Court

Lawyers have been given 11 days to hand in their final submissions to the authority deciding whether jockey Lisa Cropp used methamphetamine in 2005.

A friend told today how he saw Marie Davis murder accused Dean Stewart Cameron disposing of a fishing knife, saying he did not want to be seen carrying it around.

Two men were today committed to stand trial for the burglary of $50,000 property from three government departments and an information technology company in Wellington.

The Rotorua household in which Nia Glassie was allegedly victimised and suffered fatal head injuries was "rudderless", a High Court jury at Rotorua was told today. 

The body of teenager Marie Davis provided no clues about how she died, a Christchurch District Court depositions hearing was told today.

A drink-driver who abused police when he was caught three times over the alcohol limit has been sentenced to one year in jail.

The Department of Corrections is attempting to keep the man described as the "Beast of Blenheim" behind bars for nearly four more years.

Without doubt three-year-old Nia Glassie was picked on and "bullied in the worst kind of way", a jury in the High Court at Rotorua was told today.

A nurse has had her registration suspended for three months after she was caught on camera stealing $70 from a patient's room.

A retrial has been ordered for Peter Lloyd Machirus in the seven-week Operation Rhino crime ring trial.