criticism, simmering on social media before boiling over into mainstream outlets (a Kiwi classic) as business owners complain of unjustified price increases at Auckland Night Markets, which is also the subject of complaints about management behaviour and communication – allegations that have been denied by owner Victoria Yao and director Paul De Jonge. Alright, catch me up, what's happened now? A July 27 TikTok video from small business owner Yuli Wang went viral, claiming vendors were being 'mistreated' and 'taken advantage of' by the Auckland Night Markets organisers, recounting an incident at the markets where she says she was yelled at, and asked to 'pay more' if she wanted to stay. The video racked up 808.2K views, 64.9K likes and 1.4K comments (some of which detailed other accusations). Across several Instagram posts, the official Auckland Night Markets account responded to Wang's tale and claimed fees were 'always communicated and agreed' with stallholders beforehand, denied charging more than quoted, and insisted staff communicated 'firmly but respectfully'. Addressing what appeared to be the incident with Wang, it alleged she occupied 'three stall spaces in the middle of a walkway'. Another vendor, Elote Cartel, who ran a food stall, told the Herald a week later that Yao upped their agreed fee from $300 to $500 at one market due to 'traffic', before agreeing a lower price. Cartel also claimed they were without power for hours at one market, a location they described as 'dirty' and 'like a dungeon'. A former Auckland Night Markets employee said they quit because of concerns about health and safety (including an empty fire extinguisher, which they supplied photos of) and claimed to have witnessed Yao being 'verbally abusive'. It's not the only media attention Auckland Night Markets has had this year. The owners apologised in May after they publicly criticised Vietnamese food stall Hue's Kitchen (a stall within their own market). A stabbing at the Pakuranga market in June led to calls for increased security, with RNZ canvassing concerns of visitors and vendors, and hearing from Yao that security guards would be increased from three to five. Are these concerns from stallholders new? Sort of. It's not the first time stallholder grievances have made headlines. In 2024 Waikato Times reported a vendor's employee was 'screamed at' by a manager of Hamilton Night Markets (which is operated by Auckland Night Markets). Politicians have grumbled too. In 201,7 Pakuranga Labour candidate Barry Kirker expressed frustration to the Eastern Times that 'the Pakuranga markets have a policy of having to pay $500 for a candidate to walk through there and meet people'. The fee gave a party candidate exclusive campaigning rights on a given date, a spot with table and chairs, and all-night mingling with marketgoers. Where did the Auckland Night Markets even come from? You'd have to have been living under a rock to miss its rise over the past 15 years. It was established in 2010 by Victoria Yao (who runs it alongside husband Paul de Jonge, the manager and director) with the idea of replicating the night markets of China, where the couple operated restaurants and bars before moving to Aotearoa. Their first market had 120 vendors and reportedly drew a crowd of 3,000 to the carpark of Pakuranga Plaza mall. After two years it expanded to five locations and, since then, like the Super City itself, the business has sprawled. There are multiple companies associated with its founders; Paul De Jonge is listed as sole director of Auckland Night Markets Limited, Taupo Night Markets Limited, Rotorua Night Markets Limited, and Night Markets Online Limited – he's a 50:50 shareholder in each alongside Zhi Fen Yao; both are also listed as current directors and shareholders of Queensgate Night Markets Limited, Christchurch Night Markets Limited and Hamilton Night Markets Limited (and Blue Frog Hospitality Limited). Auckland Night Markets' website currently promotes 10 locations on different nights of the week. Markets across Tāmaki Makaurau include Silo Park, Papatoetoe, Mount Wellington, Pakuranga, Botany, Henderson, and Kelston. Down State Highway 1, you'll find two in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton CBD and Chartwell) and even Queensgate in Pōneke. That's a big operation, and there are hundreds of vendors involved every week. Sounds like a massive operation with lots of stallholders. How does it work? You can't just rock up with a trestle table and a bain-marie, there are rules, and not just about setting up in the middle of a walkway. Vendors must comply with the Auckland Night Markets' Stallholder Rules. Food Stall Requirements stipulate an A-grade Food Registration License and current Food Control Plan (the Ministry for Primary Industry's template is 191 pages long and has been translated into Hindi, Vietnamese and other languages) which require registration with the council and professional verification. Stalls must have a fire blanket, fire extinguisher, first aid kit – all visible – plus a rubber floor mat and somewhere for handwashing; all electrics must be tested and tagged, and leads or adaptors have to be industrial grade. Filing a Stallholder Applicant Form doesn't guarantee you a spot, the Auckland Night Markets 'reserves the right to accept or decline any application at its sole discretion, without obligation to provide a reason'. Stallholder pricing for Auckland Night Markets varies, and food vendors (who get access to power) pay more than general vendors. A stall at Kelston on Mondays ($100 for food, $30 for general) is less than Pakuranga on Saturdays ($350 for food, $150 for general). During December and school holidays prices go up, $20 for food vendors and $10 for general stalls. Located on the General Info page is a caveat that 'extra charges apply' for high power usage, though exact costs aren't specified. You'll also find, in capitals, a rule about no rules. 