HuttNZ

I have been following this story for some time awaiting the outcome of the Trial. Against this is the current situation occurring in Farmer Cres at present and it seems to me the presence of a mentality of those that live there, or by circumstances made to live there.

A man who battered his partner to death then stuffed her body into a wardrobe has been found guilty of murder.

The woman’s family now want an apology from her killer.

Malcolm Ngeru, 44, unemployed of Taita, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Mihi Tuhoro on July 20 last year. He admitted killing her but said he did not have the intent to do so because he was so drunk, and was instead guilty of manslaughter.

A jury in the High Court at Wellington yesterday took more than 10 hours to find him guilty of murder. He has been convicted and remanded in custody to December 11 for sentence.

Ms Tuhoro’s brother, Manuel Tuhoro, who sat through every day of the 2 1/2 week trial, was overwhelmed with emotion.

“A sorry or something would be nice,” he said outside court. “Not even his family is present.”

The jury was told Ngeru and Ms Tuhoro were alcoholics who lived in Lower Hutt’s Farmer Cres in a Housing New Zealand flat.

via Stuff

From my perspective it appears that those that live there are alienated from other social norms, expectations and society in general. I am no bleeding heart liberal in fact I side with quite a bit of what the Sensible Sentencing Trust advocates.

Has the area become such a gang enclave, that without adhering to the gang’s mentality there is no alternative, or is it because they respect that value system more, because it provides individual respect,  income and the chance to get ahead.

In the case of all these indivduals both male and female is their self-esteem so low that they see no alternative to the life they lead? or conversely do our social agencies just place them back into the areas that are familiar to them, I think not in this case alternatives were provided, not accepted, as is the case with the current situation of the residents fight against Housing NZ.

I’m not here to present answers, there are many vastly more qualified than me, but when was the last time you looked at the area around Farmer Cres, Pomare?

To be polite I would call it low socio-economic area, in another term perhaps a ghetto of disenfranchised individuals. I hate the housing that was presented as a solution to low-cost accommodation in the 60s when the Hutt needed low skilled labour. I always felt that the solution with State Housing whether state or local should be spread around amongst other areas rather than high-rise towers and feel it was a British import that was not needed given the ample supply of land at the time. Brixton London, and its problems come to mind.

Where am I going with all this, I don’t know the answers (neither does any of the government agencies) but I am going to walk around Farmer Cres this weekend and see how I feel, rather than drive past without thinking about it.

Three people are continuing to help Police after an incident that is suspected to be gang related occurred in Wainuiomata. The incident followed a shotgun discharge in Castlerea St which sparked an Armed Offenders Squad callout in the early afternoon following a report from a member of the public.

 The media is reporting no-one is injured and the incident was over by 4pm, with the AOS been stood down earlier. At this stage no firearm has been recovered and Police are continuing their investigation with the occupants of the house.

I’m a bit over these random attacks that are occurring by our youth against other youth. Recent Queensgate attacks, and the incident at Hutt Valley High School last year show violence against one another is accepted. These guys need to be found and brought to account quickly. I hope they are really over 16 so they can be made accountable.

Police seek shoe-stealing thugs
NZPA

Police are hunting “cowardly thugs” who bashed up a 15-year-old boy and stole his shoes.

Lower Hutt police believe the victim was followed by two members of a larger group from the Naenae Shopping Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

He was then set upon and robbed of his shoes and was lucky to escape with only minor injuries.

“This is a random and violent attack, carried out in broad daylight at a busy time of the day,” Detective Constable Mike Smith said.

“The victim was targeted solely because of the type of shoe being worn. It was a cowardly attack committed by thugs who need to be prosecuted.”

The offenders are described as Maori, aged about 16-17. One had short brown hair with a bleached blond ‘mullet’ and wore a white top and short.

Mr Smith appealed for any witnesses in the Chapman Crescent/Sladden Street area to come forward.

Via Stuff

A jealous lover was today jailed for a claw hammer attack on a man who he believed to be his ex-girlfriend’s new partner.

Trevor William Grindrod, 34, was sentenced at the High Court in Wellington to seven years and nine months imprisonment.

Justice Warwick Gendall said that six weeks after Grindrod split with his girlfriend, he visited her house uninvited and saw her with a workmate, “you thought, in a mildly amorous situation”.

The man barricaded himself in the bedroom and told Grindrod he had called the police, “but you were not to be denied,” attacking him with the claw hammer, Justice Gendall said.

“This was an unprovoked, prolonged, gratuitous attack with a lethal weapon,” Justice Gendall said.

