what's new in the news: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Stress forces out Grey Power head

Colin Murray has resigned after a turbulent four months as president of Marlborough Grey Power.

Mr Murray said yesterday he handed in his letter of resignation a few days after a Grey Power meeting in Motueka on October 3 and 4, but members had not yet been sent official notice of this.

Mr Murray's resignation leaves the organisation without a leader as Maureen Bennett quit as vice-president in August because of the in-fighting on the regional executive committee.

Marlborough Grey Power will hold an extraordinary general meeting at 4.30pm on November 18 at the St Mary's Parish centre to elect a new president and more committee members.

Mrs Bennett said the committee was sounding out people about the available positions. "Hopefully there will be two or three [people] to put their hands up," she said.

A month after he became president of Marlborough Grey Power in June, Mr Murray was challenged by committee members. They accused him of being too political, while some members said they were concerned about some of his public comments.

Mrs Bennett called a vote of no confidence at an emergency meeting, but the meeting was never organised because Mr Murray would not accept the request.

Speaking to The Marlborough Express yesterday for the first time in several months, he said the decision to step down was based on the stress on his family.

"When a volunteer service impacts badly on family and family life, then it's time to give up volunteer service," he said.

He planned to remain a member of Grey Power, but said he was unhappy about its structure.

"The federation is not really democratic. It's not fairly representative of the people because the voting is weighted in favour of the smaller associations," he said.

"Smaller associations receive the same number of votes as the larger associations such as Nelson, which made it easy for the smaller factions to outvote the bigger ones. For this reason [Grey Power] will always struggle with governance."

Mr Murray was the only person nominated as president in June when Jean Wilson retired after two years in the position.

"They [Grey Power] were short of a leader so I stepped in. It's an experience I won't want to repeat."

He had not taken much attention of the executive committee before becoming president and would not pay much heed now, he said.

Mrs Bennett said Mr Murray had spoken to a few members about his resignation before giving the letter to committee secretary Jewel Perfect. Neither Mrs Perfect nor treasurer Dennis Paget would comment yesterday on Mr Murray's resignation.

The Express understands it is several months since the committee has had an official meeting because it has been unable to get enough elected members together for a quorum. The latest of those failed meetings was yesterday morning.

SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 29/10/2010

Warning for whitebaiters

Two people are being investigated by the Department of Conservation for allegedly breaching whitebait fishing regulations in Marlborough.

DOC communications adviser Trish Grant said one person was suspected of fishing with two nets instead of one, and another was believed to have started whitebaiting before the permitted 6am start time.

The whitebaiters' nets were confiscated and further action could be taken, Ms Grant said.

DOC South Marlborough community relations manager Colin Davis said whitebait had been running well in the past 10 days or so, with some "significant catches" being reported this week. That seemed to have led to some rule-breaking, he said.

"There's a lot of people out there really enjoying themselves, and a lot of people enjoying the opportunity to catch a feed for the family, but sadly there's people out there that are trying to beat the system."

Conditions on the river this year were far better than last year, he said.

Most whitebaiters spoken to by The Marlborough Express at the Wairau Diversion yesterday said they did not know of anyone breaking the rules, but said those who did were greedy and were not playing fair.

Shane Middlemiss, of Blenheim, said he had seen a few people with two nets, and saw DOC workers checking nets at the Diversion over Labour Weekend.

Mr Davis said DOC staff would continue to monitor Marlborough's popular whitebaiting spots to make sure everyone was sticking to the rules. "It's only a minority that will try to beat the system. However, any infringements will not be tolerated."

People who break whitebaiting regulations face fines of up to $5000. The whitebait season ends on November 30.

SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 29/10/2010

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Shots fired close to camp

A Department of Conservation worker from Wellington, who was camping with his young family at a campsite in Canvastown at the weekend, was woken by a group of spotlighting hunters firing a shotgun near his tent.

DOC Sounds area manager Roy Grose said the department received a complaint from a family with two young children staying at the Butchers Flat campsite on Wakamarina Rd.

It happened the same weekend as teacher Rosemary Ives, 25, was shot dead by a hunter near Turangi while brushing her teeth at a campsite.

Mr Grose said the family at Canvastown were woken about 1.30am on Saturday by a gunshot not far from their campsite.

A vehicle drove into the camp and one of the people in it apologised, before it drove on and another 23 shots were fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, Mr Grose said.

Other people were also camped in the area at the time.

Mr Grose did not know what the hunters were shooting at, but said their actions were illegal, "downright dangerous and inconsiderate".

DOC received reports of spotlight shooting from time to time and he said spotlighting was becoming a problem.

"They seem to think they can do it wherever they like," he said.

Senior Constable Maurice Horne, of Havelock, said the shot was fired about 150 metres from the family.

Police had not been given a description of the car or number plate but were still making inquiries, he said.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said the Marlborough incident was one of three involving spotlighting hunters shooting near other people at the weekend. The third incident was in the Wairarapa, where no-one was hurt.

Meanwhile, the father of the teacher shot dead by a hunter says the calls he has received have made him proud but sorry his daughter will no longer be able to share her unique personality with others.

