Final warning for Blenheim restaurateur

Blenheim restaurateur Ross Paul Heywood has been warned that he will go to jail if he breaches his wife's protection order or assaults her again.

Heywood, 49, admitted charges of breaching a protection order and assault with intent when he appeared in the Blenheim District Court this month. The charges were laid after two separate incidents.

He was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and 12 months' supervision and given a 12-month suspended sentence for breaching the protection order. He was ordered to complete anger management counselling as part of the supervision sentence.

Judge Tony Zohrab also warned Heywood that "a prison sentence would follow for any further offences of violence".

The police summary of facts said complainant Penny Heywood went to a bar with a friend after finishing work at the couple's restaurant Bacchus on December 9 last year.

Heywood found the pair at the bar about 2am and told Mrs Heywood to go home. When they arrived home, Heywood was still agitated and told his wife he did not like her going out after work.

Heywood headbutted his wife on the nose without warning, causing her to stumble towards the kitchen. He then pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her head on the dishwasher. He then kneed her in the ribs and punched her in the head several times.

Mrs Heywood drove to Wairau Hospital and told a doctor she had been assaulted, but would not say who had attacked her and later discharged herself, against the doctor's recommendation.

Her injuries included ruptured blood vessels in her head, sore ribs, blurred vision and vomiting.

Police alleged that Heywood breached the protection order on January 31 by sending Mrs Heywood a series of text messages, saying he wanted to get back together and asking her to withdraw the charges. When this did not work, he sent another message saying he could not live without her and implying that he would take his own life. Mrs Heywood believed the message was an attempt at emotional blackmail.

Heywood told police that Mrs Heywood started sending messages first, and he had confirmed with her that it was OK to contact her.

Judge Zohrab said at the hearing on March 2 that Heywood was sentenced as a first offender although he had a historic conviction for violence.

"I appreciate that this was a difficult time for you but, whatever was done and said by your partner, your behaviour was inexcusable," he said.

Last updated 12:40 25/03/2011

No merit seen in vilifying letter

An anonymous letter of complaint circulated to some members of the Marlborough SPCA is a "message without merit" organisation chairman Alan Rector says.

The three-page unsigned document alleges poor management at Marlborough SPCA, the mistreatment of some animals and called for a vote of no confidence in the association's committee.

However, when a woman at the SPCA's annual general meeting last night asked if it was going to be discussed, most people in the room indicated they had not heard about it, and the chairman said it had no merit because it was not signed.

Mr Rector was aware of the letter, but said the committee were not prepared to discuss its contents because it was not on the agenda.

If it had been signed and submitted to the committee 21 days before the AGM it could have been up for discussion, he said.

"I don't think it's reasonable for us to discuss an unsigned letter," he said.

The woman told Mr Rector she and other members wanted answers to issues raised in the letter.

Mr Rector said a special meeting would need to be called to discuss the letter.

Five per cent of the Marlborough branch members would need to support the meeting before it was called, Mr Rector said.

Mr Rector said he was happy to talk to the woman about the letter in private.

He also invited anyone to inspect the SPCA in Renwick at any time.

About 20 people plus the seven members of the committee attended the meeting, and existing committee members Alan Rector, Pat Ashton, Tracy Webb, Lillian Lawrence, and Phil Lawrence were re-elected; along with two new members, Catherine Bone and Joan Benge.

- The Marlborough Express SIMON WONG

Last updated 12:38 25/03/2011

Bacchus owners pass buck

A Christchurch woman who bought a voucher for Bacchus Restaurant in Blenheim to give to her parents is disappointed the owners did not tell her the business had closed.

Amy Giddy, 22, and her sister bought a $60 dinner voucher for their parents, who live in Blenheim, as a Christmas gift and the family had also planned a 21st dinner at the restaurant on April 16.

However, earlier this month Miss Giddy found out the business was closed because her sister saw the business was for sale in The Marlborough Express.

She was "disappointed" the business owners Penny and Ross Heywood or staff members had not contacted her about the closure of the restaurant and said she had tried to get her money back by contacting the real estate agent.

"It's only $60, but it's the principle," she said.

"We want to try and get it back and there's probably a few people in the same situation."

The family had booked a 21st dinner for about 15 people at the restaurant, but have been forced to find another venue, she said.

A sign on the front door of the restaurant says it is closed because of "unforeseen circumstances".

Mrs Heywood said she was no longer a co-director of the business and directed calls to Mr Heywood, who would not comment, except to say he working on a relaunch.

Mr Heywood said he was not responsible for the vouchers and declined to comment on whether patrons would be able to use their vouchers after the relaunch.

He said people with vouchers wanting a refund should contact Mrs Heywood.

The restaurant and staff appeared on an episode of the New Zealand series The Kitchen Job, which aired on TV3 in November.

- The Marlborough Express SIMON WONG

Last updated 12:00 24/03/2011

nzg #1 02:20 pm Mar 24 2011

Wouldnt it be good for his relaunch to get them to come for there meal when it reopens? But NO he pass the buck to his ex wife (edited)

Sign man becomes vital link

What seemed to be a normal booking for sign language interpreter Jeremy Borland has taken on a life of its own.

The former Blenheim man has became a vital link to the deaf community following the magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch and he has unwittingly attracted a large online following.

More than 25,000 people have become fans of Jeremy the sign language guy on the social networking site Facebook since he began signing during briefings by Civil Defence and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker in the aftermath of February 22.

The 30-year-old freelance interpreter who lives in Christchurch said New Zealand broadcasters did not have a good record of providing sign language translation during television programming.

"Quite often the deaf community receive information days later through friends or family and they will usually select information and not leave it up to them to sift through the information themselves," he said.

The former Marlborough Boys' College student had received positive feedback from the deaf community who were pleased to get information at the same time as everyone else.

"They are absolutely amazed and really thankful that interpreters have been provided."

After landing the booking with fellow interpreter Evelyn Pateman, Mr Borland thought the television exposure would be a bit of a novelty with family and friends, but "didn't expect it to take on the life it has".

Mr Parker mentioned on television the Facebook fanpage dedicated to Jeremy the sign language guy, which boosted his fan base even more.

