Latest news with #OpenJustice
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Daytona Thompson charged with manslaughter after the one-punch death of Daniel Nganeko in New Plymouth
By Tara Shaskey, Open Justice reporter of Daytona Thompson is expected to enter a plea to a charge of manslaughter at his next court hearing on August 15. Photo: Supplied / NZME / Open Justice The young man who fatally punched another man in an allegedly unprovoked attack outside a rugby clubroom has been charged with manslaughter. Friday afternoon, Daytona Thompson, 22, appeared in the New Plymouth District Court where the elevated charge was filed after the death of Daniel Nganeko. The courtroom was packed with whānau and friends of Nganeko and Thompson. Outside, an even bigger crowd of their loved ones gathered as the brief hearing took place. Judge Tony Greig addressed the court's public gallery before Thompson was brought into the dock, acknowledging the "profound tragedy" that had occurred for both whānau. He said he understood their grief and asked for calm, which was respected. On Monday, Thompson pleaded guilty to a charge of assault after punching Nganeko, 37, on Saturday night outside the Tukapa Rugby & Sports Club in New Plymouth. Then on Tuesday, Nganeko died in Auckland City Hospital. According to the summary of facts relating to the assault, provided to NZME, Tukapa Rugby Club held its end-of-season senior prizegiving awards on Saturday, which Thompson attended. He was not a club member but was there in support of a member who was receiving an award. Nganeko, who did not know Thompson, was also at the event as a club supporter. The prizegiving finished around 11.20pm after an excessive noise complaint was served on the club, the summary stated. Nganeko, a videographer, was standing with a group of friends on the footpath on Gladstone Rd, across from the rugby grounds. Thompson approached Nganeko, and the pair began talking. The summary said that "without any obvious provocation", Thompson then swivelled and threw a punch with his "clenched right fist", which struck Nganeko on his chin. Nganeko fell backwards onto the ground, and his head hit the edge of the footpath. Daniel Nganeko. File photo. Photo: Supplied Thompson then ran from the scene. The summary said Nganeko was flown to Auckland City Hospital, where scans revealed he had suffered a fractured skull and extensive brain injuries with damage to his frontal and rear lobes. He was placed on life support. The next day, Thompson handed himself in to the New Plymouth Police Station, the summary stated. He was unable to offer any explanation as to why he hit Nganeko and said he had issues recalling the events of the night because of how much alcohol he had consumed. "He had vague memories of the conversation with the victim and believes he unnecessarily reacted to a comment made by the victim," the summary stated. Thompson had been bailed after his guilty plea to the assault. However, at today's hearing, he consented to a remand in custody. Defence lawyer Julian Hannam said Thompson would enter a plea to the manslaughter charge at his next hearing, which is due to be held in the High Court at New Plymouth on 15 August. Judge Greig said he believed the plea would be "a comfort" for both whānau. Crown prosecutor Cherie Clarke asked for the earlier charge of assault to be withdrawn, which Judge Greig granted. Tukapa Rugby Club paid tribute to Nganeko on Facebook after his death, saying he was a passionate supporter of the club who "gave his time, his energy, and his heart to our community". "We stand united in support of the Nganeko family and all those affected," Tukapa chairman Scott Siffleet wrote. "In moments like these, we must draw on the strength of our Tukapa community - showing compassion, care and solidarity. "We trust that justice will be served, and in the meantime, let us honour Daniel's life by standing together, as one club." Taranaki Community Rugby also posted on Facebook, acknowledging the "deep sadness" after Nganeko's death. "Our heartfelt aroha goes to the Nganeko whānau, a long-standing and respected Tukapa family. "We stand in support of Daniel's whānau, friends and all those affected by this tragedy, and trust that the justice process will bring swift accountability. "There is no place for violence in our sport or our community." According to Nganeko's LinkedIn page, he graduated from Media Design School in 2015 and has worked as a videographer for organisations such as Specsavers, the National Gallery of Victoria and 77 Productions. Nganeko also worked as a visual journalist for Stuff from October last year until earlier this year. *This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
Hastings man Ri Nikora admits murdering his partner Kathleen Kawana