Rosemary Ives was be farewelled on Rabbit Island, Nelson, today after she was shot by a hunter while brushing her teeth on a tramping trip near Turangi.

Malcolm Ives said yesterday the greatest tragedy was that his daughter could no longer share her kindness and passion with her students.

"Her feelings for the environment are matched perfectly with a similar feel for humanity and love for one another and care and concern and compassion for family in particular and, of course, she had a passion for her students.

SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 28/10/2010

Patience pays off for two couples

Friendships were formed on the cold, hard concrete of Market St as two couples waited out a sleepless night to buy early Christmas presents and engagement rings from Michael Hill Jewellers.

Two couples, Sarai Pedziwiatr, 18, and Wiremu Panapa, 17, and Charlene Hill and Bob Matthews, were in line for the pre-Christmas Crazy Day sale at Michael Hill Jewellers, which is selling rings for as low as one dollar.

The four, who had never met before, spent the night talking and playing games together and even made a pact not to buy the rings they each picked out.

Wiremu wanted to buy a ring for his mum who had been going through a hard time lately and also wanted to buy Christmas presents for his family.

Mr Panapa and Miss Pedziwiatr waited outside the store from 2am after finishing work, and found themselves first in line.

Unbeknown to them, however, the pair had taken the place of another couple who had gone to buy dinner.

Miss Hill and Mr Matthews, who have been together for 5 1/2 years, arrived outside the store about 9pm, because Mr Matthews wanted to buy an engagement ring for Miss Hill.

Throughout the night there was plenty to keep the group interested, including a drunk man pole dancing, a four-wheel-drive speeding down Market St and a newspaper delivery truck misjudging a turn and hitting a lamp post.

Miss Hill said the10 people behind them began lining up at 6am.

As the doors opened just after 9am the four got the chance to enter the store one at a time to buy the jewellery they waited an entire night for.

SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:13 28/10/2010

Burgling his mum spells jail for teen

A Blenheim teenager was sent to prison after admitting a spate of burglaries committed while on cannabis and drunk, which included stealing a Commonwealth Games medal from his mother's house.

Leighton Thomas Waite, 17, was sentenced to 13 months' jail on six charges of burglary, two of receiving stolen property, breaching supervision, breaching community work, failing to answer bail and possession of cannabis. He appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday. Judge Denys Barry said the crime spree happened between January and September, and Waite lived off the proceeds of his crimes.

The items stolen included four chainsaws, spray paint, a motorcycle, a digital camera, laptops and a silver Commonwealth Games medal from his mother's house.

Some of the items were exchanged for drugs or cash, Judge Barry said.

He said home detention was not an option because Waite had "burned his bridges" by burgling his mother's house.

"You not only tortured your mother by your crime but have also driven yourself behind bars, leaving those who care for you with a legacy of guilt," he said. "The reality is you have brought this on yourself despite the best efforts of those around you."

Defence counsel Philip Watson said Waite was on a "cannabis and alcohol bender" and stole to survive.

Waite had nowhere to go and no address that could be considered for home detention, he said.

Judge Barry said the aggravating factors were the repetition of the offending, the duration, the loss caused to victims and the intrusion on property.

Waite was also sentenced to one month imprisonment concurrent for receiving.

He was convicted and discharged on the other charges.

He was also ordered to undergo alcohol and drug treatment.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:13 28/10/2010

Mother in drug ring spared jail

A Blenheim mother has been sentenced to home detention for supplying ingredients for the manufacture of methamphetamine.

In Blenheim District Court yesterday, Shagin Celeste Cattermole, 26, a mother of three, was sentenced to five months' home detention on two charges of supplying material to manufacture methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and breach of community work.

Judge Denys Barry said Cattermole twice bought one-litre bottles of iodine from a Blenheim store and gave them to then partner Bevan Kelly, who was manufacturing methamphetamine.

Defence counsel Rob Harrison said iodine was a readily available product and cheap and the offending was unsophisticated.

Cattermole's main focus was her children, one of whom was about to start school and another who was two months old, he said.

Judge Barry said Cattermole had a troubled upbringing and her pre-sentence report "paints a picture where growing up, drug use was normal".

Mr Harrison said despite her upbringing Cattermole had a limited criminal history and had tried to keep her children away from Kelly's drug-using lifestyle and even lived apart from him.

A significant factor when looking at her background was that Cattermole "managed to avoid the pitfalls which plagued her parents", he said.

Judge Barry said Cattermole's role was as a "satellite offender on the periphery of the operation" and gave credit for her early guilty plea and limited history.

The offending was relatively unsophisticated, but was a vital ingredient in manufacture of a drug "that spreads misery amongst the community", he said.

"Despite having three young dependent children you still embarked on this offending which put their futures at risk," he said.

Cattermole was ordered to have alcohol and drug counselling.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:13 28/10/2010

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Fake gun scared woman

A Blenheim man who aimed a fake pistol at a woman caused her to go into a state of shock, according to a District Court judge.

Ngatote Samuels, 21, appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday and admitted presenting the plastic pistol to the woman from the back of a ute in Lakings Rd, leading her to believe that it was real. He was sentenced to 90 hours' community work.