He was now being recognised in public which was an odd feeling, he said.

"I'm a pretty private guy and don't like being in the limelight, so being noticed like some sort of star is very strange," he said.

Mr Borland has been interpreting for about nine years, usually in courts, police stations, hospitals and staff meetings.

Although he had signed for some high-profile people, including Prime Minister John Key and Prince William while they were in Christchurch, he never met them.

"You're right there next to the person you're interpreting for, but afterward it gets busy and people are rushing away," he said.

The eldest of five children, he learned to sign after his younger sister was diagnosed as deaf at about three weeks old.

The family took a proactive stance and all learned how to sign and still use sign language when they were together, he said.

It had "taken a drastic disaster to have this service thrust into the limelight", and the deaf community hoped the translation service was not a "one-off thing", he said.

Access to the news and other types of broadcasting should be provided for deaf people, he said.

"We do have a long way to go, but hopefully this is a good stepping stone to have the gap reduced," he said.

- The Marlborough Express SIMON WONG

Last updated 12:00 24/03/2011

Getty Images

INTERPRETING: Former Blenheim man Jeremy Borland signs as Prince William speaks at the Christchurch earthquake memorial service in Hagley Park, Christchurch, last week

Camper fined in 'nasty' assault

A Blenheim man who attacked a camper who put human faeces in his girlfriend's handbag was yesterday sentenced to community detention and ordered to pay his victim's medical expenses.

Lance James Mackel, 20, was sentenced to three months' community detention when he appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday, and ordered to pay $173.80 reparation after admitting assault with intent to injure.

Judge Bruce Davidson said Mackel was involved in "an unusual set of circumstances, but that being said, the assault was very nasty and resulted in nasty injuries".

Defence counsel Bryony Millar said the community detention sentence would allow Mackel to continue working.

In an earlier appearance, police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said the incident started at a Department of Conservation camping ground in Cow Shed Bay early on November 28, after victim Andrew Francis Carman, 58, a camper at the ground, walked to a campsite where loud music had been playing all night.

Carman was not happy about the noise and wanted to tell the noisy campers what he thought and get their car registration numbers, he said.

But there was no-one at the campsite.

Carman saw a pile of human faeces and, in a "spur of the moment decision", he shovelled the faeces through the open window of a nearby car and into a handbag that was on the front seat, Mr Single said.

He did not think anyone had seen him and he walked back to his campsite.

However, a friend of Mackle saw the incident.

Mackle confronted Carman, chased him and punched him in the head several times.

Mr Carman was knocked unconscious.

Other campers saw the attack and stopped Mackle from continuing, Mr Single said.

Mackle left and returned a short time later, but was not allowed to see Carman because others believed he would assault him again, he said.

Carman was concussed and suffered severe bruising to his face, head and jaw, a cut to his eye brow and memory loss.

His right eye was blackened and swollen and he could not see out of it for several days, Mr Single said.

He had also been diagnosed with a broken clavicle.

Carman was earlier fined a total of $550 on charges of offensive behaviour and wilful damage. He was ordered to pay court costs and $650 reparation to the owner of the handbag.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 12:00 22/03/2011

Natural disasters may increase wood demand

A string of natural disasters in Japan, Australia and Christchurch could create an increase in demand for New Zealand wood, the Marlborough Forest Industry Association says.

Association secretary Ron Sutherland said it was too soon to estimate how much demand would increase, but companies would be watching the situation.

The magnitude-8.9 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on Friday destroyed a sawmill that supplied the country with about 25 per cent of its plywood. The shortfall would need to be met from somewhere, he said.

Before the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch, the city would have been close to the rebuilding phase, so demand for wood products would have also increased, he said.

Any extra demand for wood products would affect the whole country and not just Marlborough, he said.

He expected forestry companies to wait for orders rather than kick into overdrive and prepare logs for shipping in advance.

Flight Timber Ltd director Rick Osborne said it was "a bit ghoulish" for forestry companies to think about making money from the disasters.

Some companies thought the Christchurch rebuild would be a boon for them, but now there were big delays and uncertainty, he said.

Wood Council chairman Doug Ducker said the Japanese would need to import more wood products to rebuild parts of north Japan hit by the earthquake and tsunami.

However, the National Distribution Workers Union is worried sawmills could fail before rebuilding in Japan or Christchurch begins.

Earlier this year, the union said the wood-processing industry was "in crisis", because 1129 jobs had been lost in the sector since 2008.

The downturn in the industry has been caused by strong global log prices and a slump in new housing construction.

SIMON WONG

Last updated 12:02 17/03/2011

Open season on canada geese

Canada geese can now be hunted without a permit and throughout the year in a decision made by the Conservation Department, but the move will cause "anarchy", according to Fish & Game.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said management of the population, which was in the "tens of thousands", was not working and farmers were frustrated with the geese damaging crops and pasture.

Farmers would have an incentive to provide hunting access to reduce their goose control costs, she said.

The change was expected to take effect from the middle of this year.

Nelson-Marlborough Fish & Game manager Neil Deans said the decision to remove the bird from a list of game administered by the organisation in the Wildlife Act 1953 was "baffling" and would possibly increase the population of the bird.

"We've gone from a regime of some form control to anarchy. Good luck to anyone trying to deal with it," he said.

Mr Deans said Fish & Game was funded through licence fees to hunt game on schedule one of the act, including quails, pukeko and some species of duck, and taking the geese off the list removed a revenue stream and also their statutory interest in the bird.

No complaints were received about the geese last year and Fish & Game had organised hunts, which attracted international hunters, benefiting both farmers and hunters, he said.

He was concerned hunters would use other means of hunting the birds, including poison, shooting from helicopters and using rifles.

Some sites might be hunted regularly and cause the "smart and highly mobile" birds to flock to other areas and continue to breed.

Marlborough Federated Farmers president Gary Barnett said the decision would be welcomed by farmers because it gave them more control over the birds on their land.

It was helpful for farmers to be able to hunt outside the game season, he said.

Federated Farmers game and pest animal management spokesman Donald Aubrey said the geese were a huge strain on the environment.

