Latest news with #RebeccaThomson
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Swedish backpacker case: Flaws don't mean Tamihere conviction unfair
Crown prosecutors Fergus Sinclair and Rebecca Thomson. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A Crown lawyer says the irregularities in the trial of convicted double murder David Tamihere do not mean it was unfair. The last day of Tamihere's Supreme Court appeal is underway in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday morning. His lawyers are appealing an earlier Court of Appeal ruling that found a miscarriage of justice but upheld his convictions for murdering Swedish tourists Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen. The couple disappeared while tramping in dense bush in the Coromandel Peninsula in 1989. The Crown resumed its submissions today, with lawyer Rebecca Thomson building up their argument Tamihere must have committed the murders. Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelman sits alongside other Chief Justices. Photo: POOL/Stuff She took the five-judge panel through irregularities of Tamihere's original trial. "There were some," Thomson said. "But none of them reach the standard of it being an unfair trial." Thomson said it was a series of very lucky breaks that led to Tamihere's capture by police. Supreme Court judge Sir Stephen Kós questioned the way the Crown characterised Tamihere's actions, including if he stole the couple's car, something he had previously admitted. "It's idiocy on either account isn't it?" he said. "Either he's an idiotic murderer who drives around in the victims' car, when the victims, or at least one of them, hasn't been adequately concealed, so that's pretty stupid. "Or he's an idiotic car thief, as opposed to an idiotic murderer, who drives the car around the very area the people are likely to emerge from the bush and make a complaint." Swedish tourists Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen were killed in the Coromandel in 1989. Photo: Supplied Tamihere served more than 20 years of a life sentence in prison before being released on parole in 2010. He denies even meeting the couple, and questions have lingered regarding his convictions. In 2020 the then Governor General granted Tamihere a rare Royal Prerogative of Mercy, on advice from former Justice Minister Andrew Little. The case was referred to the Court of Appeal to rule on whether there might have been a miscarriage of justice. It found, in July last year, there was - but upheld Tamihere's murder convictions because there was evidence beyond reasonable doubt he murdered the tourists. This is what the Supreme Court has been hearing submissions on for the past two days. More to come
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Supreme Court judges grill Crown in David Tamihere appeal
David Tamihere. Photo: RNZ Supreme Court judges have grilled the Crown case in double convicted murderer David Tamihere's appeal in the High Court at Auckland. Tamihere was convicted in December 1990 of murdering Swedish tourists Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen. His lawyers are appealing an earlier Court of Appeal ruling that found a miscarriage of justice but upheld his convictions. Crown lawyers began there submissions on Tuesday, with lawyer Fergus Sinclair giving the panel of judges background about Tamihere's movements through the bush around the Coromandel Peninsula, and the discovery of Höglin's body. Crown prosecutors Fergus Sinclair and Rebecca Thomson. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Crown case at the original trial was that Tamihere was living in the bush when he murdered the couple near Crosbies Clearing north of Thames. "We know Mr Tamihere's last two trips involved spending time in the Wentworth Valley, and on trip one, spending days on that Eastern side," Sinclair said. "Multiple witnesses established that." Evidence had been presented at trial that two trampers identified Tamihere as a man they encountered at Crosbies Clearing with a young woman. Sinclair said Tamihere partly acknowledged and partly fictionalised trips he had taken around the area at trial, to conceal that he had been near to where Höglin's body was found. "Trip one, he said, North from Thames, has spent a long time around the Coromandel area, but he didn't," he said. "He went South, then East into the Wentworth, back the same way after more than a week." The second trip, Sinclair said, Tamihere claimed to have again gone North from Thames to the 309 Road, then down the main road almost to Thames, but swerved up Tararu Creek Road to where the couple's car was to steal it, but this too was wrong, instead claiming Tamihere had gone South and back to the Wentworth Valley. "It's not possible to forget that your last two journeys were to an entirely different part of the region," Sinclair said. "So much time spent in a completely different place, in the opposite direction." Sinclair referenced the conclusion reached by the Court of Appeal. "Mr Tamihere lied to conceal his presence in the Wentworth Valley, and did so because he knew police might find evidence there," he said. "The only evidence is the body, the only reasonable conclusion is that Mr Tamihere knew about the body." Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelman sits alongside other Chief Justices. Photo: POOL/Stuff Sinclair faced scrutiny from the judges regarding whether claims Tamihere had lied had been put to him at trial. "It's a fundamental issue with the Crown's case," Chief Justice dame Helen Winkelmann said. "You're taking us and saying 'Mr Tamihere lied'. Statements are made contextually, lies, as juries are instructed, must be assessed contextually, if it's said to be a lie it must be put to the witness that it's a lie, it must be part of the case that it's a lie... "What are we to make of the fact that these things that you are now saying are lies, were to a greater or lesser extent not pursued at trial?" she asked. Sinclair said this was the fresh evidence exercise. "The issue is, does it disclose a miscarriage, and it is the Crown responding to a defence theory," he said. "The body is found, we now see more things, does it give rise to a miscarriage that is the issue." More scrutiny was put on the Crown's case by Justice Sir Joe Williams, who said their case came down to whether or not Tamihere had lied. "His lie, you say, is the thing that binds all of this together, Crown stands or falls on that lie," he said. "Without it you lose." David Tamihere's lawyers, James Carruthers (L) and Murray Gibson (R). Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Earlier on Tuesday, Tamihere's lawyer James Carruthers asked the question if his trial would have turned out differently if a fundamental error had not occurred. He quoted a case which said questions needed to be asked on what course a trial would have taken, if errors had not been made. "It's interesting to ask here what the course of the trial might have been like had it not started off in completely the wrong direction," Carruthers said. "And as we can see from the Crown's amended case, it would have taken on an entirely different complexion." Tamihere served more than 20 years of a life sentence in prison before being released on parole in 2010. He has always denied even meeting the pair and there have been lingering questions around the convictions. In 2020 the then Governor General, on advice from former Justice Minister Andrew Little, granted Tamihere a rare Royal Prerogative of Mercy. The case was referred back to the Court of Appeal to rule on whether there may have been a miscarriage of justice. That court, in July last year, found there was - but upheld Tamihere's murder convictions because there was evidence beyond reasonable doubt he murdered the tourists. This, in turn, was appealed to the Supreme Court which is hearing the case now. The hearing continues on Wednesday. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Agriland
11-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Kepak receives formal approval for climate targets
Irish food company Kepak Group has received formal approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its climate goals. These targets include a 52.3% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030, equivalent to eliminating the annual emissions of over 15,000 homes. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources a company owns or controls, such as fuel combustion in company vehicles or manufacturing processes. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from energy purchased and used, including electricity, heat, or steam. Kepak Kepak is aiming to reach net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2050. This SBTi approval confirms Kepak's alignment with the 'most ambitious' 1.5°C pathway outlined by the Paris Agreement. Kepak now joins global food companies, including McDonald's and Tesco, that have received approval for science-based climate targets. 'This is a significant milestone for Kepak as we continue to accelerate our sustainability journey,' Rebecca Thomson, head of sustainability at Kepak Group, said. 'Our targets are not just numbers – they reflect real, measurable action. We are grateful to our partners at Rowan Engineering, the Carbon Trust, and others who have supported us in reaching this point. This is only the beginning,' she added. Tiphaine Aires, associate director with the Carbon Trust, said that 'as a primary processor, Kepak plays a critical role in both supporting and advocating for farm decarbonisation initiatives'. Climate According to Kepak, the company has already delivered 'substantial progress' in reducing emissions driven by a strategy built on three core pillars: site efficiency, heat recovery and electrification, and on-site renewable energy generation. From 2018-2024, the group has achieved a 40% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, along with an 8% reduction in Scope 3 livestock GHG intensity. Over the period, there has been a 29% reduction in water use per tonne of product and 54% renewable electricity across operations (target: 100% by 2030). The group added that there has been a 22% increase in regenerative agriculture practices on beef farms in Ireland and the UK. Kepak's emission reduction strategy includes new technology being deployed at the group's Athleague site targeting a reduction of at least 90% in site heating emissions. Wind turbines at Kepak Cork and Merthyr supply 40% and 14% of their electricity needs, respectively. With approximately 12–15% of additional Scope 1 and 2 reductions required by 2030, Kepak is pursuing further deployment of wind, solar, and anaerobic digestion (AD) infrastructure. There will also be an expansion of heat pump installations across sites, deep retrofitting for energy and process efficiency and continued investment in farm-level carbon reduction programmes. Established in 1966, Kepak now has a turnover of €1.8 billion and employs over 4,500 people. The group operates 14 manufacturing facilities throughout Ireland and the UK with sales offices in Europe, the US and Asia.