Judge Denys Barry said Samuels was riding on the back of the ute with friends on September 25. He pointed the pistol at the woman, whom he did not know, as she was waiting to cross the road.

Defence lawyer Tane Brunt said Samuels inadvertently pointed the pistol at the woman, and was remorseful.

Samuels also admitted two unrelated charges of driving while suspended, and was disqualified for 12 months.

Man and mates stole petrol

A Blenheim man was sentenced to community work for stealing petrol from a rural property when he appeared in court yesterday.

Brendon John Marzola, 20, admitted a burglary charge and was sentenced to 150 hours' community work by Judge Barry.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said Marzola and two associates stole 120 litres of petrol from the Rapaura property on October 25.

Defence lawyer Philip Watson said all the petrol had since been recovered.

No plea to charge

A Picton woman entered no plea to an indictable charge of assisting a man to avoid arrest when she appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

Stacy Frances Field, 33, unemployed, was remanded on bail to reappear on November 8.

Drink-drivers

Drink-drivers in the Blenheim District Court yesterday:

John Gregory Robinson, 49, maintenance worker, Blenheim, eba 511mcg, $550 fine, six months' disqualification.

Karina Tiara Darleen Skipper, 20, administrator, Blenheim, eba 721mcg, 70 hours' community work, six months' disqualification.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:50 27/10/2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Bottle thrown as party runs riot

A police officer was assaulted and at least one bottle was thrown when police were called to an out-of-control party in Blenheim early on Sunday morning.

Constable Martin McDonald said police were called to a house in McLauchlan St, in Springlands, after reports some of the 100 people at a party there were fighting in the street.

The policeman was pushed and at least one bottle was thrown at police, Mr McDonald said.

The policeman was not injured.

A 17-year-old unemployed male had been arrested at 3.20am for disorderly behaviour, resisting police and assaulting police.

Police arrested 30 people in Blenheim during the three-day weekend, most for minor offences.

The arrests included a 35-year-old male scrap metal worker for sustained loss of traction and driving with a breath alcohol level of 889mcg. The legal limit is 400mcg.

The man was allegedly attempting to do burnouts at 7.45pm on Saturday in the Redwood Tavern car park when he lost control and crashed into and badly damaged a wooden fence, Mr McDonald said.

Three men face burglary charges after 160 litres of petrol was allegedly stolen from a Rapaura property just after 1am yesterday.

They were a male vineyard worker, 24, a male forestry worker, 17 and a 20-year-old unemployed man. One man was arrested after being tracked by a police dog, while the other men were arrested later in the morning, Mr McDonald said.

A male butcher, 19, was arrested for theft on Sunday morning after a laptop and MP3 player were taken from a Witherlea address.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 26/10/2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Getting pets to school an education in itself

The spring season signals the start of pet days at Marlborough primary schools, with lambs, horses, chickens and rabbits grazing and pacing the school fields instead of their usual paddocks and gardens.

Taking care of these animals during a pet day is a big job for parents, with many taking the day off work or visiting school during their lunch hour – but they don't seem to mind.

Fairhall School held their annual show day yesterday, with all the usual pet suspects such as guinea pigs, ponies, lambs and goats, and a somewhat unconventional pet skink named Grinader.

Mum Deidre van Velthooven said transporting 12-year-old daughter Eloise's 2 1/2-month-old lamb, Molly, could be a bit tricky. "She has been known to jump over the back seat," she said.

Mrs van Velthooven's six children have always taken care of their pets during show day, she said.

The family, who own about 8 hectares of land, keep about 13 sheep on their property and always have a host of pets, including rabbits and chickens.

Joanna Grigg said eight-year-old daughter Emma's Shetland pony, Jigsaw, caught a ride on another parent's horse float, but would have to be ridden home.

Emma also brought along her two lambs.

"It is an effort [to bring Jigsaw to school] but it's all worth it. It's what the children remember – pet days," she said.

Teacher and organising committee member Katie Bradley said the day was easily one of the highlights of the year for the pupils.

She said children without pets did not feel left out either because they could enjoy other's pets and entered indoor competitions such as egg sculptures, pet rocks and Lego sculptures.

BY SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 21/10/2010

Slow response to eftpos upgrade

Almost 700 eftpos terminals in Marlborough face being cut off from electronic payment provider Paymark's network if they do not upgrade their systems by next year.

According to Paymark's August numbers, 681 eftpos terminals in Marlborough are in need of an upgrade to a newer version because of revised global security standards.

The company is worried not enough businesses in the country are making the necessary upgrades to accommodate new card technology.

Businesses spoken to by The Marlborough Express leased their eftpos terminals which were updated and maintained as part of the contract.

All said electronic transactions made up about 80 per cent of their daily trade.

Cruizies manager Marie Gleeson said the cafe had one eftpos terminal, which was leased, and was waiting for a technician to do the updating work.

Paddy Barry's Irish Pub manager Liz McElhinney said the pub's three terminals were leased and she had just received a flyer in a hospitality magazine reminding businesses to upgrade the terminals. The upgrades would allow businesses to process electronic payments as part of new global security standards including new chip technology.

