Latest news with #Flavell
1News
6 days ago
- 1News
Heartwarming community effort brings missing woman home safely
The family of a 75-year-old Samoan woman with dementia, who went missing after leaving her Glen Innes home alone earlier this week, says they are "eternally grateful" to the community for helping her return home safely. Her daughter, Rina Tuigamala Sua, said the experience showed the challenges Pacific families face when seeking help and hopes that the government will streamline the process for pensioners with dementia. Peta, only one name, recently moved to Glen Innes after living in West Auckland for decades. On the afternoon of Wednesday, August 7, she left her daughter's home without a phone, money, or any means of communicating her whereabouts. She boarded a bus headed across the city, unable to remember her new address or how to get back home. Sua, who lived in Samoa but was temporarily in Aotearoa New Zealand to care for her mother, said the experience was frightening and disorienting. "To be honest, a lot of mixed emotions, it was not only very scary, we felt lost and helpless because New Zealand is so big and we're from Samoa," she said. "Maybe a little embarrassed because I lost my mom under my watch… but dealing with dementia isn't easy." ADVERTISEMENT Peta, 75, was safely reunited with her family. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Later that day, an act of kindness from a stranger triggers a chain of events leading to Peta being found safe. Will Flavell, deputy chair of the Henderson-Massey Local Board, noticed Peta struggling to communicate at a café in Henderson Mall earlier that afternoon. Recognising that something was wrong, he approached Peta and greeted her in Gagana Samoa. "I get up, approach her, greet her in Samoan and ask what she would like. After she orders, I sit with her," he said. Flavell, who has whakapapa connections to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, and Ngāti Maniapoto, spoke with Peta for nearly half an hour. She shared about her life in West Auckland and mentioned that she had come to the mall because she was bored at home. "She is in good spirits, but she keeps repeating the same question every 45 seconds," Flavell said. Realising something was amiss, he offered to help her get home, but she insisted on taking the bus. Henderson-Massey Local Board deputy chair Will Flavell helped reunite the family with their missing mother, thanks to his ability to speak Gagana Sāmoa. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) ADVERTISEMENT Later that evening, Sua posted a plea on Facebook: "Hey, family and friends. My mom has wandered off from home in GI at 1.30ish this afternoon. Some of you don't know but my mom has dementia and she doesn't know our current address… She was last seen sitting at the bus stop on Taniwha Road on the route to go to the city." The post quickly spread across local pages. Within two hours, Flavell recognised her photo and contacted the family, sharing what Peta had told him, including her name and their meeting location. "When Will called, all my kids and family were circling the city streets. So once we got that call, we had high hopes and on top of that we managed to narrow down the area she's likely to be." Not long after, a taxi driver called to inform them that he had dropped Peta at Waitākere Hospital. The family found her sitting safely in the waiting area. "Will's call played a huge part in finding my mom," Sua said. "We're so grateful. I don't personally know Will, I'm from Samoa, but I spoke to him and I just want to thank him from the bottom of our hearts." Sua thanks the kindness shown by strangers. "Awww, on behalf of my family, I like to thank everyone that reached out via call, message and prayers... faafetai faafetai lava, may the Lord bless each and every one of yous tenfold." The woman boarded a bus in Glen Innes and travelled across the city alone. Photo/Auckland Council (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) ADVERTISEMENT She said the experience highlights how difficult it can be for Pacific families to get support, especially when caring for elders with dementia. 'Everyone tells me to get my mom a tracker, so I get one the next morning. But maybe the Government can ease up on the rules when it comes to our parents who are on the pension. 'Us Islanders want our parents and grandparents to enjoy their old age, especially when they're sick. Having so much red tape around their movements feels a bit unfair.' She calls for more compassionate, culturally aware systems that better support elders like her mother and reflect the needs of Pacific communities. Flavell said the experience also shows the need for frontline public transport and service staff to be more aware of the needs of vulnerable elderly passengers. "Even a simple 'Are you okay?' or 'Who are you travelling with?' can go a long way," he said. "It would be great to see bus drivers, transport staff or security at stations just taking that extra moment to check in with elderly passengers. That small act could prevent a family from going through what Rina's did." He said basic awareness training on dementia and elder vulnerability could