The Weekend: The darkest day is behind us

The second most powerful police officer in the country, Jevon McSkimming, has resigned following allegations of pornographic material found on his work computer. He had been suspended on full pay since December during a criminal investigation by the police and the Independent Police Conduct Authority related to separate allegations. Police Minister Mark Mitchell announced McSkimming's resignation, which occurred before he could potentially be removed from his position. Full Article

SummaryA woman, whose identity is suppressed, allegedly sent messages before the fatal shooting of Rau Tongia in Karori, Wellington, in 2020, stating “kill him” and “this n***** needs to go permanently.” The Crown argues that these messages implicate her as a party to the murder, while the woman denies the charge, claiming she cannot recall sending the messages or that they were taken seriously. Her lawyer contends that the messages are irrelevant to the case...

Paul Ellis Faces Court for Excessive Drunk Driving Paul Ellis has pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol, nearly seven times the legal limit, blowing 1688 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, well above the 250mcg legal threshold. Additionally, he was convicted of driving while disqualified, having failed to apply for an interlock licence following his previous conviction in Blenheim. Ellis has been remanded on bail and is scheduled for sentencing in August....

A person with measles visited Unichem New Lynn and Mount Albert PakN’Save in Auckland on May 7 while infectious, prompting Health NZ to list these locations as points of interest. The National Public Health Service (NPHS) advises individuals who were present at these locations during the specified times to check their immunisation status for measles. Specifically, the times of exposure were Unichem New Lynn between 9:00 and 10:30 am and Pak n Save from 10:00...

Auckland man Aaron Carl Drever, a former real estate agent and convicted fraudster, has requested a court to convert his prison sentence to home detention following a "savage" assault he experienced while incarcerated. The Crown counters that Drever is a "calculated criminal" who lacks self-awareness regarding the harm caused by his actions, having committed significant fraud while on bail for other offenses. Justice David Johnstone has reserved his decision after considering arguments from both Drever...

SummaryAct leader David Seymour has refuted Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s assertion that his party is changing its stance on social media restrictions for New Zealanders under 16. In a Newstalk ZB interview, Luxon suggested that Act was beginning to reconsider their position, but Seymour, soon to be Luxon's Deputy Prime Minister, clarified in a social media post that Act's stance remains unchanged and that it is others who are shifting their views. This public disagreement...