Paymark head of sales and marketing Paul Whiston said terminal upgrades were happening, but not fast enough.

He feared a rush of businesses would put pressure on technicians as many would look to upgrade at the last minute.

Businesses were probably slow at upgrading because new ones cost about $1500, which was "not insignificant" for small businesses, he said.

Terminals needed to be upgraded whether they were leased or owned by businesses, he said. Businesses which did not upgrade by the June 2011 deadline would be in breach of the new security standards and would also be unable to process some new credit cards which had chips to help prevent fraud, he said.

The 59,051 terminals nationwide will become obsolete after the June deadline as network connections to the old machines will be cut.

The Paymark network processes 75 per cent of the country's electronic transactions.

BY SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 21/10/2010

Pupils cope with a day off

Fourteen-year-old Tegan Boxsell was to have a day at the office with her mum today as her teachers went on strike.

Joining her mother, Yasmin Gee, at St Andrews Church, Tegan was put to use as another pair of hands around the office.

Many year 9 students from around the country were off school today as teachers began rolling strikes over stalled pay talks with the Ministry of Education.

Mrs Gee, who has four children, said taking her daughter to work was a bit of an inconvenience, but she "completely understood where they [teachers] were coming from.

"All of them [Year 9 students] just want to hang out in town – to them it's just another day off school."

Legally, children under the age of 14 need to be supervised.

Year 11 students will be off school tomorrow, with further industrial action by teachers planned through to early December.

Marlborough Boys' College principal Wayne Hegarty said parents were told supervision would be available at the school for students, but did not know how many year 9 students would need it.

Queen Charlotte College principal Tom Parsons said all year 9 students were at camp for the week at Lake Rotoiti, so the strike action would not affect the school.

Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) president Kate Gainsford said on Monday that teachers decided to strike after the Government's latest offer fell flat with the PPTA national executive.

But Education Minister Anne Tolley said teachers were being unrealistic.

By Simon Wong and NZPA - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 14:58 20/10/2010

Friday, October 15, 2010

Facebook link led to sexual offence

A 15-year-old Blenheim boy who had sex with an 11-year-old girl he met through Facebook has been sentenced to eight months' home detention.

The boy, who is now 16 and has name suppression, admitted a charge of having sexual connection with a child aged under 12 when he appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday. He was initially charged with rape, which he denied.

Crown prosecutor Hugh Boyd-Wilson said the boy had the sexual act in mind when he arranged to meet the girl via text messaging.

She tried to push him off her and stop him removing her shorts, but could not, Mr Boyd-Wilson said.

Defence lawyer Mike Turner said the girl found the boy on Facebook and despite not having met him before, sent him a text message. The next day, they were both at a Renwick skate park but did not interact much. Later that day, more texts were sent and the boy worked out that they were from the girl.

The boy later attended a party, where he drank so much alcohol that he vomited, Mr Turner said. After he got home, the girl sent him a text asking to meet, as they lived close to each other.

After sitting together on the side of the road, they kissed and had sexual intercourse in what was a spontaneous act, Mr Turner said.

He said the boy thought the girl was 14, but she had just turned 11.

The boy had been on electronic bail since June.

Judge David McKegg said he did not accept that the boy believed the girl was 14.

Despite not meeting her before he arranged to meet her after the party, he "without prior warning climbed on top of her, removed her lower clothing and had sexual intercourse with her" that lasted five to 10 minutes, he said. Afterwards, the girl gathered up her clothes and left immediately.

The judge said there was "no doubt" that the boy's actions had affected the girl and her family. A psychological assessment showed that the boy was at high risk of reoffending if he did not get help.

Judge McKegg sentenced the boy to eight months' home detention with conditions including a ban on alcohol, drugs and access to the internet. He is also barred from seeing anyone under the age of 16 without written permission from a probation officer. The conditions would last six months after the sentence finished, Judge McKegg said.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 15/10/2010

Drug seller concerned name tarnished

A Dutch man living in Blenheim who was sentenced to jail on cannabis charges yesterday was "concerned and upset" he had tarnished his family name, according to his defence counsel.

Jim Jacobus Wilhelmus van Hoof, 36, was sentenced to one year imprisonment for possession of cannabis for sale and selling cannabis when he appeared at the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

Van Hoof was also sentenced to a further one month's imprisonment concurrent for receiving stolen items and possession of utensils.

Defence counsel Bryony Millar said a letter van Hoof wrote to the judge outlined his despair, saying his family was well respected and cannabis and drugs charges were "foreign" to them.

The letter also said van Hoof wanted to get away from the associates who helped in his offending, Mrs Millar said.

The option for home detention was not available because of electronic monitoring issues at the proposed address, she said.

Finding an alternative address would be difficult even in custody, but van Hoof wanted to receive residential treatment for drug issues, she said.

In a previous court appearance, police prosecutor Sergeant Jason Munro said police searched van Hoof's home on July 14 and found 107 grams of cannabis along with pre-rolled cannabis tinnies.

Van Hoof had not been working for several weeks and had fallen behind on his rent and bills and sold cannabis to supplement his income, he said.