make a real difference. He adds that language is also a powerful connector. ADVERTISEMENT "You never expect someone with dementia to travel across the city alone, but it happens," he said. "It would be good if staff just had prompts to ask gentle questions or check if someone's okay. "If someone knows your language, it just makes that connection more stronger and strongly connected to the person. "Speaking with her in Samoan... helped me realise... this is the outcome of learning Samoan and this is a benefit to that for me. It's not just for me. It's about how you serve the community." Flavell, who is not of Pacific descent, learned to speak Gagana Samoa through free community classes. He said he's grateful for the opportunity to learn the Samoan language. He said learning one's heritage language was extremely important. "Letting her know that I'm not Sāmoan... I think she was probably a little bit surprised." "Tāmaki Makaurau has the biggest Pasifika community in the world… When one knows their language and their identity, it just makes life so much better for them… Language can literally help save lives." ADVERTISEMENT LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Meth, booze and psychedelic drugs: Auckland arsonist Corena Flavell jailed torching Parnell lodge
She faced up to 14 years imprisonment as she appeared in Auckland District Court today for sentencing. Judge David Sharp ordered a sentence of two-and-a-half years imprisonment, noting she appeared genuinely apologetic but there was also a high risk of reoffending due to her entrenched drug and alcohol issues. 'I have to impose a sentence that will mean you know you can't do things like this,' the judge said. 'It is a matter of great fortune that no one was killed. 'These people were doing you no harm.' Meth and psychedelics Flavell was a long-term resident at the 17-bedroom lodge, which changed from a tourist stay to emergency accommodation around 2022 and later switched to transitional accommodation. The defendant lived in one of nine bedrooms on the upper floor of the two-storey wooden home. The agreed summary of facts for the case don't state what caused her to carry out the arson, but defence lawyer Charles Harvey told the judge today that she had been a heavy user at the time of methamphetamine, alcohol and psychedelic drug DMT. It was a combination that has affected her memory of that night and her ability at the time to make 'rational and safe decision', he said, adding that it is difficult to imagine her actions were not significantly impaired. The summary of facts states about 4.09pm that day, Flavell began removing property from her room and placing it on a settee 'directly outside her room in preparation to leave the building'. Eighteen minutes later she had gotten dressed, finished removing the property and was preparing to leave. She held a cigarette lighter in her hand. 'After Ms Flavell had removed the items of property from her room, she spread a flammable accelerant onto items remaining in the room and then set the items on fire before hurriedly leaving,' documents state. 'Ms Flavell picked up the items from the settee, but she was in such a rush to leave the building that she did not stop to pick up one of the items that she had dropped and she left other items behind. 'Just over one minute after Ms Flavell rushed from her room, smoke could be seen emanating out of her room.' There were up to 10 residents inside the building when she set the fire, including one who was sleeping in a room adjacent to Flavell's. All managed to escape but some were injured, the judge noted today, referring to victim impact statements that were not read aloud. The blaze had been set close to a door to a fire escape. Additionally, the building had no sprinkler system and few extinguishers, police noted. Fellow resident Benjamin Rees, who said he was homeless before Work and Income sent him to live at the property, described to RNZ last year how he had been napping when he awoke to a voice on the stairwell saying 'set fire to the place' and noticed smoke seeping in through his door. 'So I grabbed a couple of items,' he said. 'I grabbed my guitar and a couple of bags, threw them out the window, jumped onto that [roof], threw my stuff into the tree, jumped into the tree and onto the ground.' Sixteen fire crews were called to the scene, but although they eventually got the fire under control, it was to no avail. The extensively damaged property was later demolished. 'Harmful influences' Flavell pleaded guilty to arson, which carries a maximum possible sentence of 14 years imprisonment, five days prior to her scheduled trial earlier this year. She also pleaded guilty to an unrelated theft charge in which she helped take an estimated $7000 worth of items that had been in bags in front of a home. Most of the items were never recovered. Both sides agreed a starting point of between three-and-a-half and four years imprisonment was appropriate. The defence argued that the judge should take into account that the building was old and didn't have sprinklers, which would have likely limited the damage. Harvey noted that the one silver lining of the incident is that his client is 'now quite cognisant of the tangible impact' her addiction issues have had on her life and 'her motivation to find an alternative path in life has crystallised'. He described the sentencing as 'a turning point, hopefully, for her and her lifestyle'. The judge agreed that her addiction issues had a direct impact on her offending that day. He declined to go into detail but also agreed that her background, including exposure to drugs and alcohol at a young age, would have likely played a part in her later addictions. 