Latest news with #GraceFoundation
NZ Herald
31-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Zayne Gordon jailed for attempting to set Kaikohe police station on fire to impress a woman
He was first charged with driving while disqualified in 2022 and put on bail. While on bail, he turned up unannounced at his ex-partner's house on December 8, 2023, and she told him to leave. He became angry, followed her up the hallway and put his hands around her neck, lifting her off the ground. The victim's legs were kicking and she was struggling to breathe before he dropped her to the ground. He was placed on bail again but missed two judge-alone trials for his driving charge and while on the run, strung out on meth, he chose to offend again. Around 3.15am on December 12, 2024, CCTV caught Gordon running up the ramp of the front entrance to the Kaikohe police station. He placed a Just Juice bottle that had tissue paper coming out of the top, essentially a Molotov cocktail, at the front door. After setting the tissue alight, Gordon exited the view of the security camera. When the tissue went out, Gordon returned and lit the bottle again. This time it caught fire and exploded across the doorway, causing black char and cosmetic damage to the front of the station. Throughout the incident, Gordon was recording on a phone and talking to someone off-camera. Zayne Gordon was on the run when he tried to set a fire at the Kaikohe police station. When arrested, he explained it was not a direct attack on police but that he was trying to impress a girl. His court file listed nearly 30 hearings, including two judge-alone trials where witnesses were called but he failed to appear, along with repeated bail breaches and multiple arrest warrants. Crown lawyer Danica Soich revealed Gordon's meth use started when he was 15, after being introduced to the drug by his mother. Soich said his meth use contributed to his continual poor decisions. 'Not only did this potentially risk the safety of the police officers but it would have prevented police from responding to anything else in the community,' Soich said. Gordon's lawyer Martin Hislop argued for a sentence of rehabilitation at the Grace Foundation, but Soich submitted his addiction was too severe. Judge Tomlinson said Gordon's actions were foolish and childish. 'It's the sort of stuff you expect from a couple of teenagers who would put double happy fireworks into a mailbox, it's just idiotic.' He said a police station should not be targeted. 'The scale of this is childish, and indeed, an unsophisticated attempt of arson. Essentially, you get the benefit of how hopeless you were at doing at.' The judge acknowledged the risk to life was momentary and jailed Gordon for two years and three months on all charges. Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
NZ Herald
30-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Torture ringleader Israel Lama imprisoned along with ‘lieutenants'; younger brother granted mercy
Younger brother Sefelino Lama, who was 17 at the time of offending, was ordered to serve a sentence of home detention. He is expected to remain at the Grace Foundation rehab facility, which submitted a glowing assessment to the judge. Justice Downs pointed out repeatedly that, due to the younger defendant's age at the time, he was restricted from factoring the repeated violence into the sentence starting point. It included, however, shaving the victim's eyebrows, beating him and extinguishing a cigarette on his forehead. Authorities said Israel Lama instigated the May 2023 torture session after the victim slapped his girlfriend's bottom at an Auckland Central nightclub. But court documents suggest the 23-year-old had an interest in torture well before coming up with a feeble justification to exercise his cruelty. He had earlier created the handle 'torturous88″ on Instagram – 88 being a reference the the Head Hunters, widely recognised in New Zealand's criminal underworld. Some of the acts for which he was sentenced today were recorded and used as content for the now-deleted account. Six other men have admitted to having followed Israel Lama's lead that morning, including another younger brother who is set to be sentenced later this week. Power drill, hammer and pole The victim and the defendants were in downtown Auckland about 4am on a Sunday morning when the victim was confronted about his suspected inappropriate behaviour inside a nearby bar. He repeatedly denied touching the woman and agreed to go back to the bar to check CCTV with the group. Police later discovered through CCTV that he had touched the woman. Instead of taking the man back to the nightclub, the group took him to a Helensville home associated with the Head Hunters. The group made the victim strip naked before he was seated in a camping chair, as Lama ordered co-defendant Jade Jerome to bind his arms and legs with electrical cords. Jade Jerome appears in the dock in the High Court at Auckland in May 2025, just before pleading guilty to participating in the prolonged torture of a stranger. Photo / Michael Craig 'Israel Lama uplifted a Makita electric impact driver fitted with a screwdriver bit and started drilling a hole in [the victim's] left thigh,' the agreed summary of fact states, noting that the drill was also used on his shin and knee. 