They damaged crops, spoiled waterways with their excrement and beat native birds to resources.

Molesworth Station manager Jim Ward said he would like to continue the organised hunts with or without the help of Fish & Game.

CANADA GEESE

Canada geese are an introduced species from North America.

It is understood US President Theodore Roosevelt gifted some of the first canada geese to the country.

They form noisy flocks and are often regarded as a nuisance in areas where large numbers occur on amenity grassland and parks, plus farms.

The total South Island canada goose population is about 32,000 birds.

In stock-unit terms, this is equivalent to a 1200-cow dairy herd.

Fish & Game has argued that continued agricultural development is increasing the distribution and carrying capacity for canada geese.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:21 18/03/2011

Aerial pest: Flocks of canada geese descend on farms and damage crops and pasture.

me #3 02:24 pm Mar 18 2011

an equivalent of 1200 cows isn't much for the entire south island, just think of all the pollution the cows do! With open season all year this literally means its "like shooting ducks on the pond".They will be gone in no time!!

Karl #2 01:27 pm Mar 18 2011

Excellent point Shirley. We are experienced hunters and do the same - shoot for the freezer and pest control, but I don't know how many farmers we have approached to help with rabbit and geese control only to be turned away. then they moan about the cost of professional control? as for fish and game moaning about the license being removed... goes to show where their motives lie - revenue.

Shirley #1 12:18 pm Mar 18 2011

farmers need to make up their minds, they won't let people onto to shoot these birds yet moan because they are damaging their pastures and crops. Can't have it both ways, my husband is an experienced hunter and he shoots for the freezer, nothing goes to waste, so come on farmers just what do you want?????

Ex-principal to run Rai

Wysocki to tackle issues at troubled school

Minister of Education Anne Tolley has appointed a former high-school principal of long experience to tackle the problems besetting the Rai Valley Area School.

Claudia Wysocki took over as commissioner on Saturday, assuming the responsibilities of the dismissed board of trustees, which has had three chairmen in the past 12 months.

The Ministry of Education's special adviser, Blenheim lawyer Murray Hunt, has bowed out.

Problems between the school and its community have led to complaints and petitions to the minister, seeking an inquiry and expressing no confidence in principal Muff Newton.

Ms Wysocki, who spent more than a year as acting principal at Nelson College for Girls after the sudden resignation of the principal in 2009, was principal of St Margaret's College in Christchurch for 16 years. From 1978 to 1991, she was head of Kristin School, an independent co-educational Auckland school, which currently has 1600 pupils from kindergarten to seniors.

It is her first appointment as a commissioner.

Ms Wysocki met the outgoing board on Friday and said yesterday that she would begin a "scoping exercise" today, aiming to produce a definite plan of action after a month.

She would spend "as much time as I need to" at the school and in the first four weeks would endeavour to fully understand the school's situation, she said.

Announcing the appointment yesterday, Mrs Tolley said the decision was prompted by the recent resignations from the board.

"It's clear that some issues are continuing to affect relations between the school and the community, and I don't want this to impact on the teaching and learning of children."

The best solution was to bring in a commissioner, to help bring everyone together to work in the best interests of students at the school, Mrs Tolley said.

The immediate past chairman of the board, Lester Adams, who has two primary-aged children at Rai Valley Area School, said the appointment of the commissioner "sounds like it's a start".

"If the commissioner can get the community and everybody working together again, it's got to be a good thing."

Ms Wysocki would probably also address the complaints about Mrs Newton, he said. "One thing I do like about it is that it's somebody independent, so there's no local personality issues."

Mr Adams, who resigned last month after six months as board chairman, tabled a complaint at a foreshortened board meeting last month, asking for it to be read out.

This was declined, but he said afterwards that it related to the "whitewash" of a consultant's report on the school's relationship with the community.

Retired former Rai Valley Area School teacher Peter Crabtree also welcomed the news. Mr Crabtree, one of the leaders of the group which has sought an inquiry into the school, said they were very keen to talk to Ms Wysocki to explain the long background to its problems.

Mr Hunt, who has been the board's spokesman since his appointment, said Ms Wysocki was very experienced and able.

He said the board had done what it could in difficult circumstances and with the best of intentions.

He did not wish to comment on the role of the principal, Mr Hunt said.

The Ministry of Education's website says that statutory intervention is used "where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the operation of the school, or the welfare or educational performance of their students is at risk".

The commissioner has responsibility for leadership and decision-making on all issues related to the functions, duties and powers of the board and is required to work with the community and the school to prepare for a return to governance by an elected board of trustees.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 11:07 15/03/2011

Drink-driver avoids prison

A Blenheim man was spared from jail on his fifth drink-driving offence yesterday because it was 13 years since his last conviction.

Peter Robert Stringer, 49, unemployed of Blenheim, also admitted careless driving and was sentenced to five five months' community detention, 120 hours' community work, nine months' supervision, ordered to pay $1630 reparation and disqualified for 15 months.

Judge Richard Russell said the amount of time since Stringer's last drink-driving conviction, in 1997, was the only thing that saved him from jail.

Stringer was very drunk when he drove home about 1.40am on November 14 and approached the roundabout at Alabama Rd and Scott St too quickly, smashing into a fence, the judge said. He recorded an excess breath alcohol (eba) of 1002 micrograms. The legal limit is 400mcg.

Defence counsel Rob Harrison said his client had been celebrating being offered a permanent job as a driver and had "continuous offers" of homebrew.

He and his wife had planned to walk home that night, but for some reason, he decided to drive, Mr Harrison said.

Judge Russell said Stringer was a "danger to himself, his passengers and any other drivers". He could have been jailed.

