One injured after altercation in Awakeri, Bay of Plenty
RNZ / Marika Khabazi
A person is believed to have been critically injured after a serious incident in the Bay of Plenty town of Awakeri, police say.
Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Commander inspector Nicky Cooney said at about 4.30pm police were called to the altercation between two people at a property on State Highway 30.
"One person appeared to have received critical injuries. The person taken into custody is assisting police with our enquiries."
No one else was being sought in relation to the incident.
Awakeri is a village located southwest of Whakatāne.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

RNZ News
7 hours ago
- RNZ News
'Your family could be next', warns coward punch victim's brother
Coward punch marchers outside the High Court at New Plymouth. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ A Taranaki father has shared his sense of loss and anger following the death of his son in a one-punch assault. About 200 people gathered at the Tukapa Rugby Club in New Plymouth on Friday to remember Daniel Nganeko and join a march calling for tougher penalties for coward-punch-style offences. Daniel Nganeko died on 29 July after being struck by Daytona Thompson, 22, in what police described as an unprovoked attack at the Tukapa senior prizegiving three days earlier. Te Uraura Nganeko was still coming to terms with his son's death. "It's a tragedy, just a waste of a beautiful life and a beautiful soul. It's just this huge sense of loss and anger. It should never have happened, and that's why we are here on Friday." He said the 37-year-old - a former visual journalist who planned to retrain as a teacher - deserved better. "Daniel was harmless. In the context of this kaupapa Daniel was harmless, he wouldn't hurt a fly. He accepted people as they are and everyone loved him." The Nganeko family organised the march from the Tukapa clubrooms to the High Court, where Thompson was due to plead to a manslaughter charge. Their message was clear. "We are marching because coward punches kill and our laws don't treat them seriously enough. We are here for justice for Daniel and other victims and to change the justice system to stop this happening again. One punch took Daniel's life and we want laws that reflect the reality." Sarah Coward was one of many at the clubrooms wearing a white T-shirt bearing Daniel's image and the slogan "March for Daniel, March for Change". She was feeling his loss keenly. "He was loving, passionate, happy. I mean look at all these people here, you know, like he was great. He was just the best. Talked to everyone, always had time for people and wouldn't hurt anybody." A mate of Daniel's twin brother Cameron - Steve Dent - reinforced the message for tougher penalties. "[The offender] was just out to get another notch on the belt. I think that's the culture we need to change. We need tougher sentencing so these guys know that if they engage in that sort of behaviour that they will go away for life." Cameron Nganeko, meanwhile, rallied the marchers from a lectern before they headed to the courthouse. "How long must we wait for the government to act? If we remain silent, if we do nothing your family could be next. Let's come together as one, stand side-by-side and stand up, speak out and defend those who no longer can [defend themselves]. Enough is enough, it's time for change and it starts now." Thompson pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge and will be sentenced in October. Te Uraura Nganeko predicted the plea - but it was little relief. "I really haven't got a message for him. He killed my son." He said Thompson had a good lawyer. "There is a system in play here, and that's one of the issues I have with the discounts offenders get for pleading guilty. I don't believe they should get any discounts for violent offences." The government aimed to introduce legislation recognising one-punch attacks as a specific offence - with lengthy jail terms - before the end of the year, and have it passed into law before the next general election. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Café owner gets home detention in $335K migrant exploitation conviction
Photo: MINT IMAGES A Murupara café owner has been sentenced to 10 months 'home detention and ordered to pay $175,000 after exploiting migrant workers and providing false and misleading information to immigration authorities. Ratha Ny, owner and director of the Bakehouse Café in Murupara, appeared at Rotorua District Court on 14 August for sentencing. Ny pleaded guilty in March to four charges under the Immigration Act 2009 for giving false or misleading information to Immigration New Zealand. His company, R.S.X Limited, also admitted six charges for serious breaches of employment law, including knowingly underpaying employees below the minimum wage and failing to correctly pay holiday and related entitlements. The court fined the company $150,000 and ordered to pay $25,000 in emotional harm reparations to three victims. The payments, made before sentencing, included $10,000 to each of two workers and $5,000 to a third. That brought the total court-imposed penalty to $175,000. Those penalties were in addition to $160,000 in minimum wage arrears that had been repaid to affected staff before sentencing, bringing the total financial cost to the company - including fines, reparations and wage arrears - to $335,000. Ny was sentenced to 10 months' home detention. The court initially set a starting point of 30 months in prison, reduced to 21 months after discounts were applied. Steve Watson, general manager of Immigration Compliance and Investigation at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, said the exploitation of temporary migrant workers was unacceptable and a clear breach of New Zealand law. "It's rare for emotional harm payments to be awarded in these cases, so this outcome is a real win for the victims," Watson said. "It sends a strong message that the emotional toll of exploitation is being recognized and taken seriously." Under the Immigration Act, exploiting temporary migrants or those working unlawfully is a criminal offence punishable by up to seven years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. MBIE urged anyone who suspects workplace exploitation to report it immediately by calling 0800 200 088. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Bakery owner convicted of exploiting workers
Exploiting workers and paying them under the minimum wage has cost a bakery owner more than $330,000. The owner of Murupara's Bakehouse cafe has been convicted of four charges of making false or misleading statements to immigraiton officials, along with six exploitaiton knowingly paying employees below the minimum wage. General Manager for Immigration Compliance, Steve Watson spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.