Latest news with #Whangārei-based
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- NZ Herald
Convicted murderer Sydney Bristow found guilty of historical sexual violation of young girl
At a judge-alone trial held at the Whangārei District Court earlier this year, the court heard that Bristow was 16 when he was left in charge of two young girls. That night, he twice sexually violated one of the girls. The victim, now an adult, gave evidence at the trial before Judge Gene Tomlinson, describing the sexual ordeal in detail. She said that after he violated her, Bristow approached her younger sister, but the victim intervened. As she stopped him from approaching her sister, she saw his face and was able to identify him as Bristow. Ōmapere beach, where David Taylor was killed by Sydney Bristow in 1999. Photo / Supplied It wasn't until many years later, when she saw Bristow again, that she had a visceral reaction to the trauma he had inflicted. At the trial, Bristow gave evidence that he was not in the area at the time of the sexual violation, and even if he was, he never babysat the girls, as there were plenty of adults who were relied upon. But in the reserved decision, delivered last week, Judge Tomlinson accepted the victim's evidence. He said in cases such as this, it was often a situation of 'he said, she said' but based on the victim's accurate and detailed evidence, it was Bristow who committed the offence. Judge Tomlinson entered convictions on two charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. Bristow will be sentenced at a later date. Not long after the sexual violation, Bristow was involved in the murder of Taylor in the early hours of New Year's Day 1999 at Ōmapere. Bristow, then 17, Henare Wikaira, and Kacey Wikaira, who were also in their late teens at the time, had been drinking heavily at the Ōmapere Tourist Hotel, now known as the Copthorne Hotel. Later that evening, they were involved in disturbances at a nearby campsite. Around 1am, Taylor chased Kacey Wikaira out of the campground and down to the beach. When Taylor stopped to catch his breath, Henare Wikaira attacked him from behind, landing 'a good 20″ of his 'hardest' punches, he told police in a statement. Bristow joined in, striking Taylor with a Lion Red bottle and throwing fist-sized rocks at his head. Henare Wikaira then dropped a large rock – up to 70cm wide – on to Taylor's head. Taylor died in hospital a few days later. Bristow was convicted of the murder in 2000 and sentenced to life imprisonment but was released after serving the minimum 10-year non-parole period. The recent decision relating to the sexual violation stated he was recalled to prison in 2020 but did not mention the reason for the recall. 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
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
19-06-2025
- NZ Herald
Whangārei man jailed for forcibly kissing women at a bus terminal
He grabbed the woman by the shoulders and upper chest area and whispered in her ear. When she tried to pull away, Hiku held her with force and kissed her on the cheek, only releasing her when bystanders intervened. Hiku then walked down the street and approached another woman who was sitting on a bench by the bus terminal. As he stood over her, he grabbed her by the face and kissed her on the mouth. She broke free from his hold and several high school students chased the man away. Hiku was arrested and, following mental health reports, was deemed fit to plead and fit to stand trial. He pleaded not guilty and elected a judge-alone trial but changed his plea in April. Judge Tony Couch said it was a difficult and sad matter. It was revealed in court that Hiku has been convicted on four occasions for indecent assault and has been a registered child sex offender since 2018. Judge Couch said Hiku had failed on at least four occasions to adhere to his reporting requirements as a registered child sex offender. The judge accepted that at the time of his latest offending, his sense of right and wrong was impaired and sentenced him to 23 months' imprisonment. 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
25-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Tenant pretended to be landlord, taking almost $800 week from couple
The new tenant told the tribunal he had paid $780 per week to Spriggs-Admore, believing she was the landlord. He noted Spriggs-Admore had introduced herself as the property owner and failed to provide a tenancy agreement. He told the tribunal when he moved in with two of his children Spriggs-Admore's belongings had been removed from the house. A few weeks later his partner moved in with her child and six dogs. She paid half the rent to her partner, who would forward the funds to Spriggs-Admore. His partner told the tribunal she had no idea who the landlord was until Spriggs-Admore turned up one day and introduced herself as the landlord. She said that when she requested a tenancy agreement, she was told it would be provided 'later' but never eventuated. The woman also told the tribunal about an experience where a gang member turned up one night demanding rent from her and her partner. The real landlord did not discover until February 2025 that Spriggs-Admore had moved out and had been subletting the property. They then filed to the tribunal for rent arrears and termination of tenancy. Spriggs-Admore filed her own application seeking a full refund of rent, claiming the property was unlawful and the landlord had breached her quiet enjoyment. Her basis for her claim was the address of the property did not exist because an internet company could not connect the fibre connection. The tribunal hearing held in April reportedly got so heated, court security staff were called, and tribunal adjudicator Mark Manhire was critical of Spriggs-Admore's claims. 'It is incumbent on a tenant to bring claims to the tribunal promptly. Not to wait – and then package all complaints up with a shopping list of details. 'I found the state of the tenant's evidence frankly hard to follow and all over the place. There was a voluminous amount of it, and little attempt on the part of the tenant to properly organise it. It was not chronologically sequenced and bounced around. 'A significant portion of her evidence was also filed moments prior to today's hearing. It is my view that the tenant must bear ultimate responsibility for the events leading up to today's hearing. It is the tenant who decided take action and move out of the premises in December last year without consulting with the landlord.' The adjudicator ordered immediate possession be granted to the real landlord, the sub-tenants who were still living at the address vacate the property and $3870 be paid by Spriggs-Admore in rent arrears. 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
13-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Northland's ‘Gandalf' charged with cannabis oil supply, risks 14-year jail term
Smith, 66, was arrested in March on three charges of cultivating, supplying and possession of cannabis after a police raid on his Far North home. Cannabis is considered a class C controlled drug and comes with a maximum penalty of eight years. At that hearing he pleaded not guilty, elected a trial by jury and was granted bail to a case review hearing which was adjourned from April until this week. When he entered the dock and police announced there were three new charges, his lawyer Mark Edgar, who appeared via audio visual link from Auckland, advised they knew nothing of them. The three new charges relate to the cultivation, supply and possession of cannabis oil to a person in New Plymouth on May 2, 2024 and February 25, 2025. Edgar told the court disclosure from the initial charges had been slow coming from the police and requested a further case review date. Judge Taryn Bayley agreed Smith needed more time to give instructions to his lawyer and advised that all the charges are 'connected by time, place and circumstance'. Cannabis oil is a class B controlled drug and each charge carries a maximum penalty of 14 years. Smith told NZME as he was leaving court 'the police are just trying to f*** with me'. Smith will next appear in the Whangārei District Court in July. 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.