Other drink-drivers dealt with yesterday were:

Melanie Jane Dunlop, 32, a labourer, of Renwick, had an eba of 486mcg and was sentenced to 50 hours' community work and disqualified for six months.Lauren Olivia Wilson, 27, of Blenheim, 750mcg, third or subsequent offence, will be sentenced on April 22.Chara-Mae Waimaru Stevens, 19, of Blenheim, 691mcg; fined $1000 plus court costs, given six months' supervision and disqualified for 10 months. Alan Tainui Reeves, 48, butcher, of Picton, 1028mcg, third or subsequent offence; given four months' community detention, 150 hours' community work, six months' supervision, disqualified indefinitely and car confiscated.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 11:44 15/03/2011

Couple slated for wild goose chase

Boyfriend says he drove off in car in a panic

A judge has slammed a Blenheim couple for leading police on a "wild goose chase" after court bailiffs tried to seize a car.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said court bailiffs went to 22-year-old Rebecca Rose Foster's home in Blenheim at 9.50am on March 9 to seize her car because of her unpaid fines but her boyfriend, 27-year-old unemployed man Tai Hapata Cameron Gorrie, took it away and hid it.

Foster told police another man had taken the car, Mr Frost said. They found Gorrie at Foster's home the next day and later found the car.

Gorrie admitted taking a seized car and driving while disqualified while Foster admitted obstructing police. Gorrie's defence counsel Phillip Watson said Gorrie was asleep before the bailiffs arrived and "wasn't sure what was going on". He "was told that someone was taking the car and drove the car in a panic".

Foster's defence counsel Kent Arnott said she admitted her behaviour was inappropriate.

Judge Richard Russell said Gorrie "knew exactly what he was doing" when he took the car.

To Foster, he said: "Police have a difficult enough job to do without wasting time chasing round on a wild goose chase."

Gorrie was sentenced to 80 hours' community work and disqualified from driving for a further six months. Foster got 50 hours' community work.

Victims sickened

Victims of a Blenheim burglar had been sickened by the damage done to their homes, the judge said.

Ryan Graham Stretch, 19, unemployed, was sentenced to four months' jail on four charges of burglary, one of cultivating cannabis and one of breaching community work. He was also ordered to pay $2685 reparation.

Mr Frost said Stretch and two accomplices used a rock to smash a window at the Brayshaw Park vintage machinery rooms early on January 3, stealing beer and a computer hard drive. Stretch was identified through fingerprints at the scene. Later the same night the three used a long pole to smash a window in the Marlborough Boys' College canteen before one of them went in and threw food out to the others.

Police dogs tracked the three, following a trail of confectionery, to a Scott St house.

While on bail for the two burglaries Stretch burgled two holiday homes in Picton, Mr Frost said. He and an associate took an aluminium dinghy from the Waikawa marina before heading to two holiday homes. They smashed the door with a sledgehammer and took several items including a television. At the next home they ransacked the furniture, spread tomato sauce and maple syrup over the floor and took gear including a chainsaw and leaf blower.

Judge Russell said he was aware Stretch had been diagnosed as having ADHD. He called the crimes abhorrent and said the court and community would not tolerate them.

Co-accused Karl Brian Shirley-McKay, 19, of Blenheim was also sentenced for the Brayshaw Park and college burglaries to six months' community detention, 125 hours' community detention and 12 months' intensive supervision.

Evacuee assaulted

The victim of an assault in Nelson, who suffered a broken nose and two black eyes, was in the city taking a break from aftershocks in Christchurch, Judge Russell said.

Blenheim man Vincent Collins, 21, a forestry worker, yesterday admitted assaulting the man and was sentenced to 80 hour's community work and to pay $450 emotional harm.

Mr Frost said Collins had an argument with the victim on Bridge St in Nelson about 3am on February 26. Collins saw the victim again a short time later and punched him twice in the face, making his nose bleed.

He told police the victim was "getting cheeky" to him.

Defence counsel John Holdaway said Collins was sorry for his actions.

Judge Russell said the victim was stressed out during the earthquake and was trying to get away. "The last thing he needed was to have this behaviour from you."

Threw phone book

A man who threw a phone book at his mother after an argument treated her appallingly, Judge Russell said.

Wiremu Waerea, 19, of Seddon, yesterday admitted assault and was sentenced to 60 hours' community work.

Mr Frost said Waerea was sitting with his mother and her friend at her home in Seddon about 12.45pm on December 28. He asked his mother for a small loan, which she refused.

Waerea went to use the computer but became angry when he heard the two women talking about him and confronted them, Mr Frost said.

He was told to leave, but picked up a chair and threw it on the ground and threw a phone book at her face. She suffered a small cut to her eyelid.

Defence counsel Tane Brunt said there had been "a major communication breakdown" between Waerea and his mother. Judge Russell said he was appalled at the way Waerea treated his mother.

Victim unconscious

A Blenheim teenager yesterday admitted assaulting a man and leaving him lying on the ground unconscious.

Levi Ramon Selwyn, 18, a vineyard worker, was fined $500, ordered to pay $450 emotional harm, court costs and sentenced to six months' supervision.

Mr Frost said Selwyn was in a car at the New World carpark in Blenheim about 1am on December 5 when the victim and his wife walked past. One of the the passengers yelled out to the couple and the conversation with the woman became heated, he said. The husband intervened to calm the situation, but was punched at least once and landed on the ground. He hit his head and was knocked unconscious.

Misusing a phone

Noel James Atkins, 44, a fisherman of Elaine Bay, Marlborough Sounds, admitted three charges of misusing a telephone and was fined $150 and ordered to pay court costs.

Cultivating cannabis

Russell David Blake, 40, unemployed of Blenheim, admitted cultivating cannabis and possession of utensils to smoke cannabis and will be sentenced on April 18.

Driving while suspended

Kelly Ann Zimmerman, 27, a vineyard worker of Blenheim, admitted driving while suspended and was ordered to complete 40 hours' community work and disqualified for six months.

Loss of traction

Vincent David Hodgson, 18, of Blenheim, admitted sustained loss of traction and was sentenced to 50 hours' community work and disqualified for six months.

Two charges

Karen Marie Mitchell, 38, of Mahau Sound, admitted assault and threatening language and was fined $350, court costs and ordered to pay $200 in emotional harm.

Supplying a minor

Lenita Vicky Markham, 19, a waitress of Blenheim, admitted selling liquor to a minor and was given a 12-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay court costs.

Breached liquor ban

Mark Joseph Rogers, 39, a vineyard worker of Blenheim, admitted breaching the liquor ban and was fined $300 and court costs.