“You were fortunate you did not kill the complainant.”

Crown prosecutor Kate Feltham said Grindrod walked from Wainuiomata to the workmate’s Lower Hutt house, “picking up” the hammer on the way.

He smashed his way into the property through a window, broke through the bedroom door and began hitting the man in the head and body with the hammer, adding punches and kicks.

The attack spilled into the bathroom where Grindrod ripped a vanity from the wall and attempted to beat his victim with it.

Grindrod told police he was trying to kill the man and was initially charged with attempted murder.

This was later reduced to injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

His victim suffered numerous injuries including a broken nose, but after months of physiotherapy escaped long term physical damage.

Justice Gendall noted Grindrod had 20 previous convictions, four of which were for assault and included two attacks on children between late 2007 and early 2008.

Via NZPA

At first I had put Mr Grindrods attack as a crime passionnel (or crime of passion) but no sympathy here, previous attacks on children. Mr Grindrod was lucky not to have received the maximum sentence, and it seems his violent past has caught up with him in receipt of this sentencing.

Wellington, Sept 9 NZPA – A Lower Hutt man accused of stealing a car and petrol, then leading police on a high-speed chase had his sentencing delayed when he appeared in Taupo District Court today.

Regan Shannon McKinley, 20, of Petone, pleaded guilty to 14 charges when he appeared before Judge James Rota in Taupo District Court last month.

He was then remanded for sentencing this week, but today that was put back to September 23.

McKinley stole a Subaru Impreza and then $105 worth of petrol from BP Geyser in Rotorua on August 10.

He later refused to get out of the vehicle after being stopped by police on State Highway 5, north of Taupo. He sped off, striking Constable Janine O’Connor on the knee and was chased for 40km at speeds up to 170kmh.

After road spikes deflated three tyres on the car, he drove another 9km before being stopped and arrested.

Ms O’Connor suffered minor bruising and a sore left knee but did not require medical help.

McKinley was found to have a breath alcohol reading of 476mcg of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.

He also faces numerous charges from courts in Taupo, Tauranga and Lower Hutt.

Judge Chris McGuire today indicated McKinley could expect to receive 12 months home detention, a further disqualification from driving and reparation.

He described McKinley’s actions as a “Bonnie and Clyde episode which was serious, reckless, dangerous and seriously criminal”.

He was remanded in custody.

Via NZPA WGT

There has been another ugly incident involving two groups of female school students in Lower Hutt. The schools concerned are believed to be Wainuiomata High School and Hutt Valley High School.

Police say they attended an incident at Westfield mall in Lower Hutt yesterday afternoon because of reports of fighting between two groups of girls reported by Westfield staff. One witness described seeing some of the students from rival schools in the Hutt Valley having blood on their school uniforms.

Police made no arrests as the 30 to 40 girls involved in the fight ran off as officers arrived. As yet neither High Schools are making comment.

Upper Hutt Police are grateful for the CCTV cameras which helped them identify and catch a group of young thieves who had stolen from a 14 year old autistic boy.

The incident occurred at approximately 4pm on the Wednesday 2nd September 2009 at the Upper Hutt Railway Station. The boy had been waiting at a bus shelter when a group of youths formulated a plan to steal his school bag.

While the boy was not looking, one of the youths threw the victim’s school bag across the station subway area into the waiting arms of two others. Two of the group rifled through the boy’s bag taking a cell phone and wallet, items which he depended on for communicating with his family.

After removing the items, the group threw the bag back across the railway station towards the victim.

The boy became very distraught when he noticed his bag missing. He was visibly shaken and vulnerable and was comforted by a bus driver at the time.

Upper Hutt police conducted area patrols of the railway station and surrounding streets. Members of the public provided information regarding the youth’s whereabouts and they were apprehended by Police. Two youths have been referred to Police Youth Aid for their offending.

“The combination of evidence from CCTV footage, members of the public has helped us to track down these youths and return this boy’s property. CCTV is very a valuable tool and we’re very grateful that we have it”, said Constable Dave Higgins, who was one of the attending officers.

Constable Higgins commented that with further advances in the CCTV technology in the city, apprehensions of offenders for similar type offending could be greatly enhanced.

Via NZ Police

Police are looking for a man who robbed a Caltex service station in Wainuiomata on Tuesday last week.
The offender entered the Strand Caltex on August 25 between 10:45pm and 11:10pm and demanded cash from the sole employee, said Lower Hutt police.
He was described as being 1.67m tall and of solid build. He was wearing dark clothing.
He left with an undisclosed amount of money.