/news/dunedin/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest news from around the Dunedin region with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Mon, 21 Apr 2025 02:10:10 Z en /news/dunedin/explosive-detector-dog-unit-sweeps-aircraft-luggage-after-dunedin-bound-flight-turned-back-at-auckland/ /news/dunedin/explosive-detector-dog-unit-sweeps-aircraft-luggage-after-dunedin-bound-flight-turned-back-at-auckland/ Passengers on a Dunedin-bound Air New Zealand flight were forced off the aircraft and had to leave their luggage behind following a security incident at Auckland Airport last night. Police have now confirmed a threat was made by phone specific to that aircraft. The plane and luggage were checked over by a specialist team, but nothing of concern was found. Police have revealed a plane bound for Dunedin from Auckland Airport was turned around last night due to a threat made by phone, specific to that aircraft. And audio has emerged of what passengers were told during their almost four-hour wait in their seats on the tarmac. Air New Zealand flight NZ677 was due to depart from Auckland to Dunedin before 6pm yesterday. But soon after departure the aircraft returned to the gate. Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer David Morgan said the return was due to “security reasons”. “Passengers remained on board for a period of time while standard procedures were followed,” he said. “Passengers… disembarked safely. We apologise for any distress and inconvenience felt by passengers.” Air New Zealand referred all further questions to police. This morning a police spokesperson confirmed that at 5.30pm a threat was made by phone in relation to the soon-to-depart flight. “The plane was held at Auckland Airport and all those on board were removed from the plane and taken to a secure location within the airport, as a precautionary measure,” they said. “The plane and all luggage on board was checked by Police’s Specialist Search Group, and nothing of concern was located. “Inquiries are ongoing to identify the persons responsible for the threat.” A woman whose daughter was on the flight contacted the Herald, providing audio of the security announcement made on the aircraft after the threat was made. “I have recordings of the announcements made to passengers. The flight attendant in the second recording has fear in her voice,” she said. “My daughter said she was on board for 3.5 hours. They didn’t get their bags until 11.30pm.” In the recording, the flight attendant says: “We’re going to ask all passengers to disembark the aircraft in just a moment. The airport security police have asked that we leave all bags on board the aircraft that includes your handbags, pocketbooks, laptops, any bags. “Please just walk off. Please walk off with no bags on your person. “Once the security team have been on board the aircraft and done what they’ve needed to do, they will retrieve all of the items on the aircraft and bring them into our terminal. “If you have any questions, there will be staff available in the terminal to assist you, and we do have hotel accommodation arranged and bus transport. “We’ll make more of an announcement at the gate lounge – once everybody’s off the aircraft. You have been on board the aircraft for quite some time.” The woman’s daughter also took a photograph of the K9 explosive detector dog unit vehicle parked near the aircraft. “I was on that flight and we were waiting and waiting then finally off plane to security section shut in with only our phones. All bags and cabin luggage had to stay in the plane,” one woman said. “We were told later it was a security issue and the plane got towed to a remote area near the international airport and we had to disembark off there then get on a bus where the bus took us to a security area near Jetstar terminal. “So we then waited until virtually 11.30pm before we got our hand luggage delivered by police and airport security, then able to leave the airport and go to our designated overnight hotels.” Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:49:51 Z /news/dunedin/four-rats-killed-at-dunedin-supermarket-no-signs-of-more/ /news/dunedin/four-rats-killed-at-dunedin-supermarket-no-signs-of-more/ A Dunedin supermarket will remain closed for a further 24 hours as a rat inspection continues. Countdown South Dunedin will be monitored for the effectiveness of the additional pest control measures put in place over the weekend. The store was originally closed for 48 hours from 10pm on Friday, so pest control efforts could be stepped up after four rats were caught at the store over four days. Woolworths New Zealand director of stores Jason Stockill said pest control service Rentokil had been on site with additional traps and cameras to track any new activity. “We believe all entry sites have been identified — and now sealed — and can confirm there continues to be no evidence of nesting in store. “Our team and contract cleaners are continuing to focus on cleaning throughout the store.” Ministry for Primary Industries division New Zealand Food Safety was on site observing and supporting Countdown’s pest control programme and work, he said. A second pest control contractor had also been observing. Woolworths NZ confirmed this photo of a rat, reflected in a mirror in the deli section, was taken at its Dunedin South Countdown supermarket in November. The Ministry for Primary Industries said it would be involved in the decision-making about when the store reopened. The South Dunedin supermarket came to national attention last month after staff members told the Otago Daily Times rats were running rampant in the store and they feared the public could have been sold contaminated food. A photo, taken in November last year, was then supplied to the ODT showing a rat in the deli section. On Friday, Mr Stockill said he thought the issue had been addressed since there had been no evidence of rodent activity since January 28, but having caught four rodents in just a few days meant there was more work to do. An employee, who asked not to be named, said on Friday, while the store’s rat issue had been taken seriously of late, the initial response was slow. “From the beginning, management minimised this, saying there was one rat,” they said. “We lost a lot of time with that, trying to convince management that this was a problem.” Staff had also been rostered on during the weekend and were expected to go in and do a deep clean. Sun, 11 Feb 2024 21:04:48 Z /news/dunedin/mum-caught-doing-140kmh-down-highway-loses-licence-claims-she-was-busy-telling-kids-off/ /news/dunedin/mum-caught-doing-140kmh-down-highway-loses-licence-claims-she-was-busy-telling-kids-off/ A woman who was nabbed for speeding down State Highway 1 near Dunedin told police she was busy telling off her kids. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said about 10.30am on Sunday, police stopped a 33-year-old woman driving on SH1 north of Dunedin who was driving at 142km/h in a 100km/h zone. “When stopped, she told police she was busy telling the kids off in the back seat,” ond said. The woman had her licence suspended for 28 days and was served with an infringement notice. This was one of several driving incidents in the Dunedin area police had to deal with over the weekend. On 3.30am on Sunday, police stopped a 17-year-old male in Great King St in St Clair after he blew 698 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The male has since been referred to Youth Aid. An 18-year-old female was stopped after going through a red light on King Edward St in South Dunedin about 12.50am on Sunday. She was breath-tested and blew 693mcg, and told police she had been the sober driver, had dropped off her passengers and was heading home. About 2.20am on Saturday, police stopped a swerving vehicle on Stuart St in Dunedin. The 42-year-old man admitted he had drunk “two pints of beer” and was breath-tested, Bond said. The man blew 1042mcg, more than four times the legal breath-alcohol limit of 250mcg. His licence was suspended for 28 days and he will appear in court. - by Matthew Littlewood, Otago Daily Times Mon, 30 Oct 2023 01:26:50 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-boarding-house-fire-people-unaccounted-for/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-boarding-house-fire-people-unaccounted-for/ People are still unaccounted for in the aftermath of a furious blaze that destroyed a derelict Dunedin boarding house this morning. Fire and Emergency New Zealand incident controller Senior Station Officer Pete Douglas said as extra crews arrived they identified people possibly squatting at the property who had not been accounted for. “We are now currently working with fire investigators and police because we still have an unknown number not accounted for.” From Fenz’s understanding, the building was under repair, but there may have been people transiently using the building. The cause of the blaze was too early to say, Douglas said. Crews were called to the fire, in Phillips St, Kensington, about 6.35am. A Fenz spokesman said they received multiple calls about the fire, and the property was well ablaze when crews arrived. Otago Assistant Commander Rob Torrance said builders who had been renovating the property had told him up to five homeless people were known to sleep there. “We’re just investigating that possibility now, so we’ll be here for a while yet.” In an update about 11.20am, incident controller Pete Douglas said there was no confirmation as yet whether anyone was in the property. He said the cause of the fire was not yet known. Crews with breathing apparatus were working through the interior of the house, and a neighbouring property, to make sure the fire was fully extinguished. Douglas said the fire had spread to two neighbouring properties. One had only minor exterior damage but the other had been extensively damaged outside, with some lesser damage inside. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery The occupants of those houses had been evacuated safely. Crews had made an outstanding effort to stop the fire spreading further, he said. Five fire trucks and the command unit were at the scene, and Mr Douglas said he expected firefighters would still be at the scene for several hours. Cordons remain in place on the surrounding streets. A Fenz spokesman earlier said they had not had reports that anyone was inside the home or injured, but they were searching the building as standard procedure. Sergeant Aaron Burgess said police were working with fire crews, and a drone would be used to assist investigators. A resident of the neighbouring boarding house, which was also damaged in the blaze, described being woken up around 7am and told there was a fire. “Someone saw the fire from the street and came and banged on the doors and knocked on my window.” “I woke up and had no idea what was going on, I was just lucky I had something on. One lady came out with no shoes and another man with no shirt, and it was freezing.” The residents of the boarding house were left wondering where they would live. “I have no idea where to go for a couple of days, I haven’t got anything sussed out. “I think maybe the landlord is sussing some people out, but I haven’t talked to them at all.” An Otago Daily Times photographer at the scene shortly after 7am said the property had burnt to the ground and crews were focusing efforts on a neighbouring property, which had smoke coming from the roof. Police were asking asking motorists to avoid the area, because of the fire, and a separate incident, in which a truck hit power lines just before 6.30am. Fenz has confirmed the two incidents are unrelated. A police spokesman said King Edward St was closed near the intersection of Wilkie Rd, and South Rd was closed between Princes St and Eglinton Rd. The Phillips St building was in the process of being demolished by owner Brent Mathews after it had been gutted by a blaze in which one man died in April last year. A homeless man who didn’t wish to be named but who lived at a nearby boarding house was moved out of the razed building after the first fire, along with a woman in her 60s and other tenants. FENZ at the Dunedin blaze. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery, ODT They were moved to another boarding house nearby on High St, and saw the fire this morning. The man said: “It was a shock to see the flames from my window. It was a terrible place to live. You get places like that. It is just the way it is.” The man said there “were rumours” that homeless people had been hunkering down in the property that burned down today. Janine Walker, of Dunedin Bedding Bank - which supplies survival equipment to homeless people such as sleeping bags - said she had also heard the rumour, and knew that this was happening in derelict buildings across the city. She added: “Fire is a massive risk around cold homeless people, whether they are in a three-storey building or a half-demolished building. More urgently needs to be done to protect our homeless people and when there is a fire, if they don’t die, they are pushed from pillar to post.” Walker was trying to talk to police about the safety of a homeless person who she knew was living rough nearby. “Other people in buildings have been evicted but the police haven’t checked on the woman.” Mathews, the owner, was contacted but did not give a comment. Bridgestone Mosgiel owner Dean Smith told The Herald he saw smoke billowing out of the home as he was driving across the motorway. “I couldn’t believe it, I could feel the heat of the fire and I watched it for about five minutes. “This [home] just disintegrated in no time at all, it was just an inferno.” Smith said he watched the fire spread quickly to a neighbouring property. “They’re very old historic houses in an old part of town, very hard to get to for the fire service. “It’s spread up the walls of the house on the right ... it looked like they contained it but there was a heck of smoke coming out of the roof of the [other] household. “I thought, ‘Oh no, she’s gonna go up as well. They’re very old, dry houses, that’s for sure.” Fenz shift manager Blair Walklin said the blaze had caused damage to “a couple” of neighbouring properties. Walklin couldn’t confirm the extent of the damage to those properties. He said crews had dampened down the blaze significantly. The Government undertook a national audit of fire risk in three-storey boarding houses this year, but only one was reported by Dunedin City Council, the former backpackers Stafford Gables. - by Laine Priestley and Mary Williams, Otago Daily Times Fri, 27 Oct 2023 02:49:52 Z /news/dunedin/drunk-man-breaks-into-dunedin-house-minus-his-pants/ /news/dunedin/drunk-man-breaks-into-dunedin-house-minus-his-pants/ A Dunedin household got a rude awakening when a drunk man broke into their house not wearing any pants.  Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said police were called to a Wynyard St address around 2am Sunday morning.  A 25-year-old man had smashed in the door of the property and broken into the house.  The man was highly intoxicated, and not wearing any pants, Bond said.  ‘’He said he was cold, and trying to keep warm,’’ he said.  ‘’The man did not say why he was without his pants.’’  The man was charged with willful damage and unlawfully entering a property.  Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:31:56 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-taxi-driver-rape-case-defence-probes-dress-length/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-taxi-driver-rape-case-defence-probes-dress-length/ WARNING: This story deals with sexual offending and may be distressing A woman who says she was kidnapped and raped has faced gruelling cross-examination regarding the length of her dress and the amount of alcohol she consumed. An unregistered Dunedin taxi driver, who currently has interim name suppression, is on trial in the Dunedin District Court, accused of indecent assault, kidnapping, rape and two charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. It is alleged a woman received a ride home from town with the defendant and once her friend got out, the man pulled into a grass verge and sexually violated her. Anne Stevens KC said the woman had her legs open and was draping them across the dashboard, when her client instructed her to take them down - only touching her legs to remedy the “dangerous” behaviour. The complainant admitted she had been drinking heavily on February 8, 2021, recounting all the alcoholic beverages she consumed, some via a beer bong. “You also had tequila shots didn’t you? Which is throwing back straight alcohol isn’t it... throwing it down your throat?” Stevens said. CCTV images were shown of the woman and her friend eating at McDonald’s, with Stevens asking if the woman would be exposed when she sat down.  “The dress barely covers your bottom?... I’m not being critical and I’m not suggesting that anyone could see your bottom, I’m simply exploring.” “It really wasn’t that short,” the complainant said. Stevens suggested the woman did not have any cash on her at the time of the car ride. “The fact is you didn’t pay for the fare at all did you?” The woman, who said she was raped and strangled by the driver, was clearly upset. “No. Why would I after that?” CCTV footage from the Z petrol station was viewed by the jury. The woman was clearly shown walking across the forecourt after escaping from the alleged assault. A forecourt worker who helped her charge her phone testified: “She looked very, sort of, sheepish. She looked quite distressed.” Stevens asked the man if the woman appeared drunk. “No, definitely not,” the man said. The footage showed the woman crouching on the ground in front of the counter, with her head in her hands. “She said she was fine, didn’t she?” Stevens said. “She said that. But personally, I didn’t believe it,” the man said. The footage showed a $20 bill falling out of the woman’s bag when she handed her phone to the worker. A friend of the woman also took the stand, showing he had six missed calls from the woman, beginning at 5.34am that day. The pair spoke for 35 minutes before the woman’s phone battery died again as she began her walk home through Mosgiel. The doctor who examined the woman 36 hours after the alleged assault noted the woman had complained of a sore neck. Despite saying the man had gripped his fingers tightly around her throat, the medical examiner did not find any bruises in that area - which she said was not unusual. The complainant had not caught a glimpse of her alleged rapist’s face and the description she gave of the man’s clothing did not match the accused’s. The woman’s friend told the jury the woman had not wanted to involve police due to embarrassment. The complainant elaborated: “Because of the whole process when something like this happens to you... I didn’t want to do it.” The trial is set to continue today, with police witnesses expected to provide evidence. SEXUAL HARM Where to get help:If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:• Call 0800 044 334• Text 4334• Email support@safetotalk.nz• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nzAlternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault. Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:06:03 Z /news/dunedin/heartbreak-hotel-dunedin-lodgings-deemed-unfit-for-homeless/ /news/dunedin/heartbreak-hotel-dunedin-lodgings-deemed-unfit-for-homeless/ The former Carisbrook Hotel has been branded by the Government “not a suitable option” for emergency accommodation and the Ministry of Social Development has stopped refering homeless people to its rooms. The announcement comes after the Otago Daily Times exposed the Carisbrook’s appalling facilities as one of the city’s “Houses of Horror”. Local government officials have also swarmed to the Carisbrook this week to scrutinise its compliance with building standards and tenancy rules. A Dunedin City Council spokesman said building owner Jacky Cheung had come under the spotlight of both the council and Tenancy Services, which is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Officials had “discussed concerns” with Cheung — and issued him with a “notice to fix”. Work and Income payments are funding Carisbrook rooms for the homeless without beds, nor a communal cooker or fridge — at extortionate rates. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery A further “site visit” would be undertaken today, and council staff were working with support agencies to “consider the needs” of people living there. The Otago Daily Times exposed the Carisbrook slumlord for housing vulnerable homeless people in bare rooms without facilities. People were sleeping on the floor — with no beds or heaters provided and no cooking facilities. Cheung said his rental income came from homeless people’s benefits, paid to him directly by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) agency Work and Income. The MSD has also now admitted it had pointed at least one homeless person to the Caversham horror house. MSD regional commissioner Steph Voight said the role of the MSD was to “identify a suitable accommodation supplier” based on homeless people’s “particular needs and what [was] available at the time”. Bedding on the floor of the former Carisbrook Hotel. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery “We were made aware that the Carisbrook Hotel had accommodation available, so this was mentioned to at least one person as an option. “Once we became aware of complaints about the condition of the hotel, we immediately ensured all staff were aware that it was not a suitable option,” she said. Work and Income funds “emergency housing” for homeless people that can be paid for up to seven nights at a time, to a maximum of 21 nights. This short-term accommodation was “usually in motels”, the ministry said. However, the Otago Daily Times reported last week that homeless people might not then progress to safe homes with the support they needed. Many people with serious illnesses and addictions were stuck in dilapidated multi-occupancy boarding houses, sustained by rents paid directly by Work and Income to the slum landlords. At the Carisbrook, Cheung was still willing to house people on benefits paid for by Work and Income — and had put his prices up. Yesterday, the Otago Daily Times rang Cheung and he offered a single-occupancy room for $280 a week. Last week, he quoted $250 a week, or $400 for a couple. Cupboards hang off their hinges in a kitchen area in a room of the former Carisbrook Hotel. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery He was asked if Work and Income payments could be used. “Yes, yes, yes. Tell Work and Income to call me. I am registered. Yes, go to Work and Income,” Cheung said. He then ended the call abruptly. When contacted for a response to the MSD’s decision to no longer point people to the Carisbrook, Cheung said: “I don’t want to talk”. However, he then rang back and asked that the Otago Daily Times “please stop advertising the building”. “I don’t want to be in the newspaper at all.” Later, when the Otago Daily Times visited the building, he said: “No publicity!”. When asked if he still had people in the building, he said: “Only one, two, three.” Night Shelter community worker Chris Edwards said she was “shocked to the bone” that the building was still open and housing people — and that the rent had been put up. “What we absolutely need in this city — and country — is supported social housing. Community worker Chris Edwards had been referring emergency homeless people to the former Carisbrook Hotel because it is safer than living on the street. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery “It is to New Zealand’s shame that we put such vulnerable people in such disgusting accommodation.” Last week, Cheung told the Otago Daily Times his vulnerable homeless tenants could be “very bad” but so long as they were not violent, it did not matter what they were doing. A man was facing a charge of intent to intimidate Cheung with a threat of injury. Responding to the news of the charge, Edwards said it seemed the landlord was “out of his depth in every way imaginable”. If the charge was against a homeless person, it would only reduce their chances of being taken on by a better landlord, “compounding” their homeless situation, she said. - Mary Williams, ODT Thu, 17 Aug 2023 22:11:15 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-woman-admits-murdering-her-partner-after-stabbing-him-22-times-in-the-bath/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-woman-admits-murdering-her-partner-after-stabbing-him-22-times-in-the-bath/ A 61-year-old Dunedin woman has pleaded guilty to murder after stabbing her partner 22 times while he was in the bath. Her partner returned home to their Tainui address at 4.30pm on May 18 this year and less than 45 minutes later he was dead after being stabbed 22 times. The victim suffered fatal stab wounds to his lungs, liver and left subclavian artery. At 5.15pm, the woman sent a message to a family member telling them, “I love you guys, I’m sorry for what I’ve done.” The woman pleaded guilty at the High Court this morning. Her name and occupation remain suppressed and she is set to appear for sentencing on October 4. Mon, 14 Aug 2023 23:00:00 Z /news/dunedin/three-people-in-court-over-10k-otago-university-protest-damage/ /news/dunedin/three-people-in-court-over-10k-otago-university-protest-damage/ Three protesters accused of causing at least $10,000 of damage to a University of Otago building face up to seven years’ imprisonment. Carl Naus, Jowan Nute and Liam Scaife originally appeared in the Dunedin District Court this morning before a registrar after allegedly breaking the fire-escape doors and defacing the interior walls of a room in the university’s commerce building last week. Photo / Supplied Issues with their bail conditions meant the case will be called before a judge later today. The trio were each charged with intentional damage, a charge which carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said the estimated cost of the repairs for the university could be more than $10,000 but an exact figure was yet to be obtained. A poster advertising Tuesday’s protest said the university “should be used to facilitate the creation of a better world, not build larger buildings and fill bulging pockets” and “the only way to make that happen is to reclaim it from (mis)management”. It is understood the defendants were protesting what they claim is mismanagement of the university and recent staff cuts. - Rob Kidd and Tim Scott, ODT Tue, 08 Aug 2023 01:05:56 Z /news/dunedin/drink-driving-teen-called-police-after-crash-in-dunedin/ /news/dunedin/drink-driving-teen-called-police-after-crash-in-dunedin/ A Dunedin teen called police and admitted to drink-driving after his car ended up in a ditch, police say. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said the 18-year-old called police after crashing in Wakari Rd just after 4am on Sunday. The youth recorded a breath alcohol level of 771mcg and his licence has been suspended for 28 days. He was charged with drink-driving and has been summoned to appear in court. Police say another teenager was found to be over the limit after he called emergency services after crashing on the same road on Saturday. Snr Sgt Bond said a 17-year-old lost control of his vehicle and crashed down a bank along Wakari Rd. The teen pulled himself from the car and called emergency services. He recorded a breath alcohol level of 940mcg and had his licence suspended. He was referred to Youth Aid. Later, about 6.30pm, police responded to a crash involving a bus in Riselaw Rd. Snr Sgt Bond said the 61-year-old woman driver crashed a Ritchies bus into a parked car, causing it to be written off. He said the woman failed to stay within her lane and hit the back of the car, shunting it forward into another parked car. Police were called on Sunday night after a 44-year-old man allegedly crashed into a street light at the intersection of Cumberland and Burlington Sts, causing significant damage to his vehicle. The man carried on driving to a property in Howe St, where police located him, Snr Sgt Bond said. He recorded a breath alcohol level of 723mcg and had his licence suspended for 28 days. The man was charged with careless driving and driving under the influence. - Laine Priestley, ODT laine.priestley@odt.co.nz Mon, 24 Jul 2023 22:12:03 Z /news/dunedin/toxic-landfill-under-dunedin-sportsfield-exposed-by-erosion-may-cost-50m-to-remedy/ /news/dunedin/toxic-landfill-under-dunedin-sportsfield-exposed-by-erosion-may-cost-50m-to-remedy/ Excavating and dealing with hazardous landfill material under a seaside Dunedin sports field at risk of erosion may cost $50 million, the city’s mayor says. However, this is the “worst-case scenario” for the historical Kettle Park landfill. Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the cost depended on the size of the landfill, which operated from about 1900 to the 1950s. “There may be more. “It’s quite a bit bigger than expected,” he said. However, it was possible much of the fill, such as steel and concrete, would be able to be recycled, bringing the cost down considerably. An aerial view of Kettle Park, a former landfill site in St Kilda that was converted into sportsfields. “It will be some millions of dollars, but it could be way less than [$50 million].” He reiterated his support for a groyne at St Clair Beach to provide a buffer in front of the landfill and help prevent erosion. “It’s a very inexpensive mitigation, and it would buy time,” Radich said. The next step would be removing the landfill and replacing toxic material with sand. This follows a report by environmental and engineering consultants Tonkin + Taylor made public last month, providing more information on the landfill’s contents, which include asbestos, old gasworks waste and demolition waste. Sixty boreholes were made to collect soil samples at the site. Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich warns more problems could be found at the former landfill site. “Contaminants including asbestos have been detected in the landfill and capping material at concentrations that present a potential risk to human health,” the report said. Users of the sports field were unlikely to be at risk, but if the landfill material was disturbed, health and safety controls would be needed “We note that a more significant potential risk to human health could occur if a large volume of landfill material was exposed.” Concentrations of copper, lead and zinc were generally raised across all locations tested. The results indicated the material was probably too hazardous to be dumped elsewhere without some form of pre-treatment to reduce leachability. A series of storms in the past 10-15 years had eroded the dune system and continued erosion presented risks of exposing the waste itself. The landfill site was closer to the sea than the council had thought, as well as larger — and it could extend beyond the area tested. The council will consider its approach to the landfill issue as part of the 2024-34 10-year plan. - Fiona Ellis, ODT Thu, 22 Jun 2023 22:15:03 Z /news/dunedin/major-fire-rips-through-dunedin-pub-mitchells-tavern/ /news/dunedin/major-fire-rips-through-dunedin-pub-mitchells-tavern/ Fire crews initially feared somebody was trapped by a major fire which badly damaged the popular Caversham pub Mitchells Tavern early this morning. The blaze appears to have destroyed the kitchen area and left a gaping hole in the roof of the South Rd pub. The fire at Mitchells Tavern, Dinedin. Photo / ODT The alarm was raised just before 4am and the first two crews to respond called for back-up to help douse the fire, a Fire and Emergency spokesman said. Initial fears a person was trapped were allayed when the individual was located soon after 4am, the spokesman said. Two further crews responded, followed by a ladder appliance. The fire was largely out but 5.50am. Two crews remain on site dousing hot spots and a fire investigator is on the scene. Power is out to the surrounding area, affecting homes and businesses. Thu, 15 Jun 2023 22:23:53 Z /news/dunedin/stolen-car-dead-as-a-doorknob-when-owner-finds-it-on-beach/ /news/dunedin/stolen-car-dead-as-a-doorknob-when-owner-finds-it-on-beach/ A stolen car was as “dead as a doorknob” when its owner found it on Tomahawk Beach yesterday morning. Judy Duffy said her son, Jacob Duffy, was getting ready to drive back to Christchurch for work when she got a call from the police at about 8am saying his car had been stolen overnight and found at the beach. The car was one of six reported stolen in Dunedin overnight on Sunday. Duffy said Jacob parked his car outside her Helensburgh Rd house at about 10.30pm. She only realised the car was missing after she received a phone call from the police saying they had found it. The incident was very disheartening, she said. “It was very annoying and very inconvenient, especially since my son needed to go to Christchurch. “I would’ve had to drive him up myself because he had to get to work. “He’s only been at this new job about four months so you have to get there, don’t you?” Jacob was able to borrow his brother’s girlfriend’s car as she did not need it for the next 10 days. Duffy said it was a struggle to deal with insurance companies and she was disappointed in the people who had stolen her son’s car. When she recovered the car it was “dead as a doorknob”. “People have got nothing to do on a long weekend instead of go out and be naughty. “It wasn’t even as if they took it to use it to go somewhere decent — they just were joyriding, weren’t they? “They just don’t realise the inconvenience of all of it.” A police spokeswoman said of the six cars reported stolen in Dunedin overnight Sunday, three had been located or recovered. Inquiries were ongoing to locate the others, she said. Tue, 06 Jun 2023 01:59:36 Z /news/dunedin/armed-police-descend-on-central-dunedin-property/ /news/dunedin/armed-police-descend-on-central-dunedin-property/ Armed police have descended on a property in a central Dunedin street in what one witness compared to the popular action film franchise John Wick. A team of officers can be seen on London St at the intersections of Heriot Row and Constitution streets. A witness said there were two armed police officers in Constitution St. About 10.45am, a female officer with a gun was behind a tree outside a property, another armed officer had gone up a driveway. The street itself was closed for about 15 minutes and police stopped every car to talk to drivers. One resident, Sam, was headed to a local gym at around 10am when he ran into a traffic stop on Constitution St. Sam was approached by an armed officer and asked to turn around, in doing so he was met by another two armed police who were checking driver licences. “It’s like something out of John Wick,” he told the Herald. Armed police, roughly six in number, are focused on an old property on Heriot Row. Two boy-racer cars are inside the cordon. The suburb in question is known to be home to a number of student flats and houses, Sam believes the area not to be a rougher part of town. “It’s still going on from what I can see.” Armed officers and a police car on Constitution St. Photo / ODT Tue, 30 May 2023 23:49:11 Z /news/dunedin/family-of-dunedin-economist-detained-in-federated-states-of-micronesia-critical-of-farce-trial-and-nz-government-inaction/ /news/dunedin/family-of-dunedin-economist-detained-in-federated-states-of-micronesia-critical-of-farce-trial-and-nz-government-inaction/ The family of a Kiwi economist detained in a Micronesian jail on sex and child trafficking allegations for over a year has blasted a prolonged judicial process as a “farce” amid claims that witnesses have been paid to testify against him. Rob Solomon, 61, had been living in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and working as a macroeconomist consultant to the government when he was arrested in December 2021 – and then again last March - on a range of criminal charges including human and child trafficking, kidnapping, and sexual abuse charges. Pohnpei prosecutors alleged that Solomon, who had been a close adviser to the FSM president, had lured an underage girl to his house or apartment and “engaged in sexual activities for money”. But his trial has been adjourned and delayed several times while a 17-year-old girl who had made serious sexual allegations against Solomon has since recanted her claims. Now, his Dunedin-based mother and sister have been told of new “evidence” that witnesses have been paid to testify and that testimony has been falsified. “The trial is such a farce... the judge doesn’t seem to want to listen,” said Solomon’s sister Donna. After Solomon’s arrest in December 2021, FSM president David W. Panuelo released a statement, saying he had “full faith and confidence” in the Pohnpei State Government and its judicial branches “to fulfil their duties to the highest degree of honour in the search for truth and the delivery of justice”. Rob Solomon has spent years working as an economic consultant in the Pacific region. Photo / Supplied Solomon’s original trial date was set for April 12 last year – but was delayed until September 6. However, on the first day of the trial, it was postponed after just 45 minutes of the first police witness’ evidence. And then a month later on the second day of trial, it was postponed after just 50 minutes. “Rob’s a laid-back guy with a lot of patience and is mentally very strong, but this is being tested to the maximum and it is only the fact that he has been unjustly charged and his firm belief that justice will prevail which is keeping him sane,” said Donna Solomon. “This positivity, however, can only last for so long when being so wrongfully detained and we do worry about the mental and physical toll this is taking on him.” Friends are calling for his immediate release. Photo / Supplied Rob Solomon's prison cell which he shares with another inmate. Photo / Supplied His sister and 80-year-old mother have been unable to speak to him personally since his arrest, which left them “stunned, shocked” and in disbelief. They are thankful for a local friend of Solomon’s who brings him books, coffee and food once a week. He also has a new lawyer. The Herald first reported on Solomon’s plight back in February, with friends saying he is the victim of “trumped-up charges”. For the past 14 months, the Dunedin-born economic adviser has been kept inside a tiny prison cell with limited access to sunlight or the outside world. It’s understood that he has even shared a cramped jail room, sleeping on roll-up mattresses, with a man serving 15 years for murder. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said that consular officials - believed to include the New Zealand Consulate-General in Honolulu - is aware of Solomon’s situation. However, it has refused to make any further comment, citing privacy reasons. His family are critical of the New Zealand Government and what they perceive as gross inaction. “We are at a loss of how to help him and where to go to get help,” said Donna Solomon. “Rob has worked and lived in the Pacific Islands for approximately 30 years and has done great work over this time. “He is a well-respected government advisor and has done an enormous amount of work on behalf of these small nations to improve their local economy. “It is hard to believe that a man with this respect and mana has had absolutely no support from the New Zealand Government.” She added: “He’s innocent and we want him out and home ASAP.” Tue, 30 May 2023 23:17:49 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-beer-crate-burglary-death-victim-michael-mcclelland-was-a-young-father/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-beer-crate-burglary-death-victim-michael-mcclelland-was-a-young-father/ The man killed fleeing police after a Dunedin bottle-store burglary was the father of a 2-year-old boy. Death notices in today’s Otago Daily Times described the death of 26-year-old Michael McClelland as a “tragic and sudden devastating event”. “From this moment on, we celebrate your life and your 2-year-old son for you,” one notice read. A second death notice said McClelland was an adored and treasured member of the family. Five people were in the car that crashed after the burglary of the Bottle-O store on Bathgate Rd. Police were called to the burglary about 1.25am on Saturday morning. When they arrived they found a “vehicle of interest” nearby and attempted to pull it over, but the driver fled the scene. Less than a minute later, the car crashed in nearby Melbourne St, police said. McClelland died at the scene. Police have not revealed if he was a passenger or the driver. The occupants of the car were all aged in their 20s. Two of the survivors were initially hospitalised with serious injuries, while one had minor injuries. Southern District Commander Superintendent Paul Basham said the outcome was “the last thing anyone wants”. “Incidents like this have huge impacts for everyone involved, those in the fleeing vehicle, as well as attending police. “Our message to people is quite simple – if you are signalled to stop by police, then stop. “The potential outcome is so much worse if you choose to flee.” The owner of the bottle store at the centre of the fatal crash said earlier this week that he felt “callous” for not feeling sad about the death of a young person. Bottle-O Hillside owner Michael Sumner said the suspects cut the locks off a storage garage with bolt cutters and took six crates of beer. “It sounds really callous, but I’m not as upset as maybe everyone thinks I should be or could be. “I’m sorry that it happened. I’m disappointed in the whole situation. “But all that grief now, for such a small thing - $300 worth of beer - such a stupid thing.” Sumner said he felt bad for police who would no doubt fall under the microscope again for high-speed pursuits. “I know for the last 10 years, they’ve been getting bashed on for this sort of thing ... but I can’t blame the police. “At 3.30am, they told me they had caught them but I didn’t know someone was hurt, so I was clapping my hands, thinking I’ll be able to stand in front of them in court and see who they are.” - Additional reporting, Otago Daily Times Tue, 30 May 2023 20:54:42 Z /news/dunedin/fatal-dunedin-crash-how-a-night-with-mates-ended-in-entirely-avoidable-tragedy/ /news/dunedin/fatal-dunedin-crash-how-a-night-with-mates-ended-in-entirely-avoidable-tragedy/ A learner driver was five times the legal alcohol limit when he failed to negotiate a bend and crashed into a truck, killing himself and his friend, a coroner’s report has revealed. William Matthew Joseph Quin, 20, and Josiah Mani, 24, were killed after a crash on King Edward St, Dunedin on July 4, 2020. Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale said the men’s deaths were “entirely avoidable”, with Mani “extremely intoxicated” and crossing the centreline more than once into the path of oncoming traffic. Mani, who is from Papua New Guinea, lived in Dunedin and had worked at Mainland Poultry in Palmerston for three years. He met Kevin Quin, when he started working there about six months before the crash, and the unrelated William Quin, who was studying at university and began working part-time at Mainland three months before the crash. July 3, 2020, was William Quin’s last day working at Mainland before returning to university. Emergency services at the double-fatal crash. Photo / Otago Daily Times The three friends finished work at about 3pm, and travelled separately back to Dunedin. They agreed Mani would pick them up and they would go out drinking to celebrate William Quin’s last day. “Let’s get on the piss tonight?”, Mani wrote to Kevin Quin. He added he was going to take William Quin “out tonight for a piss since his last day at farm lol”. About 6.30pm Mani’s partner told him he had received a letter from Immigration New Zealand, indicating it was taking steps to arrange his removal from the country. Mani’s partner said he was smiling, but believed he would have been “stressed”. About 10 minutes later Mani picked up Kevin Quin and they drove to pick up William Quin. They then went to a pub. About 11.30pm another workmate invited Mani to have drinks at his place in South Dunedin. Mani drove the group there, with Kevin Quin later saying they all smoked cannabis and drank alcohol until at least 1.30am. Kevin Quin said he was “pretty pissed”, by the time they left, adding the other two men were “drinking lots and were also drunk”. Mani drove back into town, and the group continued drinking at a nightclub near the Octagon until it closed. Kevin Quin then got into the back of Mani’s car, feeling like he was “blacking out,” the report said. Mani was driving and William Quin sat in the front passenger seat. Kevin Quin fell asleep in the car and had no memory of the drive or how fast they were travelling. It was not until the car crashed and he hit his head that he woke up. About 3.30am a rubbish truck was travelling north on King Edward St at about 40km/h. The truck driver told police that as he approached the right-hand bend he saw a car coming “really fast” around the corner, crossing into his lane. “It was very clear that he was taking the corner too quickly,” he said. The truck driver hit his brakes and tried to avoid the car by moving to his left. He said his truck was “more or less stationary” when it was struck on the front right corner. The truck driver called emergency services and went to the car. He saw Kevin Quin get out of the left rear door. The car’s engine was still running, and he asked Kevin Quin to turn it off, however, he was unable to do so. While the truck driver was on the phone to emergency services he spotted flames under the car’s bonnet. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and began to put the flames out. However, the flames flared up and spread into the cabin of the car. The truck driver said it was “only a matter of seconds” before the car was engulfed in flames. Firefighters put out the fire. William Quin and Mani were dead. Kevin Quin suffered a broken nose, fractured vertebrae, lacerations, cuts and bruises. Mani had a blood alcohol level of 254 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal blood alcohol limit in New Zealand for drivers 20 years or over is 50mg per 100ml. The police serious crash unit (SCU) investigation found there was nothing the truck driver could have done to avoid the collision. No CCTV footage of the crash was available. However, the car was spotted on Princes St, minutes before the crash travelling south towards King Edward St. The footage showed Mani’s car crossing an intersection with both passenger-side wheels crossing the centreline. The SCU said it was likely Mani was wearing a seatbelt, but William Quin was unlikely to have been wearing his. Borrowdale said the deaths “like so many similar cases that come before coroners”, were mainly the result of a combination of “excessive alcohol consumption and driving”. “The motor vehicle collision that claimed Josiah and Williams’ lives, and badly injured their friend, was awful to behold, with Josiah’s car quickly becoming an inferno from which rescue was impossible. “Their deaths were entirely avoidable. Josiah was extremely intoxicated while driving that evening, and on more than one occasion crossed the centreline and into the path of oncoming traffic. “It is simply unsafe to drive while intoxicated.” Borrowdale said a wealth of information was available about drink-driving. “I encourage all drivers – and especially young and learner drivers – to follow the alcohol awareness and driving safety advice that is made available by the Ministry of Transport, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency, and other entities, and abstain from driving while affected by alcohol.” She extended her condolences to both men’s families. Thu, 25 May 2023 19:23:45 Z /news/dunedin/mystery-object-found-in-sprite-can-causes-concern-for-mosgiel-mum/ /news/dunedin/mystery-object-found-in-sprite-can-causes-concern-for-mosgiel-mum/ A Mosgiel mother was left horrified after discovering a mysterious object at the bottom of her 4-year-old daughter’s can of Sprite. Bridgett Taylor has hit out at Coca-Cola’s response to the discovery on Saturday, saying the company told her no one was able to talk to her at the weekend about what the object might be. Meanwhile, she was left worrying the object was a battery and her daughter Maddie might have consumed part of it. Taylor said her weekend took a turn for the worse when she gave her daughter a can of Sprite on Saturday after the family arrived home from a holiday. Taylor said she had not noticed how fast Maddie finished the drink, as she was busy unpacking, but soon heard a rattling in the can. The object would not shake out of the can, so she cut the can open to reveal what she thought was a battery. “It was degraded; all you could see was solder. “I began to feel very worried she might have swallowed what was connected to the battery.” Taylor contacted Coca-Cola New Zealand to reach its quality assurance team to answer her concerns — but was “disappointed” to find out the team was not available during the weekend. She then called the National Poison Centre, which advised watch her to daughter closely over the next 48 hours. “It was disappointing. I had to spend the weekend anxious as I did not know whether my daughter swallowed anything dangerous. “She is fine now, but who is to say she didn’t ingest something that could bite back later on?” The object found in the can of Sprite. Photo / Otago Daily Times Mrs Taylor received a call from a Coca-Cola representative yesterday afternoon, who said a courier bag was being sent to her house, so she could send the object and the can for inspection. She still did not know whether her daughter was fully safe. "I gave them the batch and serial numbers but they won’t be able to test the liquid as my daughter drank it. "I just hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else." The Coca-Cola spokesman said every can of drink was checked under the company's quality assurance programme. "This is the first complaint we’ve had of this nature." - Titus Lambert-Lane, ODT Tue, 23 May 2023 00:39:58 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-homicide-woman-charged-with-murder-after-man-s-death-at-house-last-night/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-homicide-woman-charged-with-murder-after-man-s-death-at-house-last-night/ A 60-year-old woman has been charged with murder following a sudden death at a Dunedin property last night. The woman is due to appear Dunedin District Court today. Police were called to the Tainui Rd address at around 5.20pm yesterday. Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh said a man was found dead at the address. A woman was taken into custody at the property and has subsequently been charged with murder. “We’d like to reassure our community that we are not seeking anyone else in relation to this incident. We know that this tragic event has shaken the community and Police and Victim Support will be working closely to offer support for all involved.” There would be an increased police presence in the area while investigations continue. A neighbour said he saw a woman wearing Ugg boots being led away by police. He believed the couple in the house had moved in at the start of the year. Police had initially been armed with rifles, the neighbour said. Another neighbour said officers had arrived, initially without lights or sirens, to search a house near the intersection with Magdala St. A St John first response vehicle had attended briefly, the neighbour said. - Rob Kidd, ODT Thu, 18 May 2023 21:55:23 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-college-blasts-wrong-assumptions-over-backlash-to-school-s-formal-rules/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-college-blasts-wrong-assumptions-over-backlash-to-school-s-formal-rules/ The head of a South Island high school has defended its decision to prevent students from attending their Y13 formal if they only purchase single tickets, they must instead bring a partner. He said the matter is a question of making the school event “financially viable”, but it hasn’t stopped backlash against the rule. Otago Boys’ High School has seen 84 tickets sold to its mid-year school formal thus far, yet the school’s rector - Richard Hall - claimed to have been “attacked” on social media over the event. Students appeared to read the decision to prevent single tickets from being purchased as having homophobic and discriminatory intentions towards those not in a relationship. The complaints were expressed to the school over social media. “Wrongly assumptions have been made about our school and its culture,” said Hall in a statement to the Herald. “This has been misconstrued as against the LGBTQI+ community and as discriminatory against those not in a relationship.” Explaining the thought process behind the decision, Hall said the last two years had seen an increase of students purchasing single tickets, which he said created problems around meeting budgeted ticket sale numbers. “In 2022, we had to postpone the formal until August because of this,” he said. Allowing only single tickets to be purchased also, according to Hall, changed “the tone and ethos of the event”. The college’s students had gone on in posts to express a belief on social media that the formal’s cancellation notice - used in, for example, a major Covid-19 outbreak - as being illegal. Hall dismissed this idea. Otago Boys' High School rector Richard Hall said wrong assumptions had been made about his school and its culture. Photo / ODT “In regards to a potential loss of deposit, this is standard practice for a number of schools. We cannot afford to subsidise this any more than we do,” the rector said. “I hope I would not have to, but I will anyway, be clear, I have no problem with the identity or gender of [an attendee’s] partner.” The rector acknowledged the school’s “hard-working” Year 13 formal committee that had worked hard to keep the price of attending the event as low as possible. In preparation for the formal, Hall also said he’d met with Year 13 students, the prefect leadership and a class of Year 13 students - followed by the entire year group and explained the ethos of the event. Hall said it was made clear to the students that the school needed ticket sales and what the event’s ethos was. Because the school has sold the number of tickets it has, the event “will happen” barring catastrophe. Signing off, Hall mentioned the school tragedy at the opposite end of the country, where a student caving in Whangarei was washed away by flood waters. “I realise our situation is not the tragedy that others are trying to make out. Perspective is important.” Tue, 09 May 2023 20:33:34 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-murder-teen-admits-killing-mother-with-10kg-dumbbell/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-murder-teen-admits-killing-mother-with-10kg-dumbbell/ A Dunedin teenager who bludgeoned his mother to death with a dumbbell has pleaded guilty to murder. The defendant – who turned 18 just days before the crime – appeared before the High Court at Dunedin this morning, where the details of his attack were outlined. On January 13, he was celebrating his birthday at home with a friend and his mother. Shortly before midnight, the associate left the two alone. According to court documents, at 1.15am, the defendant picked up a 10kg dumbbell and repeatedly slammed it into his mother’s head as she lay in bed. An autopsy two days later found 15 separate lacerations and extensive facial fractures. Before leaving the address, the teen placed towels on the stove and turned it on. As it smouldered, he packed a bag with underwear, a T-shirt, shorts and a bottle of water and fled on foot. In Fea St, North Dunedin, 4km away, the defendant knocked on a door and asked the residents if he could use a phone. The court heard he spent 26 minutes on a call to police, at first describing “an assault” but reluctant to give detail. “During that phone call, the defendant sounded lucid and coherent, but at some stages sounded upset and crying,” a summary of facts said. He provided his name and his home address, where the killing had taken place. When asked whether an ambulance was needed for the victim he said no, police should “just go in”. His mother was dead, he confirmed. The defendant was asked how serious the assault had been. “Very,” he replied. What type of assault had he committed?  “A murder,” he said. When officers entered the home, they found the fire alarm sounding, a haze of smoke in the kitchen and the victim dead in her bed. The murder weapon was on the floor of the hallway. Half an hour later, the defendant was picked up at Fea St where he had been waiting in his blood-stained clothing. The teenager, who appeared in court wearing a bright orange, prison-issue tracksuit, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in August. - Rob Kidd, ODT Mon, 08 May 2023 22:59:18 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-police-sting-police-find-115k-in-cash-60k-of-cannabis/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-police-sting-police-find-115k-in-cash-60k-of-cannabis/ Ayden Watt admitted it; he got greedy. A police sting on the 28-year-old’s Brighton home on April 13, 2021, made it clear just how greedy he was. In the culmination of a 10-month police operation, which included undercover officers buying cannabis five times, they found more than $115,000 in cash and a haul of the class-C drug worth $60,000. Watt, who Judge Michael Turner said was the corporate equivalent of the owner of the enterprise, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, where he was jailed for three years and one month. The “chief executive officer”, his on-off partner Sarah Jones (39), was sentenced to 12 months’ home detention, while her brother Jacob Jones (34), the delivery man, got 10 months’ home detention. In May 2020, police became aware of large quantities of cannabis being sold in Dunedin and South Otago. With contacts throughout the South Island, Watt sourced the drug through a network of suppliers, the court heard. When he moved in with Sarah Jones a couple of months later, police began closing in. The trio had a simple chain of command: Watt would package the product and his then-partner would weigh it before passing it on to her brother for distribution. He used social media, primarily Snapchat, to organise sales, meeting buyers at his home or at prominent locations and carparks around the city, court documents said. Jacob Jones would message his co-defendants on completion of a deal: “done”. Evidently, business was booming. Occasionally, Sarah Jones had to meet her brother around town to restock him when demand was high. Undercover police first met Jacob Jones in September 2020 and bought a $50 bag. They met him on three consecutive days, eventually buying an ounce of cannabis for $450. Over the next two months, covert officers met the defendant several more times, discussing the supply of larger amounts. But it was five months before police swooped on the Brighton home. In a “tactics case” they found $78,720 in $10,000 bundles and there were smaller amounts in various rooms of the house. Critically, they also discovered receipts from cash sales — for restaurants, building supplies, vehicle servicing, lawyers and contractors — totalling $104,000. There were smaller quantities of cannabis around the property but it was in Watt’s vehicle that they hit the jackpot. Officers found 3.6kg of the drug, packaged up and ready for sale. When faced with the overwhelming evidence against them, all three folded and confessed to their involvement. The court heard Watt, who had similar drug-dealing convictions from 2019 and 2014, had grown up in a dysfunctional household and had been exposed to cannabis and domestic violence from an early age. Sarah Jones said she had acted as a “mother hen, to keep her brother safe to ensure he did not associate with the wrong sort of people”. But Judge Turner said she had “intimate knowledge” of the operation.  “She was part of a small team and played an important role,” he said. Her counsel Steve Turner stressed his client had no previous convictions and was otherwise a productive member of society: parenting, working, caring for an ailing parent, studying and volunteering. The judge accepted Jacob Jones was motivated by his addiction and was the lowest in the group’s hierarchy, nevertheless playing a “pivotal role”. Police said they had restrained assets worth about $3.2 million and the court heard yesterday that forfeiture was the subject of an ongoing High Court civil proceeding. - Rob Kidd, ODT Sat, 06 May 2023 08:52:20 Z /news/dunedin/nine-times-the-limit-wrong-way-driver-drank-a-litre-of-vodka-a-day/ /news/dunedin/nine-times-the-limit-wrong-way-driver-drank-a-litre-of-vodka-a-day/ A Dunedin driver who confessed to drinking a litre of vodka a day had her keys confiscated by a worried member of the public, a court has heard. Josie Alice Tweed, 42, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after a blood test revealed a blood-alcohol level of 417mg, almost nine times the legal limit. At 7pm on November 23, Tweed was driving in Queens Dr when she was seen veering into the oncoming lane for about seven seconds. A member of the public who was driving behind her saw the car veering into the opposite lane for a further 15 seconds, narrowly missing several parked vehicles. The erratic behaviour continued, with the woman briefly driving into oncoming traffic before coming to a complete stop on the correct side of the road. A witness stopped to offer assistance and after talking briefly to Tweed they pulled the keys from the ignition and called police. Arriving to find the woman still in the driver’s seat, police attempted to carry out breath-test procedures but the defendant refused, opting for a blood test. “I’ve never seen a reading this high. “And I’ve been doing this job for quite some time,” community magistrate Jan Holmes said.  “It is very lucky you didn’t hurt somebody.” Since the incident Tweed had been addressing her issues with drinking, after admitting to police she drank a litre of vodka a day, counsel Deborah Henderson said. Tweed was sentenced to 12 months’ supervision and 100 hours’ community work after being convicted of dangerous driving and drink driving. She was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for 11 months, after which she would face zero-alcohol-licence provisions. Tweed was also required to pay court costs of $130 and blood-analysis fees of $293. - Erin Cox, ODT Sat, 29 Apr 2023 00:45:57 Z /news/dunedin/hyde-st-party-flatmates-hosting-infamous-party-right-up-their-street/ /news/dunedin/hyde-st-party-flatmates-hosting-infamous-party-right-up-their-street/ Five North Dunedin flatmates are finalising plans for the stage they will host at the infamous Hyde St party this weekend. The Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) has once again partnered with the residents of Hyde St, north Dunedin, to organise the annual event this Saturday. The event starts at 10.30am, when attendees will flood into the cordoned-off street in costumes and take in performances from a range of artists. Live music will play outside multiple houses, or “stages”, along the street, showcasing local bands and DJs. The Hyde St flatmates said they were “amped” to host the party and were making final touches to their setlist. The Otago Daily Times visited the street yesterday, but most students spoken to did not want to be named. One resident said the party was a good opportunity to check out the local talent and connect with other partygoers. “The beginning of the day is always fun as the party tends to bring the street closer together. The music line-up is always great too. “Not going to lie, I’m very excited to see how clean the street is going to be after the party,” she said. A clean-up of the notorious party street has also become an annual event. A police spokesman said officers would be working closely with the OUSA, Dunedin City Council and emergency services to ensure partygoers “are safe and feel safe”. Safety protocol included free food at the event and removal for unacceptable behaviour. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand command unit would also be present to assist with the co-ordination of the agencies involved. The party, which has the capacity to host about 3600 people, is thought to have started in 1995. The OUSA stepped in to organise the event after the 2012 party drew about 10,000 people, leading to the collapse of a roof. Tickets for general admission are issued by lottery. The winners are allowed to buy tickets, which cost from $20 for residents to $70 for non-students. - Titus Lambert-Lane, ODT Thu, 27 Apr 2023 02:19:33 Z /news/dunedin/census-worker-greeted-by-aggressive-teen-with-airgun-in-dunedin/ /news/dunedin/census-worker-greeted-by-aggressive-teen-with-airgun-in-dunedin/ “You answered the door like some kind of gangster,” Judge Michael Turner told a teen who pulled an airgun on two male census workers. “You might have been irritated by someone knocking on the door ... but they were entitled to be there”. At the Dunedin District Court earlier this month, Damian Robert Larsen, 19, of Mosgiel, admitted presenting an airgun at the pair (aged 66 and 77). Court documents said Larsen was at home asleep, about 10am, when the victims went to speak to the occupants because the census for the household had not been completed. The 66-year-old knocked on the door and tried to speak to a male who opened a second-floor window. While the victims were explaining why they were there, they heard someone else inside swearing at them. Larsen opened the door, only a few steps away from the pair, holding an airgun across his body. Both feared for their safety, the court heard. Larsen continued swearing at them and said he did not answer questions. The younger victim asked him to put the gun away. Larsen responded by saying it was a .22 and cracked the barrel open while taking a step backwards. Feeling threatened, the victims fled to their vehicle which was parked down the road. As they got in, Larsen stood on the front lawn staring at them. The address was searched on April 3 but the firearm was not found. Larsen told police he did not realise what he had done was an offence. The weapon was an airgun he purchased from a shop and he had sold it to a friend on the day of the incident, he said. His behaviour had been “unimpressive ... like your demeanour in court — shrugging your shoulders”, the judge said. Larsen was sentenced to 80 hours’ community work and ordered to pay $100 emotional harm reparation to each victim. Tue, 18 Apr 2023 21:13:44 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-city-council-urges-public-to-protest-hospital-cuts/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-city-council-urges-public-to-protest-hospital-cuts/ Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (HNZ) has consistently said the new