Latest news with #CatherineHutton
Otago Daily Times
13-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
DJ's death after festival prompts drug warning
By Catherine Hutton, Open Justice reporter A DJ died after taking a toxic mix of drugs during a popular music festival that he not only attended with his partner, but also played at. Simon Lee Garside, known musically as Deep South Audio, died in 2023 after Splore, a three-day music and arts festival held at Tapapakanga Regional Park in Auckland. Now, his death has drawn a fresh warning from Coroner Alison Mills about the dangers of drug-taking, especially when mixing different drugs, which can increase the risk of harm. According to her findings, Garside, a 46-year-old father based in Golden Bay, often travelled to music festivals with his partner to DJ and sell vintage clothing. Coroner Mills' findings stated that Garside occasionally used recreational drugs at music festivals and events, including MDMA and cocaine. The long weekend His partner described his drug taking as being on the 'low side'. In late February 2023, the couple travelled to Auckland to attend Splore. His partner reported that during the festival, Garside took MDMA, cocaine and ketamine, sharing about a gram of cocaine over the weekend and taking a small amount of MDMA each day. At least once during the long weekend, he experienced severe chest pain and had to stop and rest. According to his partner, Garside had been experiencing chest pains and headaches for a month or two before his death. Fearing it was a terminal illness, he was reluctant to see a doctor. While Garside was not part of the official Splore line-up, he was part of the Lucky Star collective, an independent group that curates its own stage. He performed a DJ set on that stage on the final day of the festival, February 26, and later that evening he and his partner checked into a hostel. They had dinner at a restaurant, then took a gin and tonic back to their room and got into bed. After some time, his partner noticed Garside had become unresponsive. He appeared stiff and his eyes were rolled backward. She attempted to rouse him but received no response. Garside, who was put into the recovery position, vomited. His partner gave him CPR and called emergency services. Firefighters and paramedics attended but Garside could not be revived. He died just after midnight on February 27, 2023. A toxic combo of drugs A subsequent pathologist's report found that fatal levels of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA caused Garside's death. The coroner's report stated: 'The pathologist advised that the combined use of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine, ketamine and MDMA is known to result in respiratory depression, somnolence, cardiac arrhythmia, coma and increases the risk for sudden death.' Benzoylecgonine and ecgonine are metabolites of cocaine. Coroner Mills agreed with the pathologist's findings. 'Cocaine and MDMA are both stimulants that increase the heart rate and blood pressure,' she said in her report. 'Mixing these drugs in combination can make you feel more stimulated but can also increase the risk of overstimulation. This can result in an increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, temperature, anxiety, panic, or overdose. 'Ketamine used in combination with stimulants (MDMA and cocaine) also increases the strain on a body.' The coroner went on to warn that cocaine and ketamine combinations could be unpredictable. She said the risk of experiencing harm was more likely if ketamine was used with another substance. Coroner Mills made her comments in the findings in the hope of raising awareness, she said. She encouraged people who chose to use recreational drugs to take steps to minimise the risk of harm by checking their drugs at drug testing facilities such as those offered by Know Your Stuff. When looking at whether any other factors could have contributed to his death, the coroner noted that while he did not have a full autopsy, his post-mortem examination CT scan did not reveal any underlying heart condition or head injury. 'I note however that long-term use of cocaine is however associated with adverse cardiovascular consequences. In addition, mixing MDMA and cocaine places significant stress on the cardiovascular system. 'Therefore, if Simon had an underlying heart condition, he may have been more vulnerable to harm when mixing these two drugs.' 'Dearly remembered' Fryderyk (Fred) Kublikowski, Splore's festival producer, said the festival community was devastated by Garside's death. 'Our sincere aroha and condolences are with his whānau and friends,' he told NZME in a statement. 'His contribution to the music scene of Aotearoa will be dearly remembered.' Kublikowski said Splore has a comprehensive policy regarding drug use and testing, including a no-drugs policy for illicit drugs. People were searched when entering the festival and amnesty bins were provided. But the festival accepted that, despite legal prohibitions, individuals still engaged in recreational drug use. As a result, the festival took several steps to keep people safe, including offering a free drug checking and advice service through Know Your Stuff. Kublikowski said Splore remained committed to best-practice drug safety policies and harm reduction. 'We have read the coroner's report and are actively considering how to incorporate its recommendations and warnings into our drug safety protocols and communications,' Kublikowski said. Know Your Stuff general manager Casey Spearin said the service was proud to have attended Splore for many years. 'Splore is a leader among festivals in Aotearoa for the amount of drug safety education and support services they offer,' Spearin told NZME.