Judge David McKegg said van Hoof had "carved yourself out a position" in the drug scene.

"If you are to redeem yourself in your family's eyes you have to get rid of the drugs. You've got to beat it to get back to the rest of your family."

Van Hoof was granted leave to apply for home detention if a place at a residential treatment facility became available and an order was made for the destruction of the cannabis and utensils.

Van Hoof was also ordered to undergo alcohol and drug assessments as part of his release conditions.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:58 15/10/2010

Men in shorts

Some of the young reporters in the newsroom have this thing they do called GQ Mondays.

For the first day of the week they dress properly and get close to looking like young professionals. They will hate me for that, but they are not exactly wearing Ben Sherman suits.

Wearing good pants, a dress shirt and a tie makes for a good start to the week and they are proud of the effort they make. I am not going to knock them for that.

Working in this newsroom means a reporter might be interviewing a civic leader, a national politician or a wine company executive one minute, but later in the day be chasing a farmer ploughing his paddock or walking through a burned-out building with fire safety people. A journalist on a regional newspaper needs to be dressed for all occasions. That Ben Sherman suit could quickly become a liability if the wearer has to get over a barbed wire fence.

So the team usually take a more practical approach – except on Mondays.

During the hot weather last week I began to wonder whether an editor could get away with wearing shorts to work. I hardly ever wear a tie these days, but hope I still manage to look presentable in most situations. So why not, in one of the hottest and sunniest places in the country, wear good shorts to work?

Then the GQ Monday boys raised the same question. So I decided to get some advice.

The legendary Murray Crane from Crane Brothers in Auckland warned I should tread carefully. Avoid stubbies, he said, or anything too casual or an "ironic" walk short. (Yes, he said ironic, not iconic, and I think he's right.)

His bottom line was to be comfortable but more lightweight cotton chino or trouser than shorts suitable for lawns, holiday or beach.

The other guru I emailed didn't get back to me so I headed to that fount of all fashion knowledge, Google. Advice there was divided and is best summed up by two blokes writing in The Guardian about "city shorts" that appeared to be nicely tailored suit trousers whacked off at the knee.

One writer said he liked wearing them and they went well with casual polo shorts and sneakers or short-sleeve shirts and boat shoes (definitely no socks showing).

Even Louis Vuitton had done city shorts collections, although GQ editor Robert Johnston shook his head at the "suit with short pants" look.

On the other side was the bloke who said not to go near shorts. Ever. It looked daft, like a man in a school uniform.

Suggestions elsewhere were never to wear open footwear, especially with socks, while rules on socks with sensible shoes seemed evenly divided – as long as they are not white or long enough to need holding up with garters. (There's that school look again.) Definitely no cargo shorts, either.

None of which was terribly useful in helping me make a decision on how I should dress for work in summer and what direction I should give the younger crew.

So it looks like I will need to go out and do some actual research. Finding and trying.

Or you could make some suggestions. What do other men wear to the office around here during summer?

Steve Mason

he Marlborough Express

THE BIG QUESTION: Can an editor of a provincial newspaper get away with wearing shorts to work

Louis Vuitton: Is this what we should be wearing to the office?

Get on with your life

A judge has told a Wellington man who stole scrap metal from a vineyard to stop "lurking" in Marlborough backpackers' hostels and do something useful with his life.

Ceylus Timothy Samuels, 31, appeared in Blenheim District Court yesterday to plead guilty to stealing $120 of scrap metal in August and breaching his community work sentence for a prior offence.

A police summary of facts stated that on August 3 unemployed Samuels went to a vineyard with another man where they knew scrap metal was stored. As they started putting it in their van, the owner found them and called police, and they put the metal back.

Samuels' lawyer Tane Brunt said the men had knocked on the door of a house at the vineyard and, finding nobody home, saw the scrap metal and decided that, because it was not being used, they would take it.

Judge David McKegg said though the men were not intimidating, the owner felt vulnerable and threatened by the men's unwanted presence on his property.

The judge questioned what a "fine-looking man of 31" with a proud Ngapuhi background and three children in Wellington was doing "lurking" in Marlborough backpackers. Samuels was staying at a backpackers.

"What are you doing here? Damn all. You are 31 and you have a contribution to make and you will not do that lurking down here."

Samuels recently had $9500 in fines swapped for community work but since then had accrued $1200 more fines, Judge McKegg said.

He sentenced Samuels to 400 hours of community work and told him to think of the "fine contribution" he could be making to society as he did the work.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 15/10/2010

Axe attacker gets home D

A Kaikoura man who hit another man in the head with a wood splitter axe has been sentenced to nine months' home detention by a judge, who described the attack as "a massive over-reaction".

Jonathan George Willis, 31, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard after hitting Brian "Joe" Corke, also of Kaikoura, with the axe and fracturing his skull.

Willis' guilty plea came just before a jury trial was due to start in August, after he denied a charge of wounding with intent to injure, which was withdrawn. Another jury trial in April on the first charge failed to reach a verdict.

Willis was visibly relieved when he was sentenced to home detention, not prison, in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

The attack happened on February 22, 2009, after Willis went to Mr Corke's house to pick up his ex-partner.