'The drill was used forcefully so that even though the impact driver was not fitted with a threaded drill bit, it deeply penetrated [the victim's] flesh and muscle approximately one centimetre.' As he drilled, Israel Lama began to interrogate the stranger, who continued to deny he had slapped the woman's bottom. His wounds were later treated with toilet paper and tape before the elder Lama switched torture tactics, retrieving a large knife that had been heated up on a nearby gas burner. The knife was used to cut the victim's chest before the flat end was used to cause severe burns, including on his face. The victim was then ordered by Israel Lama to get on the floor, at which point the crowd began punching and kicking him, including blows to his head. Group members passed around an aluminium pole and beat the man until the pole became so bent it was no longer usable. 'The defendants complained about this and taunted [the victim] for breaking the pole,' court documents state. 'They joked about having to beat [him] further for breaking their pole.' 'Right to hang your head' The beating stopped after Israel Lama came up with another sadistic tactic and ordered someone to bring him a jug of hot water. As others held down the squirming victim, the ringleader again ordered him to confess, which he refused. 'Israel Lama then poured the hot water onto [his] already seared chest and poured the hot water onto [his] genitals,' documents state, noting that others in the room yahooed and laughed as he did so. '[He] could not offer resistance and remained on the ground trying to protect his genitals.' Another person then splashed cold water on the victim. At that point, Jerome used a hammer to repeatedly hit the man's legs, shins and knees – making it difficult for him to walk afterwards. Israel Lama appears in the High Court at Auckland in May 2025. Photo / Michael Craig Israel Lama later took the victim's own belt and began whipping him with it. He then passed the item around as others in the room took turns – bruising his back and bottom. Samuel Lama – the brother who is to be sentenced later this week - strangled him for around 10 seconds, lifting him off the ground by his neck. The two younger Lama brothers stood guard after others 'retired from the torture to rest', making conversation with the victim and explaining that they used to be with the Bloods gang before switching allegiance to the Head Hunters. The victim asked if he could get dressed and the brothers refused – a callous indignity that the judge repeartedly referred to today. 'You are right to hang your head,' he told the younger defendant. The victim was subjected to another round of beating with the belt, while Israel Lama made racist remarks and comments about slavery, before the younger brothers and Jerome took him away because a gang meeting was about to start. But he was brought back about an hour later, at which point Lama debated with the victim whether he should let him go. He suggested the victim would need to pay him $20,000 before he could be set free. The victim said he didn't have that kind of money but offered to work for him to pay it off, the agreed facts state. He was dropped off where the ordeal started in Auckland Central. Lama had given him a deadline of four days to come up with the $20,000. 'Frankly disturbing' Defence lawyer Mark Edgar acknowledged his client's demand for money but said it wasn't extortion so much as a throw-away comment after Israel Lama had already decided to release him. The judge wasn't so convinced. Edgar also acknowledged his client was the 'elder statesman' of the group but said he was damaged by his own violent upbringing. Jade Jerome, left, and Israel Lama stand in the dock in the High Court at Auckland during their arraignment in May 2025. Photo / Michael Craig 'It was triggering for him,' Edgar said of the bottom slap. 'He was feeling rage. He had no plan. He was very distraught ... and very, very angry. '... This was very much an issue of history repeating itself.' The victim, who was referred to as 'X' because of his permanent name suppression, 'exacerbated' what happened due to his persistent denials, the defence lawyer said. He said his client realised 'the enormity of what he had done' after taking a short rest that morning. He then took steps to release the victim, he said. 'He's ashamed,' Edgar said. 