By Ric Stevens, Open Justice reporter of Kathleen Kawana's body was found in an empty house near Ruatoria on 3 August 2019. Photo: Open Justice / NZME This story describes family violence and murder and may be distressing to some readers. A homicide unsolved for five years was resolved on Friday, when a man pleaded guilty to murdering his partner. Ri Charles Raymond Nikora, 48, appeared in the High Court at Napier and admitted murdering Kathleen Lorna Kawana, 45, sometime between 20 and 22 June 2019. He also admitted injuring her with intent to injure - a representative charge for the violence he inflicted on her over the three years before her death. Justice Dale La Hood remanded Nikora in custody for sentencing next month. Nikora and Kawana formed a relationship in 2016 but continued to live in their respective houses in Flaxmere and Titahi Bay. Kawana was last seen alive at her Titahi Bay home on 20 June 2019. On 3 August that year, more than six weeks later, her decomposing body was found about 600km from her home in an abandoned farmhouse southwest of Ruatoria, dressed only in her blue checked dressing gown. It was found by someone who had just bought the property. Kawana's body was lying on a mattress and two camp stretchers were on top of her, covering her up. The abandoned farmhouse was well-known to Nikora, who had spent time in the area while growing up. A Crown summary of facts said that Nikora had left Kawana's Titahi Bay home with her in his car sometime on the night of 20 to 21 June. "It is not known whether she was alive or dead at this time," the summary of facts said. Police analysis of Nikora's bank records and CCTV footage showed that he drove from Titahi Bay, to Woodville, then to Hastings, Gisborne and finally to Ruatoria. "Either at Titahi Bay, or somewhere between Titahi Bay and Ruatoria, Mr Nikora assaulted Ms Kawana, causing her injuries which led to her death," the summary said. "Mr Nikora placed Ms Kawana's body in the boot of his car, either while she was injured or dead." Nikora accidentally opened the boot while trying to open his fuel flap at a Gull service station in Hastings early in the morning of 21 June. He is seen in the footage rushing to close the boot of the car and looking around to see if anyone had seen anything. On 23 June, Nikora sent a message to Kawana's daughter using her phone and pretending to be her, as if to explain her absence. It concluded: "No WiFi or txt chat you wen I can." It was not unusual for Kawana to be away from home as she often travelled to Hawke's Bay to be with Nikora. No efforts were made to find her initially as family members assumed she was in Hastings. Despite their close relationship, Nikora was not arrested for his partner's murder until May 2024, nearly five years after she died. The arrest followed the piecing together of an evidence trail and forensic work, including testing of seven cigarette butts and a soft drink bottle found near Kawana's body. Analysis found Nikora's DNA on them. Kawana's DNA was also found in the boot of Nikora's car, after he had sold it to someone else. A Warehouse receipt was found near the body. It was for a hoodie that Nikora was later wearing when he took a selfie on the inter-island ferry. During their relationship, it became clear to people who knew them that Nikora was jealous and controlling of Kawana. The summary of facts describes multiple incidents of violence and assault, including one where he beat her unconscious and performed CPR to revive her. A relative who saw her later that day said she had bruising all around her neck and face, and her eyes were bloodshot as if she had been strangled. On another occasion, a teenage friend witnessed Nikora punching Kawana repeatedly in the face and putting her in a choke hold until she "went limp". The young man was too scared to intervene. *T his story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
RNZ News
20 hours ago
- RNZ News
Teen father given home detention for breaking newborn's ribs
By Tara Shaskey, Open Justice reporter of The baby's young mother was experiencing post-natal depression and had been medicated to help her sleep. Photo: 123rf WARNING: This story discusses the physical assault of a newborn and may be distressing for some readers A teen father who broke the ribs of his newborn son and bruised his face and body says he had become "tired and overwhelmed" after being tasked with the baby's night feeds. The baby's young mother was experiencing post-natal depression and had been medicated to help her sleep. The father, who cannot be named, took on predominant care of the baby and, on occasions, the mother woke during the night to hear the then-18-year-old telling their son to "shut up" and "go to f***ing sleep". She later found bruising on the child, which led to the discovery that his ribs had been broken when he was around five weeks old. On Thursday, the New Plymouth District Court heard the impact of the father's actions. "At the time of being told that [my son] had two fractured ribs, I felt like my heart had been ripped out and I cried in [the father's] arms, not knowing it was him that did it," the mother said in her victim impact statement read to the court. "I am still traumatised by this and cry often, knowing that I let someone... who was so close to me look after his own child, who he was supposed