Prisoner flights increase five fold
The number of prisoners flown south by Corrections on chartered flights increased more than fivefold over the previous two years.
Court News
Suspended lawyer retracts remarks on NZ Law Society
Suspended lawyer retracts remarks on NZ Law Society
A Dunedin lawyer banned from practising for a year has backtracked on a scathing assessment of the New Zealand Law Society.
Sex offender jailed for 17 months
Sex offender jailed for 17 months
A sex offender is back behind bars after subjecting two of his co-workers to his lewd acts.
US tourist driver in tears as fatal crash recounted
US tourist driver in tears as fatal crash recounted
A tourist who caused a head-on crash which left another traveller dead wept as the court heard details of the case.
No conviction for damaging 'those teeth'
No conviction for damaging 'those teeth'
The man who filmed himself chipping a piece from Dunedin's waterfront tooth sculpture has walked away without a conviction.
Contract assault planned in prison
Contract assault planned in prison
A sex offender with a history of violence took out a contract beating on his former partner from behind bars, a court has heard.
Claim $700,000 offered to make sexual assault allegation go away
Claim $700,000 offered to make sexual assault allegation go away
A public relations expert asked an indecent assault complainant if their allegation against a prominent New Zealander would disappear if he was wired $700,000, a court has heard.
$250k payout after cruise worker's Dunedin death
$250k payout after cruise worker's Dunedin death
A cruise ship company whose procedural botches led to the death of a crew member have been ordered to pay his family more than $250,000.
Bid to pervert course of justice stuns
Bid to pervert course of justice stuns
The extreme lengths to which a Dunedin man went to have his victim change her story have stunned a judge.
Straight-talking judge retiring from Dunedin District Court
Straight-talking judge retiring from Dunedin District Court
Dunedin criminals might be breathing a temporary sigh of relief — Judge Kevin Phillips is doing his final stretch.
'Daft explanation’ for dangerous driving
Man gives ‘daft explanation’ for dangerous driving
A man who lost control of his car on a central Dunedin street and wiped out two cars and a trailer came out with "one of the daftest explanations" a judge had ever heard.
North Otago rugby pair jailed
North Otago rugby pair jailed
A violent incident during a night of partying at Twizel in November resulted in two Kurow and former North Otago rugby representatives being jailed yesterday.
2 years, 7 months’ jail for meth dealer
2 years, 7 months’ jail for meth dealer
At Wiremu Tuhura Miller’s Balclutha home, police found snap-lock bags, scales, six cellphones, glass pipes, $870 cash and parts of a sawn-off shotgun.
Pub plans remain after drunken attack
Pub plans remain after drunken attack
A Dunedin man who came home from a bar in a rage and throttled his partner while her horrified daughter watched says he won't give up the pub.
Alcoholic spared jail on fourth drink-drive conviction
Alcoholic spared jail on fourth drink-drive conviction
After four years of sobriety, a Kaitangata women fell off the wagon spectacularly, a court has heard.
Judges go against the norm
Judges go against the norm
A Court of Appeal ruling on a Dunedin case, which has "changed the state of the law", has resulted in a man's jail term being reduced by five months.
Mother to care for children in prison
Mother to care for children in prison
A Dunedin mother of three who assisted in the armed robbery of a hotel will care for two children behind bars, a court has heard.
Post-funeral drinks turn messy
Post-funeral drinks turn messy
After drinking too much at a workmate’s funeral, a Kaitangata man went home and kicked up a stink.
Cider-fuelled spit-fest: 'I have Aids and I'm going to spit on you'
Cider-fuelled spit-fest: 'I have Aids and I'm going to spit on you'
A woman who went on a cider-fuelled spit-fest at a Dunedin police station has been ordered to undertake counselling.
Boy (5) fetched knife to help mother
Boy (5) grabs knife to protect mother from drunk neighbour
When a drunk neighbour came over and started touching his sleeping mother, a 5-year-old boy ran downstairs and grabbed a knife.