Intentional damage

Jayde Conrad Apiata-Rattray, 19, of Blenheim, admitted theft and intentional damage and was sentenced to 80 hours' community work and $200 reparation.

Possession of drugs

Amy Lee Beattie, 27, of Blenheim, admitted possessing prescription drugs without excuse and needles to consume drugs and will be sentenced on March 28.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 11:46 15/03/2011

Teen crime spree ends in arrests

A police chase in suburban Blenheim ended a mini crime spree by four teenagers early today.

A 17-year-old and three 14-year-old boys were arrested for burglary, stealing cars and prompting a short police pursuit, Constable Michelle Stagg, of Blenheim, said.

The 17-year-old youth was to appear in Blenheim District Court today and three 14-year-old boys had been referred to Youth Aid, she said.

Miss Stagg said the students, who attended a special school programme and were known to police, were seen by a neighbour breaking into a house in Kingwell Dr, Springlands, about 2.45am.

The group had already stolen a car from Parker St, Springlands, which they had dumped, and went on to break into the empty house in Kingwell Dr and steal tools and keys to a car, Miss Stagg said.

Two of the boys took off in the stolen car, and left it near Ward St, Springlands, and were arrested soon after.

The other two, who had run from the Kingwell Dr house, stole another car from Fulton St and led police on a chase to McLauchlan St, where the 17-year-old driver pulled over, Miss Stagg said.

The 17-year-old was processed for drink-driving.

He also faces two charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, two of burglary, and one each of reckless driving and failing to stop for police.

The 14-year-olds have been charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle and burglary.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 11:53 15/03/2011

Man swindles foreign workers

A 62-year-old Blenheim man has admitted conning a group of Kiribati workers out of their money and failing to pay three motel bills.

Allan Leslie Forsyth admitted seven charges of causing loss by deception and three charges of obtaining by deception when he appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

He will be sentenced on April 18.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said Forsyth befriended a group of Kiribati workers at a Blenheim backpackers on January 1 and offered to get them laptops.

He lied to them about his daughter owning a computer business and said he could get the laptops for $400 each.

The workers had limited income so Forsyth started a payment plan where they paid him as much as they could afford until they reached the $400, Mr Frost said.

Charge sheets showed he had taken a total of $912 from the workers, with one paying the full $400.

Forsyth spent the money on cigarettes and food and pretended to call his daughter when the workers asked about the laptops, Mr Frost said.

Another time, Forsyth offered to organise a flight for one of the workers to go to a birthday party in the North Island. He then pretended to call the airline and told the worker the flight had been cancelled.

Forsyth told police it was easy to con the workers because they were so trusting, Mr Frost said.

Between October 1 and 19 last year, Forsyth stayed at three Blenheim motels and made excuses about not being able to pay, including his bank account being frozen.

Last updated 11:41 15/03/2011

History to go under the hammer

A 130-year-old pump organ will be one of the items for sale at a charity auction for Christchurch in Blenheim tonight.

The heirloom donated by Blenheim's Ian and Jenny Robertson had been in their family since Mr Robertson's grandparents bought it in the early 1880s.

The auction, which runs from 6pm to 8pm at the Blenheim Club at 92 High St, also includes jewellery and art donated by artists around the country, luxury getaways and a paella party for 20 people.

Mr Robertson said the family loaned the organ to the St Oswald's historic church on State Highway 1 at Wharanui for about a decade, but it was returned after the church was refurbished and got a new organ. His grandmother Amelia Davis went to Wharanui Primary School, which was close to the church, he said.

The organ was made by the Cornish Company in Washington, New Jersey about 1880.

Mr Robertson's grandparents were farmers in Canterbury and brought the organ with them when they came to Marlborough about 1910.

The Robertsons donated the pump organ to the auction because no-one in the family played it and it did not fit the decor of the family home. Mr Robertson said he did not know what price it would fetch tonight, but hoped it would go to a good family.

Fairhall artist Fran Maguire has donated a hand-made bowl to the auction which is one of a series of 365 to symbolise the simple habits of life we take for granted and how quickly they can be taken away. Each bowl has a date and she has donated the bowl for February 22.

Auction organiser Sophie McLernon, of Christchurch, said the venue for the auction was a point of difference because people did not usually get a chance to visit the Blenheim Club building.

Tickets to the auction cost $50 and include canapes and drinks.

To buy tickets or for further information call Sophie McLernon on 0274246880 or Kate Cameron after 5pm on 0212227858.

- The Marlborough Express SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:55 10/03/2011

BEN CURRAN

A 200 year old pump organ will be on auction tonight at Blenheim Club to raise funds for Christchurch

300 quake kids enrol

Almost 300 primary school pupils from Christchurch are enrolled in Marlborough and Kaikoura school as parents try to give their children a sense of normality after the earthquake last week.

Marlborough Principals Association treasurer and Whitney St School principal Alan Straker said 220 pupils from Christchurch were spread across 15 schools in the wider Blenheim area, with an average of 12 in each school.

Schools were also expecting more pupils to enrol, he said.

The association committee will meet tomorrow to discuss any extra resources the schools need with the influx because some pupils would have special needs or teacher aid support, he said.

Association president and Kaikoura Primary School principal Bruce Pagan said 65 pupils from Christchurch were enrolled at the six schools in the Kaikoura area.

Picton School reported 11 new pupils while Havelock School had three and was expecting three more next week. Even small schools such as Waitaria, in the Marlborough Sounds, have extra pupils enrolled. It has 10.

Havelock School principal Ernie Buutveld said pupils just needed some mates to play with.

"They have been made pretty welcome and kids break down barriers really quickly."

Mr Pagan said pupils were fitting in well in their new classrooms with little disruption to learning.

Kaikoura Primary has hired more teachers, and one teacher had arrived from Freeville School, near New Brighton in Christchurch, he said.

Some schools were reasonably full, but principals would find space if more children wanted to enrol, he said.

The children were happy to talk about their earthquake experiences while it was the parents who needed reassurance, he said.

