Lyn Fleming's murder accused has name suppression lifted; New claims from Erin Patterson's estranged husband; Businesses targeted by scam e-stores.
1 Man accused of murdering Nelson police officer Lyn Fleming named
The man accused of murdering Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in Nelson can now be named as 32-year-old Hayden Donald Jason Tasker of Motueka.
Tasker faces charges of murder and attempted murder after Fleming and her colleague, Adam Ramsay, were struck by a vehicle while on foot patrol in the early hours of New Year's Day
Until now, Tasker had interim name suppression, which lifted today.
2 The claims jury in Erin Patterson mushroom trial didn't hear
Prosecutors had alleged in a pre-trial hearing that Erin Patterson tried to kill her estranged husband three times between 2021 and 2022 by repeatedly poisoning his food.
Simon Patterson said he had believed he was Erin's only target before his relatives' hospitalisation from the fatal mushroom lunch in 2023, setting off a chain of events that formed part of the case against Erin Patterson.
In one instance, he underwent multiple emergency surgeries, and had part of his bowel removed which led his GP to advise him to keep a food journal to track repeated, unexplained bouts of severe illness.
3 'Soul destroying': Fake e-store hijacks Matakana business' brand
A scam website that has taken the name and brand identity of a genuine Matakana business and marketed itself online has misled customers and prompted a compliance probe from the Commerce Commission.
The business owner at Matakana Boutique said it was "soul destroying" to see their brand identity taken from them and had multiple women calling her per day chasing up late packages, asking for refunds, and complaining about poor-quality clothing they had received.
The Commerce Commission said it has received 150 inquiries this year about fake retail websites that appear to be locally run.
4 Israel approves plan to retake Gaza City in another escalation of war
Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
The decision taken on Friday marks another escalation of Israel’s 22-month offensive launched in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack.
Those in Gaza say there's "nothing left to occupy" following Israel's air and ground war.
5 Three participants in boot camp pilot in prison or youth justice facility
Following the end of a 12-month Government military style boot camp for young offenders, seven of 10 participants reoffended to a threshold that required their return to a residence during the pilot.
Some of the reoffending was particularly violent, including assault, carjacking, and robbery.
"We knew that wasn't something we could change overnight, but what we wanted to be able to see was that reducing, and we genuinely believe we have," said Oranga Tamariki's deputy chief executive of youth justice services.
Watch: Road snowfall warnings as cold snap moves in
MetService's Heather Keats revealed the extremely 'chilly' temperatures some regions can expect as icy weather moves up from the south.
ONE SEA CUCUMBER BUST
A Christchurch man has been sentenced to 18 months' jail and banned from fishing for three years for poaching 1432 sea cucumbers.
The daily limit per person for taking sea cucumbers is 50, and his equipment, including two boats and a car, was forfeited to the Crown.
A Fisheries manager said that the sea cucumbers were likely bound for the black market, which only cost $25/kg compared to the commercial cost of $80/kg.
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