'It's not difficult to tell she's had some influences in her life that have been difficult and very harmful for her,' he said. 'But it still doesn't mean that you can do this sort of thing.' Crown prosecutor Annabelle Wilson acknowledged the futility of having Flavell pay back her victims. But she asked that he impose a nominal amount, if only out of symbolism 'to reflect the loss to the victims'. The judge reluctantly declined. 'I'm in the unfortunate position of not being able to provide reparation to people who lost significantly,' Judge Sharp said, explaining that there was no way Flavell would have the means to repay. Advertise with NZME. 'The amount is too great.' The judge ordered a starting point of four years imprisonment, reflecting the fact there were others in the lodge who were put in danger. He increased the sentence by two months for the theft but then allowed reductions of five months for her guilty pleas, nine months for the role addiction played in her offending, two months for remorse and four months for what he described as culturally significant factors. He noted that the defendant's risk of re-offending will be reduced if she gets a handle on her addictions. 'You will be in front of the Parole Board,' he advised the defendant. 'Hopefully, you can learn from the things that are in the [culture and background report] to avoid any further repetition of behaviours as dangerous as this.' Neighbours concerned The lodge was owned by couple Suresh and Seema Chatly, who own multiple motels throughout Auckland. They had received more than $22 million in emergency housing grants at the time of the fire, the Herald previously reported. Suresh Chatly previously said they changed strategy from tourist accommodation to emergency housing during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'It was more of a survival to pay the mortgage,' he said of the decision. It didn't come without some controversy in the neighbourhood. One neighbour told the Herald last year that she had received threats and witnessed dangerous behaviour. For the past year, she said, she had complained to the owners 'about three times a week'. Neither the owners nor any of the former tenants attended today's hearing. The courtroom gallery was mostly empty except for Flavell's father and the media.
RNZ News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Basketball: Time right for Tall Blacks to challenge Boomers
Shea Ili in action for the Tall Blacks. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Timing can be everything in sport and it could be on the Tall Blacks side during a hectic five-day span this month. The three-game Trans-Tasman Throwdown , which tips off on 7 May in Adelaide, is scheduled at a time when neither sides can call on players plying their trade in international leagues. Instead, two teams will take the floor with rosters that have predominantly been playing downunder for an inaugural series that moves to the Sunshine Coast on 9 May and concludes in Hamilton on 11 May. Tall Blacks head coach Judd Flavell has selected players who have been involved with the New Zealand NBL, as well as domestic competitions in Australia for the past few months. "[The Throwdown] is not necessarily a walk in the park for anybody, so they have to be in game shape, and all of these guys are currently in the middle of this season, so they've built a good resilience, as well as fitness," he said. "There is a good list of names there that are unavailable, but this has really given us a great chance to look at some of the younger guys that we have, as well as mixing them in with the experienced Tall Blacks that have been there many times before." The stability and form of Tall Blacks captain Reuben Te Rangi, who recently signed to return to the NZ Breakers is something Flavell was happy to have on hand. Te Rangi began the NZ NBL season with Franklin Bulls and has since joined Gold Coast in Australian domestic competition. Wellington Saints and Melbourne United point guard Shea Ili was "one of the best in the world", according to Flavell, and he was looking forward to joining 100-gamer Corey Webster, who had impressed the national team coach with his form for Manawatū Jets. "The Jets team is sitting somewhere in the top six, which has been a real surprise, probably for a lot of people, and certainly, with a new make-up that they've had a lot of changes in their team and players and coaches, and obviously he's steering the ship nicely for them." Taylor Britt in action for Canterbury Rams. Photo: photosport Flavell has had a close eye on the Canterbury Rams set-up as an assistant coach this season, and sung the praises of Tohi Smith- Milner, Walter Brown, Taylor