to love and care for, but he hurt so badly." The mother felt wracked with guilt that she was unable to protect her son. She said the father's actions were "unspeakable" and she no longer trusted people with her child. "I cannot imagine how [my son] felt, all the pain he was going through and I feel so guilty that he was in pain with no help because I had no idea." She recalled questioning who had hurt him. "The truth is, he was right in front of me all along. "You hurt our little boy and I will never forgive you or forget." The court heard the baby had spent time in the neonatal unit after complications during his birth. After further health complications, the mother felt she had been unable to form a bond with her son and she was diagnosed with post-natal depression. She often saw the father become frustrated with their baby, and said he once shared he had thoughts of harming someone and did not know how to deal with it. When the baby was four weeks old, the mother took him to hospital as he was breathing irregularly and had a "hoarse cry that sounded like he was hurt". The symptoms went away without intervention. Later that month, bruising was discovered on the baby's cheek and jaw. "The bruising looked like an adult hand, in that they were four to five little circles the size of fingerprints," the summary of facts stated. On another occasion, the mother found "purplish marks" on the baby's legs, arms and back. She took him to hospital where it was confirmed they were bruises and were caused by his "limbs being squeezed manually". This led to a skeletal examination taking place, which found the eight-week-old had two healing rib fractures. Medical experts deemed he had sustained the fractures around three weeks earlier. The father was subsequently arrested and told police he was tired and overwhelmed after having taken on his son's night feeds. While he said there were times when he wanted to ask for help, but was too embarrassed, he denied that the responsibility ever became "too much" for him to handle. In sentencing the now 19-year-old, Judge Tony Greig said the teen had strongly denied the allegations when speaking with a pre-sentence report writer, claiming the injuries were caused by someone else. The report stated that if the father were to remain offence-free, he would need focused, rehabilitative intervention to manage his anger and emotions. He has completed a 10-week, non-violence programme but more programmes were needed, it said. The report found his prospects of successful rehabilitation were remote, given his persistent denial of what occurred and his tendency to deflect blame on to others. New Plymouth District Court. Photo: NZME But Judge Greig did not believe it was as bleak as that. While the father also denied hurting the child when speaking with a psychologist, the judge said he could hold that view and still be guilty of reckless disregard. "In other words, you handled him roughly but not in a way that was intended to cause him an injury in the way that you did." The judge found it was somewhere between an accident and a fully intentional act. "That's why I try to give you some hope of having a normal relationship with [the child] in the future. "But this is where you are going to have to show maturity and guts." The judge said the psychologist's report found several personality and situational factors predisposed the father to harming his child, including a history of having difficulty regulating his anger, seeking help, and issues with his own father. "If [the father] was responsible for his son's injuries, it might not be entirely surprising that he denies that," the judge said, reading the report. "When he found out he was going to be a father, he promised he was not going to be like his own biological father, who he knew was both violent towards his mother and had abandoned the family when he was younger." His denial may be a result of him being unable to accept that he had violated that promise, it said. The report also stated he needed further help to address his issues. On charges of injuring with reckless disregard and breaching a protection order relating to the child's mother, Judge Greig sentenced the teen to nine months of home detention. He implored him to engage in the recommended treatment, or he may never have a relationship with his son. "It is all up to you. That would be your tragedy and as you know, through having an absent father, it would be [your child's] tragedy as well." - This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald
NZ Herald
a day ago
- 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.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Adam Busby jailed for sexual connection with a 12yo whom he impregnated