hospital will be state-of-the-art and fit-for-purpose. However, the council has been unanimous in its condemnation of the cuts, and last month approved a campaign fund of up to $130,400. Following a joint letter from Labour MPs Rachel Brooking, Ingrid Leary, Rino Tirikatene and David Clark expressing bemusement at the council’s objections, the campaign is now under way. The letter states the savings will benefit the taxpayer money without any reduction in services. The “condescending” response left a sour taste, Radich said. The Government had gone back on its word by altering plans signed off by Cabinet in 2020. “It’s time to hold this Government to account, to ensure they build what was promised to the people of Dunedin and the South,” Radich said. The changes mean the hospital will open with fewer beds, scanners and operating theatres, and other cuts include the loss of the staff pavilion building and a reduction in pathology space. “Pathology space and staff amenities for our hard-working doctors and nurses is eroded and now tucked away in corners of reproposed space that was designated to be left empty to future-proof the hospital,” Radich said. The overwhelming feedback he had received from clinicians was that the new design would not meet the health needs of southern communities. “I urge everyone, from our students to our families, to our senior citizens, to get involved now and insist the agreed hospital capacity goes ahead.” Anything less was short-changing the South. A range of resources had been produced for community use, such as objection letter templates and a petition link. These could be found at the newly established campaign website. - Fiona Ellis, ODT Sat, 25 Mar 2023 00:49:34 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-road-names-to-include-more-women/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-road-names-to-include-more-women/ Plenty of men from Dunedin’s history are recognised on the city’s street signs - but not many women. The Dunedin City Council is taking steps to change that. The council yesterday announced the names of nine influential women it hoped to add to its road naming register, a list of pre-approved names that can be chosen for new roads in the city. Group manager transport Jeanine Benson said consent from family members of the women will be needed before the names are added to the list. “We are reaching out to family members of each of these women, asking that they come forward and approve their use. “Without family consent, we cannot add these names to the register.” The historic figures it hoped to add to the list included Yvette Winifred Corlett, the first woman from New Zealand to win an Olympic gold medal. Former track-and-field athlete Yvette Corlett, who died in 2019. Photo / Sarah Ivey, File Laura Maria Hayward was included for her work with refugees in Dunedin during World War 1 for which she was awarded the Belgian honour, the Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth. Harriet Morison, the founding member of the women’s franchise league in Dunedin was also on the list. The additions come after the council was criticised in 2016 when staff came up with 18 names to be added to the list that only included Pākehā men. Benson said the council was also in the process of including more Māori options to the list. About 20 Māori naming options were being reviewed. Anyone with a family connection to the nine women was asked to contact council transport staff within the next three months. Councillor Christine Garey, a member of the Women of Ōtepoti Recognition Project, has been campaigning for better recognition of women on Dunedin’s street signs, and welcomed the move. Christine Garey. Photo / supplied via Otago Daily Times “For too long the women who helped to shape this city have not been recognised in the street names chosen thus far. That is slowly starting to change,” she said. She challenged developers who chose from the list when building subdivisions to go with more diverse names. - Mark John, ODT Nine names proposed for road naming register Rachelina Hepburn Armitage (1873-1955) Yvette Winifred Corlett (nee Williams, 1929-2019) Margaret Cruickshank (1873-1918) Laura Maria Hayward (1870-1966) Rachel Reynolds (nee Pinkerton) (1838-1928) Eileen Louise Soper (nee Service) (1900-89) Mary Ann Wellbourn (1835-1918) Catherine Redmayne (1825-1869) Harriet Morison (1862-1925) Thu, 23 Mar 2023 22:44:23 Z /news/dunedin/dunedin-truck-crash-pedestrian-killed-by-runaway-truck-named/ /news/dunedin/dunedin-truck-crash-pedestrian-killed-by-runaway-truck-named/ A pedestrian killed when a truck rolled across three intersections in central Dunedin has been named. Connor Harley Latty, 20, died at the scene when he was hit by a runaway truck in Police St near the intersection with Crawford St (State Highway 1) about 7.55am on Friday. The truck struck Latty before hitting several cars, the spokesman said. Latty was understood to be on the way to his work at Repco when he was hit. In a death notice published in today’s Otago Daily Times, Latty’s family paid tribute to him. “Words cannot express the heartache we feel that Connor didn’t have time to follow his dreams. “No truer words have been said.” The notice goes on to say that Latty’s family went beyond his blood relatives. “Thoughts of Connor will always bring beautiful memories and smiles to family and friends.” Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said the investigation into the crash was continuing. The commercial vehicle safety team, along with the serious crash unit, attended the scene on Friday and the crash had been referred to WorkSafe. “Now it is a case of reviewing all the evidence before a decision is made about the outcome.” A witness said the driver was not in the truck at the time of the incident, but appeared to be talking to mechanics at an auto parts store in Carroll St when the truck began to move. He yelled an expletive as the vehicle started to careen down the hill. It appeared to hit a building before smashing into a car, the witness said. Damage could be seen to the side of the Forno’s Auction House building in Police St. Images from the scene suggest the pedestrian had been walking in Police St, between Princes and Bond Sts. A badly damaged white Subaru was nearby and appeared to have been spun around by the force of the truck. Across Crawford St, a red hatchback appeared to have been wedged underneath a black SUV by the force of the truck coming to a stop. A witness who came across the scene shortly afterwards said the incident was “pretty crazy” and it was heartbreaking a person had died. Cars were piled up on top of each other in Police St, between Crawford and Vogel Sts. Tue, 21 Mar 2023 23:13:57 Z /news/dunedin/person-seriously-hurt-in-st-clair-dunedin-stabbing/ /news/dunedin/person-seriously-hurt-in-st-clair-dunedin-stabbing/ A person has been taken to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries after a stabbing in St Clair. A police spokesman said officers were called to reports of an assault at a Bay View Rd address in St Clair about 9.30am. “It appears one person has sustained a stab wound and is in a serious condition,” the spokesman said. A man was taken into custody and charges were being considered. Two police cars could be seen on the street, between Pretoria Ave and Massey Ave. A Hato Hone St John spokeswoman said it was called to the incident at 9.20am. An ambulance attended and took one patient to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries. Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:27:06 Z /news/dunedin/fur-seal-spotted-too-close-to-otago-cycleway-entrance/ /news/dunedin/fur-seal-spotted-too-close-to-otago-cycleway-entrance/ Cyclists face many obstacles every day on the road but they do not usually include marine mammals. A fur seal was spotted 100m north of the Maia entrance to the Otago Harbour Cycleway yesterday morning by a member of the public. The fur seal had emerged from the lagoon and on to the shore to rest. The member of the public said they were amazed at how far the seal had travelled but were also concerned for its wellbeing. They promptly called the Department of Conservation. Coastal Biodiveristy Otago ranger Jim Fyfe said curious fur seals and sea lions regularly turned up in unusual places. The fur seal spotted on the Harbour Cycleway yesterday morning. Photo / Supplied It was not unusual for seals to come up and lie across the 1-2m verge between the harbour and the road as “their habitat overlaps with ours”. But it was not common for a seal to go up behind the fence and wander 500m on to the cycleway, he said. The fence between the railway and the cycleway would have stopped the seal from returning to the water once it had made it to the road, he said. “It probably kept on wandering along looking for a gap in the barrier to get down to the water again, it had quite a fair way to go in either direction.” While fur seals were not overtly aggressive, people should still be cautious around one, he said.  “They’re a lot more flighty than sea-lions so they get scared and scared animals are probably the most dangerous animal if they feel like they’re cornered. “If the animal is sleeping and it’s to one side you can probably sneak past quietly and be fine, but if it’s awake and feeling threatened then read those signals and it’s probably a good idea to dismount from your bike and just walk.” Cyclists should distance themselves as much as possible from the seal and place their bike between them should it lunge. By: Tim Scott - PIJF cadet reporter, Otago Daily Times Mon, 27 Feb 2023 21:54:34 Z