In court yesterday, Judge David McKegg said the two men had a confrontation and Willis turned to leave. As he was walking away, he thought Mr Corke was behind him.

"There was a massive over-reaction by you when you grabbed the wood splitter and swung it across your body and hit him in the head and fractured his skull," Judge McKegg said.

Defence lawyer Mike Hardy-Jones said there was history and "ill-feeling" between the two men, but the attack was a spur-of-the-moment one because Willis believed Mr Corke was going to assault him from behind.

Willis swung the axe across his body, hitting Mr Corke on the eyebrow with the handle and on the head with the blunt edge of the axe head, Mr Hardy Jones said, leaving Mr Corke "dangerously ill".

Willis gave Mr Corke mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and called an ambulance. He later wrote Mr Corke a letter of apology and was remorseful, Mr Hardy-Jones said.

Mr Corke was unable to work for a year due to ongoing headaches, poor concentration and tiredness.

Crown prosecutor Hugh Boyd-Wilson said Willis' offence was a violent matter which warranted a prison sentence.

Willis was sentenced to home detention at a North Canterbury house and ordered to pay $5000 reparation to Mr Corke, do a domestic violence programme and undergo counselling.

he Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 15/10/2010

Police chase ends in crash

A police chase ended in a car crash on State Highway 1 between Blenheim and Picton this afternoon.

The car flipped on to its roof near Spring Creek about 5.15pm. The male driver, who was the only person in the car, got out and made a run for it, but was caught by police, onlookers said.

Police at the scene declined to comment.

The man was driving a white Honda Civic sedan and it is understood he did not pull over for police near Blenheim.

Express staff saw the car going down Nelson St toward Grove Rd at high speed, then heading out of town toward Picton.

The driver did a U-turn before getting to Picton and headed back south, but the car came off the road before Spring Creek.

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 18:44 15/10/2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Theatre trust hits $3m target

The Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust has reached its fundraising goal of $3 million towards building a $17m theatre next to Clubs Marlborough, in Blenheim, but will continue fundraising until the theatre is built.

Trust chairman Kevin Moseley told the annual public meeting last night he had met some "incredibly generous" people who had helped the trust reach its target.

One example was the day he collected a pledge of $5000 from a Marlborough farmer, and the man's father decided to contribute $9000.

There were many similar examples but most wanted to remain anonymous, Mr Moseley said.

The recession and the tough times in the wine industry meant the fundraising was even more remarkable, he said.

About $1 million of the total was from donations of more than $200,000, and about $500,000 was from donations of $50,000 to $100,000.

The remaining $1.5m was from people donating small amounts and up to $50,000.

The community spirit and generosity of the community towards the project was great, he said.

Some of the money was donated on the condition that it would be paid once resource consent had been approved, or with part of it now and the remainder a year later, Mr Moseley said. "The public don't buy into it until the spade goes in the sand."

Resource consent was expected to be granted in about two weeks, he said.

The theatre's design was still being tweaked because the architect wanted it to fit better with the Clubs Marlborough building. Construction would not start until the Marlborough District Council carpark in Alfred St was finished in mid-2011.

The trust has developed a funding jigsaw that includes raising $3m from the community, a $5m grant promised by the council, and funds from the sale or lease of the existing theatre in Arthur St.

A government grant, expected to fund the remaining $4m, has been suspended this year. There was a chance it would come through next year but the trust did not want to rely on that, Mr Moseley said.

Raising the money was one of many hurdles for the trust, and it needed to take the process one step at a time, he said.

"It would be foolish to sell the [existing] building and then 12 months down the track find there's no project to work on.

"We're all proud of [the civic theatre]. It would be great if it could remain a community centre in some way."

By Simon Wong and Claire Connell - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 13/10/2010

Have you donated to the theatre fund?

Monday, October 11, 2010

Fraud almost broke business

A Blenheim small business owner says he was almost put out of business when one of his employees stole about $60,000.

But the woman does not appear in the latest crime statistics because her boss decided not to lay a complaint with the police.

The statistics show that crime involving fraud and deception in the Tasman police district, which includes Marlborough, increased by 78.8 per cent during the 2009-10 year to June 30, up from 137 cases to 245. About 87 per cent of these crimes were solved.

The business owner said he decided against pressing charges when the woman resigned and he spoke with a lawyer.

"There was little chance of recovering anything because she had no assets. It would cost a hell of a lot of time and just for a little bit of self-satisfaction. We [decided] the best thing was to move on."

The business was only just beginning to make a profit again, he said.

The woman was in charge of the paperwork and accounts and sold some stock to friends for cash, he said. When people paid in cash, she recorded the sale at a discounted price and pocketed the difference.

The company went from a profit of about $40,000 to a deficit of about $30,000 within 12 months.

The man's story came to light after several Blenheim people appeared in court on charges of stealing from their employers.

Blenheim CIB acting head Detective Sergeant Sonia Currie said that while some business owners pressed charges, others let the offending go and moved on.

"It's easier for them to let the person go and dismiss it, because the problem is gone. But what happens is the person could be re-employed, and if they're not held accountable [through the courts], they could do it again."