RNZ News
04-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Wellington employment market 'pretty Hunger Games', jobseeker says
Photo: 123RF After about a year of job hunting in Wellington, communications experts Rebecca Thomson and Emily Turner have seen a lot. Sometimes they apply for a job and get no response. Other times, the job remains advertised while interviews are happening. In one case, applying for a three-month contract was to involve a full 45-minute interview, then a coffee chat - but then the advertiser decided not to fill the position. "It feels pretty Hunger Games out there, sort of far more people than jobs, across the board," Thomson said. "It can be like a really bad dating situation," Turner said. "It's like permanently being ghosted from a very bad date, or not even a date because that would be the interview … it's putting your best foot forward, doing some really good chat and banter and thinking it's all going really well, and then nothing." Turner said she had about six interviews for roles, from about 20 applications. "I've got a very clear approach of what I'm applying for, I don't do a sort of scatter gun approach, I apply for roles that I know I've got a clear go at getting." She said she had asked recruiters how many people were applying for senior communications roles and had been told that it could be 80 to 100. Thomson said she had picked up freelance work along the way. "But in terms of full-time employment it's been a year. We're both highly skilled people that have worked on an array of projects and we're not the only ones." The pair have started an informal network for Wellington job hunters, where people can get together to support each other and share tips and information about the employment market. "We set it up to get to be somewhere where people can meet and have a chat in a casual, friendly environment," Thomson said. "It's tough out there and people are mentally finding it tough ." Some people want advice on how to put mortgage payments on hold, how to cover the cost of car registration or body corporate fees without regular income, but other times the network might share details of jobs that might suit other people. Thomson said from the initial meeting with two of them, their next meeting attracted eight. Another meeting was planned for this week and more people were offering their support online. "I've had a few DMs (direct messages) from people saying 'I can't come but this is great'," Thomson said. Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics, said it was unlikely the Wellington employment market would turn around soon . "There's certainly not any signs that any time soon the pressure from government is going to change on either employment numbers or departmental spending. "Often what we've seen in the past, if we went back to the previous National government from 2008 onwards they had a sinking lid on employment, it was not as tough but reasonably tough, but at the same time they had a bit more room fiscally so there was more consulting work going on. This time the pressure is very much on both sides." Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan. Photo: Supplied He said the public sector crackdown was having a flow-on effect on the private sector in Wellington. "It may be after 18 months we're through the worst of it but it's hard to see it turning around and employment picking up any time soon." The annual average unemployment rate in Wellington City was 4.8 percent in the year to March, up from 3.4 percent in the previous 12 months. Kiernan said Wellington had previously had unemployment well below the national average but the gap had closed. Jarrod Kerr, chief economist at Kiwibank, said he thought it could be six months before the Wellington situation improved, "but probably more like a year". "It's the harsh reality of an RBNZ(Reserve Bank)-induced recession and significant cuts in the public sector. We forecast an improvement, which keeps getting delayed, by the end of the year, and we look into 2026 with more confidence." Thomson said anyone who wanted to join the network could find them on LinkedIn. "We wanted to keep it sort of friendly and open - people don't have to join some page to be part of it … it's a space to decompress and have a coffee or tea and chat with some like-minded people." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
04-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Wellington emploment market 'pretty Hunger Games', jobseeker says
Photo: 123RF After about a year of job hunting in Wellington, communications experts Rebecca Thomson and Emily Turner have seen a lot. Sometimes they apply for a job and get no response. Other times, the job remains advertised while interviews are happening. In one case, applying for a three-month contract was to involve a full 45-minute interview, then a coffee chat - but then the advertiser decided not to fill the position. "It feels pretty Hunger Games out there, sort of far more people than jobs, across the board," Thomson said. "It can be like a really bad dating situation," Turner said. "It's like permanently being ghosted from a very bad date, or not even a date because that would be the interview … it's putting your best foot forward, doing some really good chat and banter and thinking it's all going really well, and then nothing." Turner said she had about six interviews for roles, from about 20 applications. "I've got a very clear approach of what I'm applying for, I don't do a sort of scatter gun approach, I apply for roles that I know I've got a clear go at getting." She said she had asked recruiters how many people were applying for senior communications roles and had been told that it could be 80 to 100. Thomson said she had picked up freelance work along the way. "But in terms of full-time employment it's been a year. We're both highly skilled people that have worked on an array of projects and we're not the only ones." The pair have started an informal network for Wellington job hunters, where people can get together to support each other and share tips and information about the employment market. "We set it up to get to be somewhere where people can meet and have a chat in a casual, friendly environment," Thomson said. "It's tough out there and people are mentally finding it tough ." Some people want advice on how to put mortgage payments on hold, how to cover the cost of car registration or body corporate fees without regular income, but other times the network might share details of jobs that might suit other people. Thomson said from the initial meeting with two of them, their next meeting attracted eight. Another meeting was planned for this week and more people were offering their support online. "I've had a few DMs (direct messages) from people saying 'I can't come but this is great'," Thomson said. Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics, said it was unlikely the Wellington employment market would turn around soon . "There's certainly not any signs that any time soon the pressure from government is going to change on either employment numbers or departmental spending. "Often what we've seen in the past, if we went back to the previous National government from 2008 onwards they had a sinking lid on employment, it was not as tough but reasonably tough, but at the same time they had a bit more room fiscally so there was more consulting work going on. This time the pressure is very much on both sides." Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan. Photo: Supplied He said the public sector crackdown was having a flow-on effect on the private sector in Wellington. "It may be after 18 months we're through the worst of it but it's hard to see it turning around and employment picking up any time soon." The annual average unemployment rate in Wellington City was 4.8 percent in the year to March, up from 3.4 percent in the previous 12 months. Kiernan said Wellington had previously had unemployment well below the national average but the gap had closed. Jarrod Kerr, chief economist at Kiwibank, said he thought it could be six months before the Wellington situation improved, "but probably more like a year". "It's the harsh reality of an RBNZ(Reserve Bank)-induced recession and significant cuts in the public sector. We forecast an improvement, which keeps getting delayed, by the end of the year, and we look into 2026 with more confidence." Thomson said anyone who wanted to join the network could find them on LinkedIn. "We wanted to keep it sort of friendly and open - people don't have to join some page to be part of it … it's a space to decompress and have a coffee or tea and chat with some like-minded people." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