The Education Ministry has told schools to make life as normal as possible for the children and would sort out any extra costs later, he said.

"There's a huge amount of good faith."

Blenheim early childhood centres are also caring for younger evacuees from the earthquake, including three children enrolled during the past few days.

Treasurer Abe Moore said the centres on John St, Hospital Rd and Aerodrome Rd would not charge fees for Christchurch families.

Schools in Christchurch say they want to get classes back on track, but need to wait on engineer reports and recovery meetings with the ministry.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said 43 Christchurch schools had asked to re-open as soon as possible.

All required a structural engineer's report so she could not give timetables for re-opening.

Where possible schools would be kept together.

Already 3759 pupils had were enrolled in other schools around New Zealand, although many were likely to be temporary shifts.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:17 03/03/2011

Whitney Street School principal Alan Straker amongst a whirlwind of children

Blenheim P dealer jailed again

Judge notes horrific effects of drug on communit

The amount of methamphetamine a Blenheim drug dealer brought into Marlborough has done "untold damage" to the community, according to a district court judge.

Crown prosecutor Hugh Boyd-Wilson said police had been watching 30-year-old Dallas Edward Oran Shave since he was released on parole in June 2009 after being in jail for selling methamphetamine.

They noticed he made frequent trips to Auckland and searched him at Nelson Airport on March 19 last year after a flight from Auckland.

Police found 25.1 grams of methamphetamine, also known as P, on Shave, Mr Boyd-Wilson said.

If Shave had bought a similar amount of methamphetamine during his 19 previous trips to Auckland, he would have brought in about 475g, which would have a street value of up to $684,000, he said.

When Shave appeared in the Blenheim District Court on Friday for sentencing, his lawyer Gary Sawyer said Shave disputed the amount of methamphetamine police estimated he brought to Marlborough.

But Mr Sawyer said Shave wanted to "move on" with his life.

Shave was a heavy P user and 15g of the methamphetamine he was carrying at Nelson were for his own use. The rest was to be packaged in 1g bags and sold for $800, he said.

Shave had been ordered to take counselling as part of his parole conditions, which he saw as "essential to avoid being back in his situation".

"While he was looking for help he was getting back into it [using methamphetamine].

"The drug had completely overtaken him and he wanted to break free from his addiction."

However, Mr Boyd-Wilson said Shave had organised the trips to Auckland and had travelled under a false identity.

If he had not been caught, Shave would have continued buying the drug and bringing it back to Marlborough, he said.

Judge Tony Zohrab said the large amount of methamphetamine Shave brought to the region had caused "untold damage" and the community needed to be protected from him.

He found it difficult to accept Shave's expression of remorse and shame.

"It's difficult when you deal with someone who is addicted," the judge said. "It's difficult to accept the truth of anything [they say].

"Your remorse is nothing more than remorse for the situation you're in."

He sentenced Shave to jail for six years and eight months with a minimum non-parole period of three years and four months.

Shave had admitted dealing methamphetamine, and possessing methamphetamine for supply, possessing cannabis and possessing a pipe for smoking methamphetamine.

- The Marlborough Express

Last updated 11:26 07/03/2011

Crime spree ends in jail

A teenager who stole a car, a mountainbike and broke into a backpackers at Spring Creek within the space of a week has been jailed for eight months.

Nathaniel Graham Bourchier, 18, from Mayfield, Blenheim, was sentenced to eight months' jail for burglary of Swampy's Backpackers and two months' jail [concurrent] for theft of a mountainbike and unlawfully taking a car.

He was sentenced in the Blenheim District Court yesterday by Judge Ian Mill.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said police stopped Bourchier at 1.50am on January 1 as he rode a mountainbike along a footpath. He claimed he found the bike lying in the street, but later admitted it had been taken from outside a house.

About 4am on January 5, Bourchier knocked at the door of the backpackers at Spring Creek before going in and helping himself to food and drink. Guests held Bourchier until police arrived.

On January 7, Bourchier took a Nissan Navaro from a Riverlands house before realising it was running out of petrol. He stopped the car and ran away, but was later found by a police dog.

Defence counsel Bryony Millar said Bourchier had lived in foster homes because he didn't have a home or any relatives. He had gone into the backpackers to get a lift back to Blenheim and alcohol had played a role in the offending, she said. He took a glass of juice from the fridge because he was thirsty.

His two months spent in custody meant that he had served his time, she said.

But Judge Mill said jail was the "only appropriate" sentence because Bourchier had breached bail and community work numerous times and he had nowhere to go for community or home detention. The most disappointing thing was that the offences had been committed just months after Bourchier received a prison sentence for unlawfully taking a car, he said.

Disorderly behaviourA man who stood in the path of a moving freight train was fined $250 yesterday.

Clinton Andrew Willetts, 39, of Blenheim, admitted disorderly behaviour and was also ordered to pay court costs.

Mr Frost said Willetts had been drinking on March 3 and was very drunk when he stood on the rail lines in Kinross St about 5.10pm. He picked up his bike and pretended to throw it at a freight train travelling from Picton to Christchurch.

He then gave the fingers to the driver, who thought he had hit Willetts so stopped the train and called police.

Judge Mill said Willetts must have been very drunk to be in that situation.

"You also caused stress to the driver."

Eight SubarusA Blenheim teenager was ordered to pay more than $30,000 reparation to the owners of eight Subaru Legacy vehicles he broke into.

Dominique Wilson, 17, was also sentenced to 200 hours' community work and nine months' supervision after admitting eight theft charges and eight charges of unlawfully interfering with a car.

Defence counsel Philip Watson said Wilson had no previous convictions and was in custody for a month awaiting sentencing. He had also written apology letters to all victims, was remorseful for his actions and "ready, willing and able" to pay reparation, he said.

At a previous court appearance, police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said police noticed a big rise in car break-ins before Christmas – about the same time Wilson came to Blenheim.

Wilson was breaking into the Subarus and going for joy rides while drunk and took items from cars six times and shoplifted twice.

He also bragged about committing similar crimes in other towns, he said.

Judge Mill wanted to make sure "the people who are out of pocket are paid back".