Belfast Telegraph
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
'Camp Gaza' organisers invite public along for 24-hour fundraiser in aid of Palestinians
The event was organised by Derry IPSC (Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign) who said it was an opportunity to 'turn our support into action and stand in unity under the stars for justice and peace.' It comes as Hamas says it has submitted to the mediators its response on a United States proposal for a Gaza ceasefire deal. Under the deal, 10 living Israeli captives held in Gaza will be freed and 18 bodies returned in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, according to the group. The United Nations says the besieged Gaza Strip is the 'hungriest place on Earth', adding that the territory's entire 2.3 million people face 'catastrophic hunger'. Catherine Hutton from Derry IPSC posted a video online saying: 'We're down here at our camp out for Palestine today at Free Derry Corner. 'Please come along if you can, come and support us. We're raising money for Fund a Food Drop and also for the Hind Rajab Foundation and we'd love people to come along and join in and show some solidarity with us. 'You don't have to stay out all night, you can just come along and support us and if any of these are singers or musicians, if you would like to join us as well and share a few tunes with us. 'We have lots of merch here and we have tea, coffee and some food and plenty of people to sit and talk to and to share in the solidarity that we're showing today for the people of Gaza.' Councillors in attendance included Shaun Harkin from People Before Profit, Independent republican Gary Donnelly and Catherine McDaid from the SDLP. Mrs McDaid said: 'It shouldn't matter what your political beliefs are… We're all human and this is a genocide.' Veteran socialist and the man responsible for coining the phrase, 'You are now entering Free Derry' which was painted on the former gable wall, was in attendance too. Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 54,381 Palestinians and wounded 124,054, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Government Media Office updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Otago Daily Times
27-04-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Tribunal powerless in family dispute over 'untidy' cabin
The sister invited her brother to move a cabin on to her property, but the dwelling (not pictured here) became "untidy and unhygienic". (file) A sister's act of kindness towards her brother after their parents died has morphed into a family spat that even tenancy officials cannot resolve. In 2019, the man, who had previously lived with their parents, was invited to put a cabin on his sister's property. The sister jointly owns and shares the property with her daughter and son-in-law, and the invitation to her brother was extended until he could find other accommodation. But along with the cabin, the brother also took several unused vehicles, which he parked at the property, and he added a bathroom as an extension, which was not correctly plumbed. The trio became increasingly concerned about the untidy and unhygienic state of the cabin and the old cars. However, their attempts to tell the man to keep the cabin clean and remove the vehicles fell on deaf ears. In early 2024, the trio cleaned the cabin and told him that if he didn't keep it in that condition and remove the vehicles, they'd give him 90 days' notice to leave. They say the cabin returned to an untidy state and the cars were never moved. Fed up, they applied to the Tenancy Tribunal for an order to terminate the man's tenancy. But in a recently released decision on the matter, the tribunal found it did not have jurisdiction to make a ruling on the application. While it can generally rule on all residential tenancies, there are specific exclusions. That included premises on bare land, with or without facilities, on which the tenant has the right, under the tenancy agreement, to put a mobile home, caravan or other means of shelter. "The applicants agreed the respondent could occupy their land and gave him the right to bring a cabin on to the land in which he can live," the tribunal stated. "The respondent does not enter the applicants' dwellings but lives entirely in the cabin. The applicants confirmed they have not had any contact with the respondent for the last month." The decision went on to say that even if the applicants owned the cabin and allowed the man to live there, the Tenancy Act still would not apply because he is a family member. It said the law could only be applied if both parties had agreed to sign a tenancy agreement at the start of the arrangement. The tribunal suppressed the names and identifying details of all parties. - By Catherine Hutton Open Justice reporter