Business owners could also feel at fault for not picking up the fact that money was going missing, she said.

"Employers often feel let down by their employees. They see them as a friend and are unwilling to take further action against them, especially in small businesses."

A change in personal circumstances could be a catalyst for employees stealing from their employers, she said.

Most had a "false belief" that they were just borrowing the money and would pay it back, but "by the time it gets to the employer or the police, they don't have the means to pay it back because of the amount taken".

Some employees might also feel resentful about something, so they felt entitled to take the money, she said.

In the Blenheim District Court last week, Karen Vunisa was sentenced to six months' home detention and 250 hours' community work and ordered to pay $15,000 reparation for stealing about $40,000 from Marlborough TV Services.

Vunisa, who was diagnosed with a shopping addiction, used an internet banking system 103 times to divert money from the business to her own account.

Earlier this year, Letisha Miller was sentenced to six months' community detention and 200 hours' community work and ordered to pay $57,851.93 reparation to her former employer, King Contracting. Miller created false invoices and later deposited the payments in her bank account.

Michael Allan Patterson was sentenced to 170 hours' community work in May for taking $1295 from his former employer Strait Shipping by using the company booking system.

Patterson took the money to cover rent but has since repaid the money.

Leap in workplace theft cases

By Simon Wong - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 11:12 08/10/2010

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Teen jailed for torching ute

A Blenheim teen has been sent to prison for stealing a $25,000 ute, rolling it and setting in on fire.

Nathaniel Bourchier, 18, appeared yesterday in the Blenheim District Court and was sentenced to one year in jail for unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and intentional damage.

Judge Bruce Davidson said Bourchier stole the ute from Seddon on June 17 and picked up some friends. They were involved in a crash before setting the car alight to avoid identification.

Defence counsel John Holdaway said Bourchier had a "highly disruptive" upbringing and the offending was opportunistic.

The three months Bourchier had spent in custody since admitting the charges should also be taken into account, he said.

Judge Davidson said Bourchier had been in State care from a young age and deserved some sympathy for his upbringing.

He did not order any reparation because it would be "hopeless" getting the money off Bourchier.

Car stolen for engine A 21-year-old Renwick man who stole a car from an elderly couple to take its engine has been sentenced to community work.

Aaron Julius McConnachie was sentenced to 180 hours' community work for unlawfully taking a car and was ordered to pay $500 reparation.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said McConnachie and an associate used a key to get into the car about 11.30pm on February 21 and pushed the car onto the road.

Police recovered the engine McConnachie had put in his own car, but never found the car, Mr Frost said.

McConnachie was also disqualified for six months for an unrelated charge of sustained loss of traction.

Attack with rock earns jailA Blenheim teenager has been sent back to prison for attacking another man with a rock.

Shannon Eric George Takimoana, 19, was yesterday sentenced to seven months' jail for assault with a weapon.

Judge Davidson said Takimoana's victim had a gash to his head that needed medical attention and took time off work as a result of the unprovoked attack.

Takimoana had been remanded in custody since July.

Defence counsel Philip Watson said that during his time in custody, Takimoana had completed courses through the prison and was remorseful and regretful for his actions.

Hard lesson learned over theftsA teenager involved in a spate of thefts and burglaries in Picton and Blenheim was "egged on" by his friends, according to his defence lawyer.

Shannon Robert Ward, 19, was sentenced to five months' community detention, nine months' supervision, 100 hours' community work and ordered to pay $337.50 reparation.

Judge Davidson said the nine charges related to the theft of dinghies and outboard motors at the Waikawa marina and a warehouse in Blenheim where a collection of vintage cars were kept.

Defence counsel John Holdaway said Ward had been "egged on" by associates and was "learning how to say `no' the hard way".

Man denies indecent assaultAn Auckland man has denied charges of indecently assaulting a girl over a three-year period, and will reappear in the Blenheim District Court in November.

The 36-year-old man, who has interim name suppression, was granted bail to return to a house in the Rodney district, north of Auckland.

The charge sheets state that the offending happened between 2004 and 2007 and involved the same girl, who was then aged between 3 and 7.

No jail sentence for cannabis A Blenheim man escaped a jail sentence when he was yesterday sentenced on cannabis charges.

Anthony John Cruickshank, 45, was instead sentenced to 200 hours' community work and 12 months' supervision for possessing cannabis for sale.

Defence counsel Philip Watson said a report into home or community detention could not be completed because Cruickshank rented rooms to transient workers and the views of others in the household was needed to consider those options.

Judge Davidson said police found 91 grams of cannabis, worth up to $2000, when they searched Cruickshank's home in April.

The judge said he had considered a starting point of about 18 months' jail, which took into account Cruickshank's $12,000 in fines.

"Don't for one moment think you have pulled the wool over people's eyes. If you breach [your sentence] you will be sent to jail," he said.

Drink-driver denied bail A Canvastown woman with multiple drink-driving convictions was denied bail because the judge believed she would end up killing someone on the road.

Deborah Ann Buchanan, 46, was to be sentenced on her seventh charge of drink-driving, sustained loss of traction, refusing to give a blood sample and refusing to accompany police, but a report considering home or community detention had not been completed.