Britt and Max Darling. "Those guys have really forged their way throughout the New Zealand NBL and got a good number of games under the belt with the Tall Blacks, but they've certainly got a lot of years ahead of them as well." The Boomers will have seen less of Oscar Goodman, Julius Halaifonua, Jackson Ball and Tama Isaac. "These guys are youngsters that are part of our NZ Junior Tall Blacks team, so they actually go to the World Cup later on in June, but the majority of them will get an opportunity to be out there on the floor against the Boomers, which will be a great test for them." Flavell knows what to expect from the world seventh-ranked side. "Australia is one of the superpowers of world basketball and a lot of those players are in the NBA," he said. "They would be able to put together a team full of NBA guys, but it doesn't always work out like that for them. "They still have a number of guys that are world class in terms of playing international basketball. DJ Vasiljevic is one of those guys, Xavier Cooks is another one of those guys. "They have a good blend of talents and they do have some youngsters in there, but a lot of their guys are probably more known for carving out their trade and their craft in the Australian NBL. "Anytime you play any Australian team, doesn't matter who they put in front of you, it's going to be a war and we're embracing that challenge." Xavier Cooks in action for Sydney Kings against NZ Breakers. Photo: Brett Phibbs The Throwdown will be the first series between the Tall Blacks and Boomers in a decade. In the intervening years, sporadic one-off games have been dominated by the Boomers. In 2020, the Tall Blacks ended an 11-year losing streak against their trans-Tasman rivals with a 109-98 win in the opening game of the 2021 Asia Cup qualifiers, but they could not back that up a year later, when they lost 81-52 to the Boomers in Cairns. The Tall Blacks roster for that Asia Cup qualifier did not feature any NZ-based players, due to quarantine restrictions during the Covid pandemic. Last time New Zealand played the Boomers at the 2022 Asia Cup in Jakarta, Australia won 85-76. Three players from that loss will return in Flavell's roster for The Throwdown. Flavell played for a Tall Blacks side that beat the Boomers in a 2001 series that sent New Zealand to the World Cup the following year - a turning point in New Zealand basketball. "It at all started with a bunch of us that got to play against Aussie in 2001," he said. "That was a fun time, and certainly something that I think is very special and something you don't take for granted. "Since then, we've been able to knock them off a few times." Last time the Tall Blacks won a series over the Boomers was 2006. This series would be a good opportunity to repeat that, but that was not on the coach's mind. Flavell is now into the third window of his tenure as Tall Blacks head coach and said it had been a slow build, with a playing group that had largely been a part of his plans since he first took the role last year. "The ultimate goal is building cohesion, so we can really double down on that, when it comes to Asia Cup later on in the year." The roster for the Asia Cup in August could look different to the one that takes the court against Australia, but Flavell was focussed on the even bigger picture. "We work in cycles and the World Cup for us is in 2027, so we have a goal that's in front of us. "Our job is to qualify for the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, so that's the big dream goal for us and in order to for us to achieve that, there are little markers along the way that we got to make sure that we tick off. "We actually have to be quite strategic - we have to system build very carefully. We have to invest in our future right now. "Even though there may be some better players currently, [we have to look at] players that we see in 2028 that could be putting on the black singlet, so we have to be looking at all of those things to build. "When we get together, there's no mistake the reason we are here is to prepare for for Australia, but ultimately, the goal is to get us better, and get us a step closer towards a World Cup or an Olympic berth." NZ Tall Blacks extended roster for Trans-Tasman Throwdown Jackson Ball, Hawke's Bay Hawks, 2 games Taylor Britt, Canterbury Rams & NZ Breakers, 31 games Walter Brown, Canterbury Rams & Tasmania JackJumpers, 18 games Flynn Cameron, Franklin Bulls & Adelaide 36ers, 28 games Max Darling, Canterbury Rams & NZ Breakers, 6 games Carlin Davison, Taranaki Airs & NZ Breakers, 1 game Oscar Goodman, University of Michigan, 1 game Julius Halaifonua, Georgetown University, 1 game Shea Ili, Wellington Saints & Melbourne United, 71 games Kaia Isaac, Canterbury Rams & NZ Breakers, 3 games Tamatoa Isaac, Canterbury Rams, 2 games Tohiraukura Smith-Milner, Canterbury Rams & Brisbane Bullets, 66 games Reuben Te Rangi, Franklin Bulls & NZ Breakers, 71 games Corey Webster, Manawatū Jets, 100 games Australia Boomers for Trans-Tasman Throwdown Todd Blanchfield, Keli Leaupepe, Kyle Bowen, Mitchell Norton, Xavier Cooks, Elijah Pepper, Owen Foxwell, Austin Rapp, Jacob Furphy, Dejan Vasiljevic, Angus Glover, Harry Wessels
