Police seek help finding Ella Davenport, who is missing in Auckland for two weeks
Photo:
NZ Police
Police are asking for the publics help to find a woman missing in Auckland.
Ella Davenport, 57, has been missing from her Hain Avenue home in Māngere since Friday, 20 June.
Police have information she is still in the local community, with the last unconfirmed sighting of her being around the BP petrol station on Massey Road in late June. She may also frequent the 24-hour laundromat near the petrol station.
Police are concerned for Davenport's wellbeing, especially as Auckland has been experiencing cold and wet weather recently.
"I would like to thank those in the community who have contacted us or spoken to police about Ella in recent weeks," Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Robb Kerr said.
"I'm asking for residents in Māngere and Māngere East to keep an eye out for her.
"If you see her, please contact police straight away."
If you have other information which might assist Police, you can update us online now or call 105. Please use the reference number 250621/8662 for Ella's case.
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
40 minutes ago
- RNZ News
The Lodge: Tauranga bomb scare linked to South Island cult, RNZ podcast reveals
The Lodge, pictured in 2004. Photo: No credit A member of a wellness cult was responsible for a 2005 bomb threat that led to the evacuation of central Tauranga, RNZ's new investigative podcast The Lodge can reveal. The 13-hour siege, which shut down several city blocks, was carried out by Jakob Slevec, a 57-year-old Slovenian. Slevec had studied at the Phenomena Academy based at Takaro Lodge near Te Anau - a wellness cult run by Chinese guru Aiping Wang, the subject of an RNZ podcast currently being released. The Guru - grandmaster - Aiping Wang. Photo: No credit Today's episode reveals Slevec's links with the lodge. This connection has never been reported until now. According to hotel receptionist Bronwin Pretorius, who sat with Slevec for hours in the conference room of the Devonport Hotel during the incident, the man claimed to be carrying explosives and demanded to speak with Helen Clark. "He had a rucksack and wanted to speak to the Prime Minister. He said he had a bomb with him," Pretorius says in the podcast. The Armed Offenders Squad and bomb squad were deployed, three city blocks were evacuated, and the siege lasted 13 hours before authorities moved in, arresting Slevec without serious injury. News reports at the time said the shutdown of central Tauranga cost businesses $500,000. The episode reveals that Slevec was a student at Wang's Phenomena Academy and had been living at the lodge. He was one of 12 overseas followers facing deportation after New Zealand authorities had closed down Wang's teaching institution. An interview with Aiping Wang in 2004. Photo: No credit A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that "Jacob Slevec, the man with the backpack trying to get an audience with Helen Clark, had been living and studying at the lodge in Te Anau. Over four years he'd renewed his student visa multiple times". Pretorius, who was pregnant at the time though unaware of it, described the experience as "quite surreal" but noted that Slevec "didn't come across as scary" and had "a very calm nature". The following day in court, Slevec was charged with burglary, threatening to kill or cause grievous bodily harm, and was subsequently deported to Slovenia. Media coverage at the time made no mention of his connection to Wang's group. Slevec's bag contained no explosives. His protest appears to have been related to his impending deportation back to Eastern Europe. While Slevec never revealed what he was hoping to achieve or wanting to ask of the Prime Minister, the Bay of Plenty Times in 2005 reported he "believed he had to commit a crime to be deported without having to pay for his airfare home". Pretorius says, "I asked him what he was doing, why he was doing this, and he said that he pretty much, he was wanting to go back home". It was unclear whether by "home" he meant Slovenia or Te Anau. Simona, an ex-follower. Photo: Internet image The podcast reveals that Wang's Phenomena Academy had been set up in 2000 as a government-accredited teaching institute offering a three-year "diploma of life consultancy". Ex-followers say this accreditation enabled Wang to bring foreign followers to New Zealand on student visas. Edi, an ex-follower. Photo: Internet image Following a 2004 20/20 television documentary by this reporter, exposing questionable practices at the lodge, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) withdrew its accreditation. "After the 20/20 doco came out, NZQA removed Aiping's right to teach and deported a dozen followers on student visas. Jacob Slevec, the Tauranga fake bomber, was one of them," I explain in the podcast. Despite the deportations and loss of accreditation, it's believed Wang remained in New Zealand under a golden visa after purchasing the Lodge property for $2.1 million in 1998. Caroline, an ex-follower. Photo: Internet image The Lodge documents Wang's journey from Eastern Europe to New Zealand. Ex-followers say she'd brought them to the southwest of the South Island because this was the best place to survive a world disaster. Suzanne, an ex-follower. Photo: No credit Once they arrived in Aotearoa, Wang's Phenomena Academy promised believers they would learn how to levitate, see the future, and be healed without medicine. Warwick, an ex-follower Photo: VIP believers were charged just under three quarters of a million dollars for life membership and access to the guru. Aiping Wang in Eastern Europe pre-2000. Photo: Internet image The Lodge examines the expansion of a wellness empire across multiple countries, raising questions about the oversight of alternative healing practices and their potential consequences. - Newshub Archives