Judge Davidson said there were "obvious issues with public safety" if he granted bail.

Police stopped Buchanan on October 7 near Havelock. She recorded an excess breath alcohol level of 911 micrograms (legal limit 400mcg).

She was remanded in custody and will appear for sentencing on November 22.

More drink-driving chargesOther drink-drivers dealt with yesterday:

Kui Salonika Te Awa, 50, cleaner, Blenheim, excess breath alcohol of 653mcg, third or subsequent charge; will be sentenced on November 8.

Julius Charles Bradley, 28, Havelock, excess blood alcohol of 135mg; 80 hours' community work, eight months' disqualification.

Edward James Macpherson, 23, Blenheim, 705mcg; $500, disqualified for six months.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 11:43 12/10/2010

Friday, October 8, 2010

Donations flow in for hospice

Hospice Marlborough received the most donations of all registered charitable organisations in the region in the 2009 financial year, according to figures from the Charities Commission.

Marlborough Hospice Foundation executive promotions officer Kate Horrey said the $332,790 donated to the foundation and $160,139 to the Hospice Trust, shown in papers from the commission, were based on the financial year ended June 30, 2009.

It had been an unusually good year for fundraising for the hospice because a dinner at the Montana Brancott Estate in 2008 raised about $212,000, she said.

The hospice needed to raise about $500,000 each year to meet running costs on top of Government contributions, she said.

The rest of the money was from individual donations, bequests, sponsorship or through regular financial commitments, she said.

The Hospice Foundation was set up to raise funds for the operating costs and daily running of the hospice while the trust raises money for the future of the hospice, she said.

Marlborough Bible Baptist Church received the fourth highest total recorded by the commission. Pastor Jeff Williams said the $166,809 given to the church was all from voluntary donations by "very generous" members.

The money did not go to any particular cause, but was used to support charitable foundations and to help pay staff, he said.

Picton Foreshore Trust Board member Carey White was grateful for the donations it received, which go toward setting up the Picton PowerHouse Maritime Heritage Reserve in Wairau Rd. The reserve has been in the development stages for 10 years. The trust hopes to establish a village-type environment to display maritime memorabilia.

The trust received about $20,000 from the Community Trust and $4000 through donations and through fundraising events such as the Maritime Festival, he said.

There are 288 charitable organisations registered in Marlborough.

The data did not include national organisations with branches in the region, so mainstream churches and organisations such as the Cancer Society are not included.

CHARITY DONATIONS

Donations made to charities based in Marlborough for the financial year ending in 2009:

Marlborough Hospice Foundation $332,790

Blenheim Baptist Church $253,534

Renwick Sports Centre Inc $215,186

Marlborough Bible Baptist Church $166,809

Marlborough Hospice Trust $160,139

Oasis Family Church Inc $98,389

Alzheimers Society Marlborough Inc $79,000

Marlborough Christian Aid Trust $75,250

Baptist Community Church $71, 944

St Mark's Society $52,884

Source: Charities Commission

By Simon Wong - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 11:39 08/10/2010

Principals strong on Maori

Marlborough secondary school principals say they have a strong commitment to raising the achievement of Maori students, contrary to an Education Review Office (ERO) report which says many New Zealand schools are failing to do so.

The report, released by the ERO, about promoting success for Maori students said not enough schools could demonstrate they were making a difference to Maori students.

While the number of Maori students gaining University Entrance increased from 11.7 per cent in 2004 to 20.8 per cent in 2008, the gap between Maori and non-Maori students had widened, with 32.1 per cent in 2004 and 43.6 per cent in 2008 of non-Maori gaining University Entrance.

Queen Charlotte College principal Tom Parsons said five of his year-13 Maori students were attending university next year, which was a high number.

The college, whose roll is 28 per cent Maori, did not focus on getting students into university, but rather getting students to achieve their personal best, he said.

Not all students had the potential or desire to go to university and parents as well as students just wanted a "good meaningful job that will see us through the bad times", he said.

Maori students' attendance levels could also be a factor in the low achievement rates, he said.

Marlborough Boys' College principal Wayne Hegarty said groups of Maori students at the school were performing, noting that the deputy head boy, former house leaders and four out of six student leaders were Maori. All staff received professional development on teaching strategies designed to support Maori students and had adopted Ministry of Education programmes such as Ka Hikitia, which aims to improve Maori achievement, he said.

He and Marlborough Girls' College principal Karen Stewart have also had meetings with Blenheim-based iwi and were in the early stages of creating an action plan looking at ways to keep students at school longer, he said.

What worked for Maori worked for all students, he said. "It's just common sense. As far as raising student achievement, we need to do it for everyone and the Maori students will achieve and develop as part of a whole," he said.

Ms Stewart said the Maori achievement at Marlborough Girls' College was above the national average, but the school was looking at improving that.

Students were working with staff to create a website for Maori students, which would include help with applying for scholarships, she said.

The ERO report, however, did note some improvement in the quality of teaching since 2006 and about half of the secondary schools showed improved NCEA results for Maori students since their previous review.

By Simon Wong - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:16 08/10/2010