'He's ashamed for his family. He's ashamed he brought his brothers in this, who simply followed his lead.' But Crown prosecutor Pip McNabb emphasised that the offending was 'cruel, callous and degrading' – and among the worst of its kind. She pointed out that he was already on bail for three seperate offences at the time of the offending and is now serving a three-year sentence for the previous crimes, including a disturbing robbery in which he urinated on the victim. The judge agreed. 'That X had slapped your girlfriend's bottom does not make your offending any less serious,' Justice Downs said. 'I reject any notion that it does.' He described the facts of the case as 'frankly disturbing'. Auckland High Court judge Justice Matthew Downs. 'Pleasure – I repeat, pleasure – was taken in the torture of a fellow human being,' he said, pointing out that the main defendant then used social media 'like a trophy'. The judge quoted extensively from the victim impact statement, which was not read aloud in court. 'I may have survived physically, but mentally I live with this every day,' the victim said, explaining: 'I don't sleep. I panic when I hear power tools or raised voices. 'I flinch in public. I carry the fear this could happen again.' The victim noted that, like the defendants, he had also known struggle and hardship. 'But never, ever would I think of doing something like this to another human being,' he wrote. 'Active lieutenants throughout' Also appearing for sentencing today were co-defendants Jerome, Harmon Unasa and Nathan Tuaiti. Co-defendant Ricky Harder, whose participation was found to be limited, was sentenced in May to home detention. Former Head Hunters prospect Ricky Harder appears in the High Court at Auckland for sentencing after admitting to having participated in the May 2023 kidnapping and torture of a stranger. Photo / Michael Craig Lawyers for Jerome and Unasa both told the judge today that their clients were remorseful for their participation. Jerome's lawyer, Ian Tucker, emphasised that his client has no ties to the Head Hunters. But prosecutors asked for a starting point sentence, before reductions were taken into account, of 11 years each. It was just two years less than the ringleader, McNabb said, because both men participated in the violence and served as Israel Lama's 'right-hand men'. The judge agreed to the 11-year starting point, explaining that anything less wouldn't be fitting of such a 'prolonged, multi-faceted and sadistic' kidnap and torture. He pointed out that there's nothing in court documentation suggesting that the ringleader asked Jerome to beat the victim with a hammer. 'You did that seemingly on your own initiative,' he said. 'That speaks volumes.' As with the other defendants, the judge declined to allow a reduction for remorse. Nathan Tuaiti appears in the High Court at Auckland to plead guilty to participating in the prolongued torture of a man who slapped the bottom of a mate's partner in an Auckland nightclub. Photo / Craig Kapitan 'There were many, many opportunities over the 19 or 20 hours for an act of compassion,' the judge said, explaining that it could have been as simple as offering the victim a glass of water. 'Something to acknowledge that he was another human. 'Neither of you, nor anyone else for that matter, did anything of the sort.' He ordered sentences of eight years and six and a half months imprisonment for Unasa and eight years and three months for Jerome. They, too, will have to serve at least half of their sentences before they can apply for parole. 'You were willing and active lieutenants throughout,' the judge explained. Tuaiti will be sentenced later today. More to come Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Fashion Value Chain
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Value Chain
Calling Aspiring Filmmakers to Inspire Social Change Through ‘Say No to Alcohol' Awareness Short Film Contest Organised by Grace Foundation
Winning short films will be screened at schools, colleges and social events as part of preventive education Cash prizes worth three lakhs, trophies and recognitions await the winners! Grace Foundation in association with Utopia Therapy invites passionate film makers to register and participate in 'Say No to Alcohol' Awareness Short Film Contest and become a voice for positive change. The contest is an open call for students, educators, and creative minds from across all age groups in Tamil Nadu to participate and make a collective effort in fostering a drug-free State of Tamil Nadu. The short film with a duration of up to fifteen minutes can either be in Tamil or a silent film that integrates education and creativity to bring about awareness on fighting against substance abuse. The video should be uploaded to a Google Drive / YouTube (unlisted) link and emailed to info@ The last date for submission of the video link along with the participant details is July 15, 2025. Winners will be announced on August 3, 2025 and will receive cash prizes and special recognition awards along with a Trophy and a Certificate of