Latest news with #Ponsonby
RNZ News
22-05-2025
- RNZ News
Police issue public plea to help find missing Auckland girl Marilyn
Marilyn was last seen on 18 May. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police Police have issued a public plea to help find a girl who has been reported missing in Auckland's Ponsonby. Marilyn, 14, was last seen on 18 May and is about 175cm tall with brown eyes, and brown hair. Her family, and police have concerns for her welfare. If you have seen her or have information that might help police find her, please call 111 and quote reference number 250519/9845. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ITV News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Peter Sullivan: Ministers to prioritise compensation bid by man wrongly jailed for 38 years
The Government has pledged to prioritise any bid for compensation by a man who spent 38 years in prison after wrongly being convicted of murder. Speaking in Parliament, justice minister Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede said he would 'encourage' Peter Sullivan, 68, to seek a payout. The gross miscarriage of justice has again fuelled criticism of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is already under fire over its handling of the case of Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit. Responding to warnings that the independent body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice was 'unravelling quickly', Lord Ponsonby said an interim chair had been identified with an announcement to be made 'imminently'. The previous chairwoman Helen Pitcher resigned in January over the controversy sparked by Mr Malkinson's case, claiming she had been scapegoated. Mr Sullivan, who to date has spent more of his life in prison than free, finally had his name cleared last week after decades protesting his innocence. Crucial DNA evidence was finally unearthed due to scientific advances last year, showing it was another unknown man who raped and murdered 21-year-old Diane Sindall in 1986. Victims of miscarriages of justice can apply to a government compensation scheme. Mr Malkinson was given a six-figure payment in February this year after delays left him struggling to survive financially and turning to food banks. Independent crossbencher Baroness Deech, a former chairwoman of the Bar Standards Board and a member of the Law Commission, said: 'Does it not add insult to injury that after a person has wasted the whole of their life in jail, that they don't get immediate compensation as soon as they are released?' Responding, Lord Ponsonby said: 'We would encourage Mr Sullivan to make an application to the miscarriages of justice application service, and we will prioritise his application because of the length of the prison sentence.' Tory peer Lord Garnier, who previously served as solicitor general, stressed the urgent need to appoint a chair of the CCRC 'not in the near future, but today'. He said: 'It's unravelling. It's unravelling quickly and there will be more Malkinsons, there will be more cases of that hideous nature, unless the Government really grabs hold of this thing and takes charge.' Lord Ponsonby said: 'The objective is to have an interim chair for 18 months to review the operations of the CCRC. 'What I can say is an individual has been identified and is going through the approvals process, so the announcement will be made imminently.'
Powys County Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Ministers to prioritise compensation bid by man wrongly jailed for 38 years
The Government has pledged to prioritise any bid for compensation by a man who spent 38 years in prison after wrongly being convicted of murder. Speaking in Parliament, justice minister Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede said he would 'encourage' Peter Sullivan, 68, to seek a payout. The gross miscarriage of justice has again fuelled criticism of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is already under fire over its handling of the case of Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit. Responding to warnings that the independent body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice was 'unravelling quickly', Lord Ponsonby said an interim chair had been identified with an announcement to be made 'imminently'. The previous chairwoman Helen Pitcher resigned in January over the controversy sparked by Mr Malkinson's case, claiming she had been scapegoated. Mr Sullivan, who to date has spent more of his life in prison than free, finally had his name cleared last week after decades protesting his innocence. Crucial DNA evidence was finally unearthed due to scientific advances last year, showing it was another unknown man who raped and murdered 21-year-old Diane Sindall in 1986. Victims of miscarriages of justice can apply to a government compensation scheme. Mr Malkinson was given a six-figure payment in February this year after delays left him struggling to survive financially and turning to food banks. Independent crossbencher Baroness Deech, a former chairwoman of the Bar Standards Board and a member of the Law Commission, said: 'Does it not add insult to injury that after a person has wasted the whole of their life in jail, that they don't get immediate compensation as soon as they are released?' Responding, Lord Ponsonby said: 'We would encourage Mr Sullivan to make an application to the miscarriages of justice application service, and we will prioritise his application because of the length of the prison sentence.' Tory peer Lord Garnier, who previously served as solicitor general, stressed the urgent need to appoint a chair of the CCRC 'not in the near future, but today'. He said: 'It's unravelling. It's unravelling quickly and there will be more Malkinsons, there will be more cases of that hideous nature, unless the Government really grabs hold of this thing and takes charge.' Lord Ponsonby said: 'The objective is to have an interim chair for 18 months to review the operations of the CCRC. 'What I can say is an individual has been identified and is going through the approvals process, so the announcement will be made imminently.'
News.com.au
18-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Corowa, Port Macquarie previews: What can the Pons do with a Drunken Sailor?
