Latest news with #TaraShaskey
RNZ News
17 hours ago
- RNZ News
Man claimed he was 'under mind control' during fatal stabbing in Taranaki
By Tara Shaskey, Open Justice reporter of He pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Photo: 123RF A man claimed he was hypnotised and under "mind control" for several years before killing another man in a frenzied stabbing. The South Taranaki victim was stabbed 31 times by the defendant, who can not be named, in August last year. On Friday, he appeared via audio-visual link from prison in the High Court at New Plymouth, where he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He initially faced a murder charge and was subject to proceedings under the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act, due to concerns regarding his state of mind at the time of the offending. The defendant's interim name suppression order remains in place ahead of his sentencing and limits what can be reported about the fatal incident. According to the summary of facts, the defendant called 111 twice on August 23 in an agitated state. He requested police assistance and claimed to have been hypnotised. "He said he had been under mind control [...], had just woken up and could not remember his life," the summary stated. A person at the South Taranaki property spoke with the call taker and advised the defendant hadn't had much sleep and was having memory issues. They were encouraged to call mental health services for the defendant. Later that day, another call was made to emergency services and police visited the property. There had been concerns of a family harm incident but that had resolved by the time police arrived. The defendant spoke with police and admitted to using methamphetamine and said he had been hallucinating. Police encouraged that medical advice be sought for the defendant and provided information on methamphetamine, including rehabilitation pamphlets. The following morning, police were called to the property again following further 111 calls with concerns of a family harm incident. The defendant reported having "woken up from a daydream" and being under "MK Ultra mind control". When officers arrived, they found the critically injured victim on the floor of one of the bedrooms. He was given CPR by the officers, and then ambulance staff once they arrived, but was declared dead soon after. The defendant was arrested at the scene. He was compliant and seen to have blood on his clothes, hands and face. He also had a cut on his hand and a graze to his chin. When spoken to by police, he repeated his claims of having been under mind control. He said he stabbed the victim in the head and "I should have taken the c***s head off". A post-mortem examination later found the victim suffered approximately 31 stab wounds, including to his head, chest, arms, leg, abdomen and back. It concluded that one of the stab wounds to the abdomen injured the victim's aorta and caused a large amount of bleeding, resulting in his death. Following the defendant's guilty plea last week, Justice Dale La Hood remanded him back into custody. He will be sentenced on 6 October. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
RNZ News
25-05-2025
- RNZ News
New Plymouth man's violent attack on neighbour leads to community work
By Tara Shaskey, Open Justice reporter of New Plymouth District Court. Photo: NZME / Tara Shaskey A drinking session between two neighbours mourning the loss of another neighbour turned bitterly violent, leaving one of the men "black and blue". The 60-year-old victim was hospitalised with serious injuries he suffered at the hands of his neighbour, William Mason Bishop, 44. The men lived in the same New Plymouth housing complex and drank together at a wake for their neighbour on 27 September last year. As the evening progressed, they began arguing about the state of the property, leading to a physical altercation started by the victim. He punched Bishop in the nose, causing a cut, the New Plymouth District Court has heard. Bishop retaliated by punching the victim in the head, causing him to stumble and fall over. He then climbed on top of the victim and continued to punch his head. The victim did not fight back and tried to protect himself from the punches. Bishop then got off the man and repeatedly kicked him in his head and body. The victim eventually managed to get himself to his house before he was taken to hospital, where he was admitted with serious injuries. Bishop was waiting for police when they arrived to arrest him. He was charged with wounding with intent to injure, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment. He admitted the charge. At his sentencing this week, defence lawyer Paul Keegan said there was a level of provocation involved in the attack, describing it as self-defence that had gone too far in the context of intoxication and "a bit of bad blood". He said brewing tension had boiled over and Bishop's retaliatory punch to the victim's violence could have been self-defence, had it stopped there. "But unfortunately, that's not where matters ended, and the defendant has climbed on top of the victim and given him what I think can only be described as a really thorough beating." Keegan said the victim was left "black and blue". Bishop had a limited criminal history and the recommended sentence was community work, which Keegan supported, submitting an electronic sentence could affect his employment in roading. He had also been assessed as a low risk of reoffending and did not have any rehabilitative needs. But police prosecutor Zane Webby submitted an electronically-monitored sentence was appropriate. He said the attack had caused serious harm, including an injured eye socket, a concussion, facial contusions, and nasal bone and rib fractures. Webby acknowledged Bishop had pleaded guilty and had no relevant previous convictions. Judge Gregory Hikaka said a pre-sentence report referred to Bishop's entitlement to use violence to solve problems. Bishop told the report writer he believed the victim was on drugs, which caused him to become aggressive. The judge said Bishop's response was unrestrained and the violence was extreme, and he now had an "it is what it is" attitude. "Well, that only goes so far," Judge Hikaka said. "It is what it is, but you have to face the consequences of what it was." The judge said it was significant that the report recommended against an electronic sentence because of Bishop's employment. He weighed up all the circumstances and imposed the maximum 400 hours of community work, six months of supervision and ordered Bishop to pay $1000 to the victim. "I've gone with that to enable you to continue your employment, as well as recognising that but for the sense of provocation, you would not have had cause to completely go over the top with your violence," the judge said. - This story was originally published in the New Zealand Herald