'PLEASE NOTE PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.' You pay fees to the duty manager on the night of the market, and have a short window of time to set up. $350 is a lot! How does that compare to other Auckland markets? Stallholder prices elsewhere have also raised eyebrows, particularly for council-aligned events. A retail stall at the two-day Pasifika Festival now costs $800. Kai costs even more; prices listed for the 2026 event range from $980 for a hangi/umu/lovo pit or food stall. Want to sell watermelon/pineapple ice cream? That will cost you $1,085 for the stall spot alone. Another annual festival, the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival, also lists four-digit fees, with stall prices of $5,000 plus GST. (For the 2025 event, Auckland Council partnered with Auckland Night Markets for the four-night festival's food stalls.) Retail and information stall fees varied, topping out at $10,400. Surely there are cheaper markets out there? A food stall at Balmoral's Central Flea costs $70 (unpowered) and general stalls are $50; Britomart Saturday Market is similarly priced, with food and drink stall fees starting at $75, while a non-food space is $65. At Avondale Markets, prices for non-food vendors start at $25 for a casual stall. There's also a new entrant promising 'reasonable' stallholder fees; Open Circle is positioning itself as a 'community-focused market' launching later this year. Can we expect more market stories? Probably. More claims might surface on social media, and reporters are following the story. The Commerce Commission is assessing a number of concerns brought to its attention, though what happens next is as predictable as Auckland weather on market day.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Christchurch police shooting: More details revealed after woman shot dead, man critically injured
Canterbury's district police commander is giving an update after police officers shot a woman dead and critically injured another man last night. Police were called to a residential address in Clyde Rd, Bryndwr about 11pm after receiving a report of a man armed with a knife, threatening to hurt himself and his partner. Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill is speaking to media from the city's central police station at 12.15pm. A livestream of the press conference can be viewed at the top of this story. Soon after officers arrived at the address last night, a woman ran from the house, followed by a man armed with a knife. 'Believing the woman to be at risk of imminent serious harm, police shot the man, critically injuring him,' Hill said earlier today. 'The woman subsequently picked up the knife and threatened the police.' She ignored appeals from the officers to drop the knife, instead moving towards them. She was shot and despite police rendering medical assistance immediately, she died soon after. The injured man was transported to hospital. Police remain at the scene of the fatal shooting today and multiple investigations are under way. A good friend of the woman said she had been in a relationship with the man for about five years. 'They had their troubles,' Nathan Light told the Herald. 'They were off and on fighting, arguing with each other [and] sorting their lives out.' Light said he met the couple at a local church and the man was intending to 'get baptised in a couple of weeks'. He said they were eager to beat their demons and had been 'ditching all their old associates'. He said they were 'doing good'. 'They had a couple of slip-ups… it's inevitable,' Light said. 'My partner went and seen them last night. I was gonna go and see them too, but I was too tired. She said that they seemed to be okay.' He said 'a couple of days prior', the woman had called at midnight 'begging us to come down and help'. Light was at the house talking to the man until 2am. Light's partner told him last night the shot man was still in 'his weird head space'. 'This morning I wake up, scroll Facebook… I f***ing just knew straight away when they said Clyde Rd… my gut was like, 'Bro, that's [his friends]'. 'And then I saw the photo and I was like, 'That's their f***ing house and that's their fence… oh no'… so I ran from home.' A source said police had been to the address 'loads of times' for reports of family harm and other incidents. The woman was well known to domestic violence support services and was deemed 'a high-risk client'. A critical incident investigation is underway, and it will also be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA), which is standard for any incident involving a police shooting. 'We have spoken to next of kin, and our thoughts are with the family of those involved at this incredibly difficult time,' Hill said earlier. 'This was a distressing incident for the attending officers, and the appropriate support is being provided to them.' According to property records, the units, which are across the road from a playground, are owned by Kāinga Ora.