RNZ News
27-04-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Tenancy Tribunal powerless in family dispute over brother's ‘untidy' cabin on sister's property
By Catherine Hutton, Open Justice reporter of A cabin tipped on its side on Old Waipu Road (file image). Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell A sister's act of kindness towards her brother after their parents died has morphed into a family spat that even tenancy officials cannot resolve. In 2019, the man, who had previously lived with their parents, was invited to put a cabin on his sister's property. The sister jointly owns and shares the property with her daughter and son-in-law, and the invitation to her brother was extended until he could find other accommodation. But along with the cabin, the brother also took several unused vehicles, which he parked at the property, and he added a bathroom as an extension, which was not correctly plumbed. The trio became increasingly concerned about the untidy and unhygienic state of the cabin and the old cars. However, their attempts to tell the man to keep the cabin clean and remove the vehicles fell on deaf ears. In early 2024, the trio cleaned the cabin and told him that if he didn't keep it in that condition and remove the vehicles, they'd give him 90 days' notice to leave. They say the cabin returned to an untidy state and the cars were never moved. Fed up, they applied to the Tenancy Tribunal for an order to terminate the man's tenancy. But in a recently released decision on the matter, the tribunal found it did not have jurisdiction to make a ruling on the application. While it can generally rule on all residential tenancies, there are specific exclusions. That included premises on bare land, with or without facilities, on which the tenant has the right, under the tenancy agreement, to put a mobile home, caravan or other means of shelter. "The applicants agreed the respondent could occupy their land and gave him the right to bring a cabin on to the land in which he can live," the tribunal stated. "The respondent does not enter the applicants' dwellings but lives entirely in the cabin. The applicants confirmed they have not had any contact with the respondent for the last month." The decision went on to say that even if the applicants owned the cabin and allowed the man to live there, the Tenancy Act still would not apply because he is a family member. It said the law could only be applied if both parties had agreed to sign a tenancy agreement at the start of the arrangement. The tribunal suppressed the names and identifying details of all parties. -This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
NZ Herald
26-04-2025
- NZ Herald
Tenancy Tribunal powerless in family dispute over brother's ‘untidy' cabin on sister's property
The trio became increasingly concerned about the untidy and unhygienic state of the cabin and the old cars. However, their attempts to tell the man to keep the cabin clean and remove the vehicles fell on deaf ears. In early 2024, the trio cleaned the cabin and told him that if he didn't keep it in that condition and remove the vehicles, they'd give him 90 days' notice to leave. They say the cabin returned to an untidy state and the cars were never moved. Fed up, they applied to the Tenancy Tribunal for an order to terminate the man's tenancy. But in a recently released decision on the matter, the tribunal found it did not have jurisdiction to make a ruling on the application. While it can generally rule on all residential tenancies, there are specific exclusions. That included premises on bare land, with or without facilities, on which the tenant has the right, under the tenancy agreement, to put a mobile home, caravan or other means of shelter. 'The applicants agreed the respondent could occupy their land and gave him the right to bring a cabin on to the land in which he can live,' the tribunal stated. 'The respondent does not enter the applicants' dwellings but lives entirely in the cabin. The applicants confirmed they have not had any contact with the respondent for the last month.' The decision went on to say that even if the applicants owned the cabin and allowed the man to live there, the Tenancy Act still wouldn't apply because he is a family member. It said the law could only be applied if both parties had agreed to sign a tenancy agreement at the start of the arrangement. The tribunal suppressed the names and identifying details of all parties. Catherine Hutton is an Open Justice reporter, based in Wellington. She has worked as a journalist for 20 years, including at the Waikato Times and RNZ. Most recently she was working as a media adviser at the Ministry of Justice.