"This [reparation] will keep you poor for some time, but I expect you to pay it back. You're young enough to turn things around, and I hope you do."

Other chargesChristopher John Boyce, 42, of Blenheim, admitted eight burglaries on properties around Marlborough between August and October 2009 and will be sentenced on May 6.

Corey Christopher Eaton, 21, admitted assaulting a woman, wilful damage and possession of a pipe to smoke cannabis and was fined $500 and ordered to pay court costs. Michael Robert Norton, 20, of Blenheim, admitted disorderly behaviour and possession of a pipe to smoke cannabis and was fined $200 and ordered to pay court costs.Mark Graeme Stead, 46, of Blenheim, admitted failing to stop for police and was fined $250 and court costs.Thomas Watene David Rangi Emmerson, 30, unemployed of Omaka, admitted wailful trespass and was given a six-month suspended sentence.John Owen Materoa, 30, admitted intentional damage and was ordered to pay $4091.50.Denise Adele August, 34, admitted shoplifting and was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and nine months' supervision.

- The Marlborough Express

Last updated 16:28 08/03/2011

Trial for man on sex charges

The jury trial of a Kaikoura man facing three charges of unlawful sexual connection with a child began yesterday in the Blenheim District Court.

Crown prosecutor Mark O'Donoghue said the 21-year-old had sex and oral sex with a 14-year-old girl near Kaikoura on New Year's Day 2009, and a fortnight later. The man denies the charges. Mr O'Donoghue said the man has admitted a similar charge relating to a different girl about the same time.

Defence counsel Rob Harrison said the fact the man admitted one charge and disputed others showed his innocence.

"He has pleaded guilty to having sex with another lassie of a similar age, but in respect to this, he said `No, it didn't happen'." The trial is expected to finish tomorrow.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 16:28 08/03/2011

Drink-drivers in court

Drink-drivers in the Blenheim District Court yesterday: Brendon Gee, 20, a baker of Blenheim, excess breath alcohol of 1137 micrograms per litre of breath (legal limit 400mcg); six months' supervision and disqualified indefinitely.Eliezer Evangelista Junior Pereira, 24, a chef of Blenheim, 477mcg; $500 fine, disqualified for six months.Toby Andrew O'Leary, 24, of Blenheim, 516mcg, driving while disqualified; 60 hours' community work, disqualified for six months. Hannah May Rose Martin, 19, of Picton, 221mcg while aged under 20 (legal limit 150mcg); 40 hours' community work, disqualified for three months.

- The Marlborough Express

Last updated 16:34 08/03/2011

Marlborough schools receive evacuees

An earthquake is no excuse for children to miss school, Christchurch mum Jo Johnston says.

Mrs Johnston has moved in with her mum at Tuamarina, in Marlborough, with her children Isaac, 13, Corey, 12, and Holly, 10, and and her sister after evacuating from Christchurch because the family home in suburban Somerfield has no power or sewerage.

She has enrolled all three children at Marlborough schools. They started on Monday.

Isaac, who began at Cashmere High School this year, is enrolled at Marlborough Boys' College and the two younger children are at Tua Marina School.

Mrs Johnston's husband works for the Christchurch City Council and is still in the city, but the family would stay in Marlborough until at least the end of the school term on April 15, she said.

Isaac was enjoying being at the college so much he did not want to go back to Cashmere High, she said.

She was "blown away" by the generosity of people in Blenheim, including a staff member at Just Jeans who offered her son a new college uniform.

College principal Wayne Hegarty said the school had enrolled 22 Christchurch students. Twenty-two girls had enrolled at Marlborough Girls' College since the quake and 16 students had enrolled at Queen Charlotte College in Picton.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:16 03/03/2011

Continuing education: Jo Johnston and her children, Holly, 10, and Corey, 12, left and centre, are enrolled at Tua Marina School, while Isaac, 13, far right, is at Marlborough Boys' College.

sarah #1 08:31 pm Mar 03 2011

Hey Jo, someone has just pointed me to this! Please give me a buzz at Just Jeans 578 7636 tomorrow, so I can get the clothes to you for your son! SARAH :)

Red and black all over

Love, hope, faith. That's the message surrounded by red and black handprints on a banner dedicated to Christchurch that hangs outside Community College in Blenheim.

Students at the college made the banner to show their support for the city, which was hit by a 6.3 earthquake on Tuesday last week.

Fifteen-year-old Teagan MacDonald, one of the organisers, said it was a way for the students to show they cared.

Most students had family or friends in the Christchurch area.

Shian King, 18, Sharmaine Thompson, 18, Logan McCartney, 17, Massey Rogers, 16, and Malcolm Crouch, 17, all helped design and paint the banner, but many others had covered their hands in Canterbury colours and left a sign of solidarity.

College manager Virginia Archer said they wanted people to write a small message of support on the banner, which hangs on the fence at the corner of Scott St and Francis St.

It will be sent to the North Canterbury Community College in Rangiora at the end of next week, she said. Hospitality students will also be making fudge in the college kitchen next week to sell to raise money for Christchurch.

Wayne Stretch, 16, a hospitality student, said the mood around the college since the earthquake had been "depressing, but we just have to carry on and get our work done". He drove to Christchurch at the weekend to help his aunt, uncle and cousin clean up liquefaction from their Worcester St home and would return this weekend.

Some students had taken leave to go to Christchurch to help their families.

- The Marlborough Express

Student banner a boost for quake victims

SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:39 02/03/2011

Reaching out: Students at Community College in Blenheim with the banner they created to show their support for Christchurch. People are encouraged to leave messages on the banner, which will be sent to the Community College in Rangiora.

Flood fears fading SIMON WONG

Heavy rain around the Canvastown area in Marlborough is moving away from the area, easing fears the Wakamarina River will flood again.

Marlborough District Council assets and services manager Mark Wheeler said the heavy rain forecast for the Marlborough Sounds area was doing as predicted and moving away.

The Wakamarina River was quite full, but was unlikely to burst its banks as it had on December 28, Mr Wheeler said.

However, strong winds were ''a bit of a worry''. Council staff and resident committees would continue to watch the weather through the day.