Former reinsman James Ponsonby is set to harness another of his bargain buys into a profit making machine when New Zealand-bred blue blood Drunken Sailor heads to Corowa on Monday. The four-year-old son of Ocean Park has banked $55,335 in the space of 11 starts for the Hawkesbury -based Ponsonby. Should he win today's Balldale Hotel Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m), he will add another $13,950. All this from an initial outlay of just $1,250 at the Inglis January 2024 Online Sale. Drunken Sailor was purchased at Karaka at the NZB Yearling Sale in 2022 by TFI for the not insignificant sum of $220,000. They were the same original owners from whom Ponsonby purchased his iron-horse Philipsburg for $20,000 after an Aquis spend of $110,000, also at Karaka. 'The Burg', as he is known to his owners, including 2GB Radio's top-rating broadcaster John Stanley and SKY Racing presenter Andrew 'Marto' Martin, has won ten races and earned $626,142 with the promise of more to come. Drunken Sailor's Monday mission comes third-up into his present campaign and off a closing second at Queanbeyan on Mother's Day with Winona Costin in the saddle. Exceedingly Hot dominates in the third at Queanbeyan! ðŸ'° @KeatingsCoriah @nickoliveracing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 11, 2025 • 'He got held up from probably the 400m basically all the way round there to halfway up the straight,'' Ponsonby said. 'Winona said he hit the line really well. 'He's obviously drawn the carpark on Monday but he comes in probably, I'd say at this stage, to barrier 12 or 13. 'John (jockey John Kissick) has had good luck on the horse in the past and hopefully he can weave a bit if magic and get him into the right spot there on Monday 'The horse is getting to mature now and he is settling a lot better so hopefully as he gets up to 2000m in the end, he'll have the manners but still have the speed of a seven furlong/miler horse so that should benefit him later on his career.' Drunken Sailor will have company on the 700km trek from Hawkesbury to Corowa in the shape of Statesville who lines-up in the Campbell's Wines Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1400m. The Aquis Farm-bred son of Written Tycoon has been underwhelming in his four starts this campaign but against considerably stiffer opposition to what he meets on Monday. 'He is probably better suited in a 58 than he has been in any of the previous races, it has just taken a hell of a long time to get his Benchmark down,'' Ponsonby explained. 'They've kept him at a reasonably high country benchmark for it seems like forever. 'So hopefully ridden quietly, we can see a bit better performance but it's been a real shame because I really used to think he was going to make a handy horse but he just didn't progress as far as I would have liked.' Ponsonby will be about as far away from Sydney as it gets to the start the week but he'll be back in town in more ways than one this weekend with the stable captain, the aforementioned Philipsburg. 'He is off to a 2400m at Randwick next Saturday and then depending on how he goes, he might have a little freshen up after that or he could head onto a Group 3 in Brisbane (Premier's Cup) the following weekend,'' Ponsonby said. 'The Burg' will be ridden on Saturday by Costin who has steered the son of Per Incanto to six of his 10 wins including those back-to-back wins at Doomben and Eagle Farm last month. â– â– â– â– â– Spring ambitions for Minervini's Gem Exciting two-year-old Gemologist claimed the scalp of a million-dollar baby on debut and will on Monday be tasked with 'beating the older horses' when he travels to Port Macquarie. The Mark Minervini -trained son of Caulfield Sprint and San Domenico Stakes winner Graff announced himself with a comfortable win in the coveted Star Kingdom held each year at Muswellbrook in May. The 2025 edition attracted a stellar line-up including the Waterhouse/Bott -trained Jet who was knocked down for $1 million at the Gold Coast in 2024. 'Gemologist is a very nice horse and I think he beat a very nice horse,'' Minervini said. 'He's done well since that win. 'He is actually owned in Port Macquarie, the owners weren't at Muswellbrook the other week but they'll be there on Monday. 'I am not too sure if he will have too many more runs this prep. We might put him away and get him ready for the spring. 'He is a couple of months away from being a three-year-old but if he could go there and beat the older horses, I think it is a feather in his cap for sure.' Gemologist gets away from them late and wins at Muswellbrook! ðŸ'Ž @Aaronbullock90 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 2, 2025 Minervini meanwhile is fast closing on 500 wins; his first coming at Strathalbyn late in 1995. The former master of Morphettville was pleased to welcome another former South Australian to his Newcastle stables in 2025, namely Bella Kathleen who is on her way to Port Macquarie on Monday. A daughter of Melbourne Cup -winner Fiorente, Bella Kathleen broke her maiden status at Gawler on debut back in the winter of 2023. Her next win came on April 12 this year at what was her first run for Minervini in a Newcastle Class 1. Bella Kathleen was runner-up at her subsequent outing in the hotly-contested Godolphin Tiara. 'I wasn't disappointed in her run but I was disappointed she didn't win it at Muswellbrook but the mare that beat her, Gentileschi, got beaten in a photo on Saturday at Scone so the form there is pretty solid,'' Minervini says. Minervini's Monday kicks off in the opener with the well-bred Pratt having his first run for the barn having previously been handled by Chris Waller. 'We have tried to place him to win,'' Minervini says. 'I am really happy with him. I think he is a horse that has got a fair bit of ability.'