Excellence. The winning short films will be screened across all schools, colleges, community levels and at social events organized by the foundation to educate, encourage and empower student participation early in life to proactively build resilience and reduce the likelihood of drug use. L-R: Reetika Srinivasan; Dr Aathira Naevis Prabhakar, Founder, Grace Foundation & Utopia Therapy; Singer Roshini Grace Foundation Launches Pioneering Preventive Care Initiative to Combat Alcohol and Substance Abuse In a significant step towards addressing the growing crisis of alcohol and substance abuse, especially among youth, Grace Foundation was officially launched today. At the launch conference, Dr. Aathira Naevis Prabhakar, Founder of Grace Foundation and Utopia Therapy, introduced the Foundation's ground-breaking approach centered on preventive care and education. 'In today's fast-paced and fragmented society, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in alcohol and substance abuse, particularly among young people. What often begins as harmless experimentation quickly spirals into addiction, stealing away potential, disrupting families, and hindering societal progress,' Dr. Aathira stated. Grace Foundation stands firm on the belief that addiction is not a moral failure but a medical condition – one that demands early intervention through preventive education. While India has developed comprehensive models for treatment and rehabilitation, preventive care, particularly in rural and school systems, remains underdeveloped. Prevention as the Most Powerful Treatment At the heart of Grace Foundations mission is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based visual learning programs, beginning with the 'Say No to Alcohol' Awareness Short Film Contest. This innovative initiative uses the power of visual storytelling to engage young minds, shaping their thoughts, behaviours, and ultimately, their character. 'As we all know, what we see becomes our thoughts, our thoughts shape our behaviours, and behaviours define our character,' Dr. Aathira emphasized. 'By influencing children early through visual learning, we are equipping them to make informed, resilient choices even in the face of peer pressure.' The winners of the short film contest will not only be recognized for their creativity, but will also play a major role in preventive care itself. Their films will serve as ongoing educational tools, screened across schools, colleges, community centres, and social events organized by the Foundation. These powerful visual messages will contribute directly to reducing the incidence of alcohol and substance abuse by empowering students and communities with knowledge and emotional resilience. Beyond Addiction: Addressing the Root Causes Through Utopia Therapy, Grace Foundation also incorporates neuroscience and emotional health to address the deeper issues often underlying addiction – including emotional wounds, family trauma, and gut-brain imbalances. This holistic approach ensures that prevention is not just about avoiding substances but building stronger, healthier individuals from within. 'Our goal isn't just to treat addiction. It is to create a generation that never needs to be treated. We want a Tamil Nadu where, No thirteen-year-old buys tobacco from a corner shop, No college student reaches for alcohol to numb emotional pain, No parent cries over a lost child because society failed to guide them early enough. We strongly believe that addiction is not a moral failure-it is a health condition and prevention is the most powerful treatment that we can offer,' Dr. Aathira added. For any clarifications or further information on the short film contest log on to For information about Grace Foundation, please log on to In addition to awareness generation, Grace Foundation endeavours to offer counselling and evidence-based rehabilitation treatment and care in a supportive environment that will guide the individuals of substance use through every step of recovery and successfully reintegrate them back into the community. The foundations rehab centres will provide a holistic approach to recovery, where the individuals not only rebuild their connections and relationships, but also adapt to healthier and more fulfilling lifestyles. Grace Foundation calls for Parents, Educators, Youth, Policy Makers and Communities to come together to create a safe environment, be the first line of awareness and emotional support, be an active part of social campaigns against substance abuse, remove the stigma and become part of the de-addiction prevention drive.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Documentaries highlighting dangers of alcohol invited