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Over 200 work visas linked to companies connected to Vietnamese organised crime rings
Police say dozens of people have been arrested and thousands of cannabis plants destroyed as part of search warrants. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police More than 200 people with valid work visas have been linked to inoperative companies connected to Vietnamese organised crime rings in East Auckland, Immigration New Zealand says. Police believe there are multiple groups operating cannabis grow houses across the city . Dozens of people have been arrested and thousands of cannabis plants destroyed as part of search warrants. A number of Vietnamese nationals have also been deported . RNZ can reveal police do not believe the grow houses uncovered are operated by solely one syndicate. "Police enquiries continue into the operations we have uncovered previously, including working with partner agencies where appropriate," police said. "Grow houses are not a new phenomenon for Police. These have been around for decades. We have encountered these sorts of operations over many decades right around the country." Police said the proliferation and size of some operations, particularly in the Auckland region, had changed. "Police have previously voiced our concerns over safety given some of the dangerous and dodgy electrical wiring that our staff encounter. "It poses not only a risk to those who are operating the illegal set up, but also neighbours and our staff who turn up to these addresses." Do you know more? Email The presence of syndicates in Auckland was likely proportionate to the population, police said, including the availability of rentals and the ability to blend in given the density of housing. A grow house uncovered last month. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police Documents from Immigration NZ show staff have worked with police under Operation Clementine to disrupt Vietnamese organised crime rings in East Auckland. The operation identified 38 businesses of interest. Immigration and police found 203 people who held valid work visas linked to 11 companies found to be inoperative, or believed inoperative. Sixty-two offshore visas had been cancelled before the holders were able to reach New Zealand. A further eight visas were cancelled at the border and eight other passengers were offloaded from flights into the country. Immigration NZ general manager for immigration, compliance and investigations Steve Watson told RNZ it had been working for roughly three months with police to target the crime groups. "Our work is focusing on the visa aspect of it," he said. "After receiving some information, we did a bit of work and commenced a three month operation that involved some accredited employer companies that we believed were employing migrants but in breach of their visas." Watson said 16 infringement notices had been issued to the companies illegally employing staff. Thirty-eight deportation liability notices had also been issued, with two people leaving the country voluntarily. Watson said those with deportation notices were still in the appeal period of the process. "We are just monitoring them to understand what their next steps are," he said. "If they don't appeal, or there's no further action, they will be deported." There were only another couple of weeks to appeal the notices, Watson said. "What we're seeing here is organised crime working through what appear to be legitimate businesses. "The way to disrupt that is for government agencies to work together, and lawfully and intelligently share information with each other, in order to disrupt what is actually organised crime behaviour," he said. Immigration NZ has been working with Police to target the international crime groups. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police Watson urged those migrants wanting to come to New Zealand to do so through official channels or an accredited agent. "Some of these people have paid significant amounts of money for visas when they didn't need to," he said. "We would encourage people to follow the correct process, in order to safeguard themselves when applying for a visa." December 2023 Police arrested 10 people, found 6886 plants and seized 10 kilograms of cannabis with a street value at the time of $16-25 million, through search warrants at properties across Waitematā and Counties Manukau. Up to $100,000 cash was also seized. Twelve migrants unlawfully in the country also faced deportation. Police at the time suggested the crime syndicate was predominantly operating across the Waitematā and Counties Manukau Police districts. May 2024 Police seize up to $15 million worth of cannabis from parts of rural southern Auckland, arresting nine people. More than 4300 plants were destroyed in Āwhitu, over 150 destroyed in Runciman and more than 1000 plants were destroyed in Glenbrook. Four Vietnamese nationals were arrested at Āwhitu. A further five Vietnamese nationals were arrested at the site in Glenbrook, Police said. September 2024 Police destroyed 953 cannabis plants and 13 kilograms of cannabis in East Auckland. An estimated $289,323 of stolen electricity had been used across properties, including in Somerville, Botany Downs, Pakuranga and Ōtara. Police found electrical fuses had been replaced at the rental properties they searched, some of which were so hot they could not be touched. They said wires in the affected fuses had melted and they could have caught fire. October 2024 Officers arrested 11 people, seized and destroyed 3385 cannabis plants and 48 kg of dried cannabis across Counties Manukau, Central Auckland and Waitematā District. The estimated value of the seizures at the time, based on estimated yield of the plants, was $18m. The majority of those arrested were in New Zealand illegally, Police said, and 11 Vietnamese Nationals were deported. Police reminded landlords to be vigilant when renting out their properties. They asked landlords to ensure there were regular property inspections and to carry out thorough vetting, including obtaining two forms of photo ID and sighting the original document. They also asked neighbours to be vigilant. Anyone who noticed suspicious activity, such as deliveries of easy grow and fertiliser bags being dropped off or signs a meter has been tampered with, was urged to contact Police. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Couple jailed for neglect of 4-year-old were suspected of his murder