By Tara Shaskey, Open Justice reporter of Adam Busby, 32, has been jailed for impregnating a 12-year-old girl. Photo: Supplied/Open Justice A 32-year-old man invited a 12-year-old girl to his house and soon after she arrived, the pair went into his bedroom and had unprotected sex, resulting in her becoming pregnant. Today, the girl, now 13, was in New Plymouth District Court, visibly pregnant, as the unborn baby's father, Adam Busby, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for having a sexual connection with a young person. Referring to the summary of facts, Judge Tony Greig said Busby knew the girl and approached her in the street on January 11 this year. They spoke and he asked if she would like to go to his house, in Stratford, Taranaki, later that day, to which she agreed. That night, she snuck out of her home and Busby met her outside his house and then took her into his bedroom. "You talked to each other. She told you that she was 12 and you told her that you were 32. She asked you if you had any birth control protection and you said 'no'. You then both had sex," the judge said. "She stayed a couple of hours before going back to her house." The following month, the girl went to the doctor and discovered she was pregnant. While victim impact statements were not read in court, Judge Greig said the girl reported that when in Busby's bedroom, one of the first things they spoke of was her age. "He said, 'okay'. After we talked, he asked if he could kiss me. I said, 'yes'. After we kissed, Adam asked if I'd had sex before. I said, 'no'," the judge said, reading her statement. "He asked me if I wanted to have sex. I was scared but I wanted him to like me and know what it was like. "We had sex and after he asked if I was okay. I said, 'yes', then we talked more. Then he said, 'thank you' and took me home." The girl told the court she wanted to parent her child and a social worker had been assigned to them. She had to change schools as a result of her pregnancy, her family relationships have been seriously impacted and she has had to move in with other family members. New Plymouth District Court. Photo: NZME However, the girl was no longer in school and was now doing her schoolwork online. She told the court she never wanted to see Busby again. The judge said a report from a social worker advised that the girl was particularly vulnerable because of her upbringing and the trauma she had faced. It said some family members were against the baby being raised by strangers and were committed to supporting the girl and her child. "She has a strong desire to parent her baby, claiming it's not her baby's fault. This is also reflective of a child who has been removed from her own parents' care," the judge said. "Her life has been drastically altered by becoming a mother at 13. "The stigma that the world places on teen mothers, the names this child has been called from members of the community and her family, and the subsequent breakdown of relationships because of what has happened has a far-reaching impact which may continue for the rest of her and her baby's life." Judge Greig said the harm Busby had caused could be intergenerational. "This young woman, whom you impregnated, had been removed from her parents because of the dysfunctional childhood that they caused her to have; now she is going to try and parent another child." In sentencing Busby, the judge said he had dealt with him on previous occasions. He described Busby, who has other children, as "a wild boy" and "a tearaway". His criminal history included driving, violence and dishonesty-related convictions but "nothing of this seriousness". The judge said Busby had "really let himself down". "One thing I've always respected about you is your dedication as a parent... so that's why I say you've really let yourself down here." Judge Greig said that Busby had told a pre-sentence report writer there were "a couple of discrepancies" in his and the girl's account of what had occurred. He claimed he was unaware of her age until they discussed it after they had sex, and she had snuck out of her house because she was fearful of something that was occurring in her home. Busby told the report writer he felt "a bit set up". He said he'd had at least 12 cans of bourbon premixes on the evening he met with the girl, he had no intent to have sex with her and he thought she was "around 16″. "I wasn't aroused or anything until she kept grinding on me. When I found out her age, I was devastated. I told her that my life was over. I did not know she was pregnant until I was arrested. I was surprised when I was informed she was intending on keeping the baby," Judge Greig said, reading Busby's comments. The Crown said such comments made by Busby lent themselves to victim-blaming and the judge pointed out it was not what the summary of facts, which he pleaded guilty to, stated. Judge Greig set a starting point of four years' imprisonment, according to case law, but said it "was not enough". "You should be sentenced to about twice that for the harm you have caused and will cause, as I have said, for years to come, but I am bound by the law." He allowed a 25 percent credit for Busby's guilty plea but refused to give him any further discounts, including for Busby's claimed remorse. Busby was automatically placed on the Sex Offender Register. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