Grace Foundation, in collaboration with Utopia Therapy, has invited aspiring filmmakers to take part in the 'Say No to Alcohol' Awareness Documentary Contest. The competition calls upon participants from across Tamil Nadu, including students and educators, to create impactful short documentaries (up to 15 minutes) highlighting the dangers of alcohol abuse. It aims at raising awareness about the harmful effects of alcohol and promote a drug-free State, a release said. Winning entries will receive cash prizes, along with trophies, and certificates. They will also be screened at schools, colleges, and community events to educate and empower youth to make resilient, informed choices, the release added. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2025, and winners will be announced on August 3, 2025. For more details, visit Grace Foundation's official website or email info@
Newsroom
21-05-2025
- Health
- Newsroom
The high cost of getting high in New Zealand
Emily Duncan was just 17 when she had her first hit of meth. By 21, she was smoking it every day. 'The first hit is the biggest rush anyone will ever get, and then you are always chasing it … and you never actually get that first incredible hit again,' she tells The Detail, as news emerges of a growing meth problem in New Zealand. 'I never personally had to buy meth; it was always so easily accessible. I would wake up and my boyfriend would be blowing crack smoke in my face and give me a pipe. 'In fact, I used to use so much throughout the day … I'd be sniffing it, smoking it, drinking it … by the time I was 26, I had infections everywhere, I was vomiting all the time, I was bleeding … I was in and out of hospital, I OD'd several times, I was very suicidal.' This is the daughter of missionaries. And this is the reality of meth addiction: it can happen to anyone, from any background. Once a problem whispered about in city alleyways, methamphetamine is now roaring through the heart of New Zealand leaving devastation in its wake. From isolated rural towns to busy suburban neighbourhoods, meth, or 'P', is gripping Kiwis in growing numbers. The latest national wastewater testing results reveal the level of meth consumed has basically doubled in the past six months. 'Everyone and everybody is using it,' says Duncan. 'It's very easily accessible; it's the cheapest it's ever been. 'Back in the day, in my drug years, I used to mix with professionals, they had good jobs and families, and they were in-the-closet users. Then I lived with people who had no jobs, more gang-associated, you were surrounded by dealers.' Eventually it proved too much for Duncan. When she courted death one too many times, she realised she wanted to live, just not the meth life. She escaped New Zealand for Australia, went to rehab and turned her life around. She admits the road to recovery was brutal in the early days. 'I was an absolute wreck. I was relieved to get off the hard gear, but my body took six months before I could walk properly, talk properly and gain some weight back. My depression and mood swings were really intense.' She eventually 'fell in love with recovery', developed her faith and trained to help others. 'I guess I got high on life. And I then stayed on board in the recovery sector in Australia, and I stayed there for 10 years, and I ended up helping other people. It gave me purpose.' Duncan is now back in New Zealand, where she's the clinical lead at the Grace Foundation, New Zealand's largest rehabilitation and accommodation service for people released from prison. She's also just completed her Master of Health Practice in addiction and trauma at Auckland University. She says more education, more programmes and more funding is needed to reduce meth harm in New Zealand. Professor Chris Wilkins, a leader in drug research, agrees something needs to be done. He says the latest Drugs Trends Survey has revealed more Kiwis are buying and selling drugs online, using apps like Snapchat and Facebook messenger. And the use of social media to purchase was seen for all drug options, and had increased across meth, cannabis, cocaine and MDMA users in recent years, in some cases doubling on 2020 numbers. The survey also revealed that nationally, a third of meth buyers reported purchasing from gangs. 'I think we are in a really dynamic drug supply environment at the moment,' Wilkins tells The Detail. 'The use of meth is going up and the gram price is going down – about 38 percent over the last five years. We have a massive increase in supply and that is driving the price down.' He says local gangs are developing connections all over the world – not just in Southeast Asia, a 'traditional favourite', but also with the Mexican drug cartels who are experts in smuggling and distribution. He says the drug no longer discriminates and its abuse has flow-on effects for communities, with an increase in crime and harm, economic and social deprivation, and unemployment. Emily Duncan says one thing is clear: the cost of ignoring this crisis is too high, and it's being paid every day by those who can least afford it. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