Flooding from the river caused widespread damage to the Wakamarina Valley in December. Other parts of Marlborough and the Sounds were also affected by the storm, including major slips and wash-outs caused by debris from logging on the hills.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 12:21 02/03/2011

300 quake kids enrol

Almost 300 primary school pupils from Christchurch are enrolled in Marlborough and Kaikoura school as parents try to give their children a sense of normality after the earthquake last week.

Marlborough Principals Association treasurer and Whitney St School principal Alan Straker said 220 pupils from Christchurch were spread across 15 schools in the wider Blenheim area, with an average of 12 in each school.

Schools were also expecting more pupils to enrol, he said.

The association committee will meet tomorrow to discuss any extra resources the schools need with the influx because some pupils would have special needs or teacher aid support, he said.

Association president and Kaikoura Primary School principal Bruce Pagan said 65 pupils from Christchurch were enrolled at the six schools in the Kaikoura area.

Picton School reported 11 new pupils while Havelock School had three and was expecting three more next week. Even small schools such as Waitaria, in the Marlborough Sounds, have extra pupils enrolled. It has 10.

Havelock School principal Ernie Buutveld said pupils just needed some mates to play with.

"They have been made pretty welcome and kids break down barriers really quickly."

Mr Pagan said pupils were fitting in well in their new classrooms with little disruption to learning.

Kaikoura Primary has hired more teachers, and one teacher had arrived from Freeville School, near New Brighton in Christchurch, he said.

Some schools were reasonably full, but principals would find space if more children wanted to enrol, he said.

The children were happy to talk about their earthquake experiences while it was the parents who needed reassurance, he said.

The Education Ministry has told schools to make life as normal as possible for the children and would sort out any extra costs later, he said.

"There's a huge amount of good faith."

Blenheim early childhood centres are also caring for younger evacuees from the earthquake, including three children enrolled during the past few days.

Treasurer Abe Moore said the centres on John St, Hospital Rd and Aerodrome Rd would not charge fees for Christchurch families.

Schools in Christchurch say they want to get classes back on track, but need to wait on engineer reports and recovery meetings with the ministry.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said 43 Christchurch schools had asked to re-open as soon as possible.

All required a structural engineer's report so she could not give timetables for re-opening.

Where possible schools would be kept together.

Already 3759 pupils had were enrolled in other schools around New Zealand, although many were likely to be temporary shifts.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:17 03/03/2011

Whitney Street School principal Alan Straker amongst a whirlwind of children

Loyal Canterbury students will stay

New classrooms are being built

SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:54 03/03/2011

Many Marlborough young people studying at the University of Canterbury are proving loyal Cantabrians despite uncertainty about when their courses will begin again.

Meanwhile, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has relaxed enrolment caps on the country's seven other universities to help absorb displaced students, and Canterbury's vice-chancellor Rod Carr has accepted an offer from Adelaide University to take 500 undergraduates.

The university is also rushing to build 60 new classrooms inside its athletics track to try to keep students in Christchurch.

A university spokeswoman said courses would not start until at least March 14.

All halls of residence were also still open, she said.

Law student and former Marlborough Boys' College deputy head boy Liam Stoneley, 18, said he "really liked" living in Canterbury and had made a lot of friends already.

The university promised students would not be disadvantaged because of the earthquake, so "if the academic side is fine, there's not need to change", he said.

Canterbury University had been "fantastic" about emailing updates to students, he said.

Mr Stoneley was in Blenheim yesterday but was going to visit friends in Wellington in the next few days.

Former Marlborough Boys' College student Tyrone Elkington, 19, who is in his second year studying sports coaching, said he now considered Christchurch home and felt a sense of loyalty to the region.

Blenheim teenager Jonny Nicholls, 19, in his second year studying media and communication and English, also said he would stay, but if the city was struck by another large quake he would consider transferring to another university.

At the university campus yesterday, Mr Joyce said both the University of Canterbury and Christchurch Polytechnic, which was within the central city district, would start a gradual re-opening soon.

In the meantime, the Government had relaxed enrolment caps at other institutions to allow some students to resume study elsewhere.

Students would also be allowed to stay enrolled with Canterbury but start their courses through distance learning at other universities.

Loans and allowances would still be paid, Mr Joyce said.

Dr Carr said the university had not lost any buildings but it would take time to get some back in to working order.

The university was pushing ahead a plan for new buildings to go up on 800 square metres of land within eight weeks inside the University Oval, which would provide 60 new spaces for students. The buildings, to be made off-site, would be single-storied and wooden to ease fears about any further collapses.

Dr Carr announced that up to 500 under-graduates would be accommodated at the University of Adelaide for four months.

The students would be New Zealanders, mostly in first-year courses. They would be put up in halls of residence or private billets in Adelaide until they returned to Christchurch for the second semester in July.

The first students would travel to Adelaide this weekend, along with some Canterbury staff.

The Canterbury students would not have to pay anything extra. The Government confirmed there would be no impact on loans and allowances.

Mr Joyce again ruled out wholesale changes to the interest-free student loan scheme as the Government looks to fund the quake repair bill. However, he "fully expected" to "do some things" at the margins of the scheme this year.

- The Marlborough Express

sam #3 07:17 pm Mar 03 2011

And if it wasn't safe in chch, do you think it wouldn't have been evacuated already?

deb #2 04:33 pm Mar 03 2011

Good on you guys staying loyal to Canterbury - if everyone leaves the recovery will take longer and be more painful for those who have no choice but to stay. The reality is you can't dodge life - stuff happens no matter where you live and if you number is up, it is up, and if it isn't then you will be safe as we've seen and heard with so many miraculous escapes. Good on you boys making the choice to stick with Canterbury and good luck with your careers - Christchurch is a fabulous place to live and study and hopefully will recover from this ghastly disaster at the hands of Mother Nature. My son (17) is about to leave Brisbane to commence study in Christchurch and is not daunted or apprehensive about coming to Christchurch - the city will recover with the positive attitude of young men like yourselves.

ron #1 02:32 pm Mar 03 2011

DO NOT PUT LOYALTY BEFORE SAFETY --MEANING LESS .