Ashton Cresswell, pictured at a birthday party five days before he died. Photo: Supplied A mother and her then partner who were jailed for neglecting a four-year-old boy who died after suffering "non-accidental" head and bowel injuries were initially arrested on suspicion of murder, it can be revealed. However, after continuing to deny their involvement they were jointly charged with manslaughter. The pair would later plead guilty to reduced charges of neglect. Ashton Cresswell died in April 2017. RNZ earlier reported that the cause of his death was deemed to be "non-accidental" head and bowel injuries. A post-mortem found 65 bruises across his small body. Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale found the fatal injuries suffered by Asthon were likely inflicted by Ashton's mother's partner Peter Otuszewski, either through misadventure during rough play, or through a more deliberate act of violence. In an exclusive interview with RNZ, Otuszewski denied being responsible for Ashton's death. "It is horrific what happened to him. It is unfair what happened to him. But I didn't cause him to die." RNZ has obtained several statements connected to Ashton's death under the Official Information Act. Do you know more? Email Among them is a statement from the officer in charge of the investigation Detective Sergeant Rochelle Ross. Ross said that after the cause of Ashton's death was established, the investigation moved into a "suspect interview phase". Both Ashton's mother Alesha Cresswell and Otuszewski were interviewed in the hours after Ashton's death. Ross said the pair provided accounts which were "not consistent with the fact that Ashton had been deceased for some time prior to the emergency services arriving". No-one was charged with causing the fatal injuries to Ashton. Photo: Supplied On 18 September 2017, Cresswell was interviewed for a second time for nearly three hours. "Her account differed from her original account and was inconsistent and contrived with her making assertions which were known to be untrue or were later proved to be untrue," Ross said. Six weeks later Otuszewski was interviewed by police. Ross said he changed his account from that which he gave in the hours after Ashton's death. "Neither party could offer any explanation for how Ashton sustained the injuries that ultimately caused his death." The investigation was then summarised and referred to the Crown Solicitor for prosecution advice. On 29 May 2019 the pair were arrested for the murder of Ashton, Ross said. Otuszewski and Cresswell were then interviewed for a third time. Both lasted about 15 minutes. "Both parties continued to deny any knowledge of how Ashton sustained the injuries which led to his death," Ross said. They were then jointly charged with manslaughter. The charge alleged that, without lawful excuse, the pair neglected their legal duty to provide Ashton with the necessities of life. Ross said that following further court appearances and in consultation with the Crown Solicitor's office the matter was resolved with guilty pleas on charges of neglect. Cresswell was sentenced to three years, 11 months imprisonment. Otuszewski was jailed for four years and one month. In response to questions from RNZ, Central District manager of criminal investigations Detective Inspector Craig Sheridan said the investigation team had "good cause" to suspect the couple had committed the offence of murder when they were arrested. Following the third interview the decision was made, in consultation with the Crown, to charge the pair with manslaughter. Charging documents of murder were never filed, he said. He said it was a "robust investigation". Sheridan earlier said the evidence supported the resulting charges of neglect. "Police acknowledge the coroner's findings in relation to Ashton's tragic and entirely avoidable death." He said there was no ongoing investigation. Near the bottom of Coroner Borrowdale's report, she says Ashton Cresswell was not a name "well-known to New Zealanders". "No-one was convicted of causing the non-accidental injuries that led to his death. No government or support agency was involved in the protection of Ashton and his siblings from child abuse. "Ashton was not attending any pre-school when he died. No-one who had contact with Ashton, his mother, or her short-term partner foresaw that Ashton's life was at risk… no-one saw what was coming." Borrowdale made damning remarks about the couple's attempted explanations of Ashton's injuries. "Ashton was 'careless' and 'clumsy' because he was tiny, vulnerable, and had developmental delays. "These characteristics ought to have led to Ashton being treated with kid gloves, receiving even more protection and care than an ordinarily robust four-year-old. It was grotesquely self-serving of his parent and caregiver, who I find were responsible for his death and its concealment, to have excused their violence and neglect by reference to Ashton's frailties." She concluded by saying Ashton's death was a "tragedy". "It is shameful that Ashton died violently and prematurely, in his home and due to the actions - and inactions - of the people who were entrusted with his care and safety. I offer my sincere condolences to those who knew and loved Ashton." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
