AM Edition: Top 10 Law and Security Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 2, 2026: AM – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

A former Navy ship commander faced an earlier complaint of unwanted touching before she was acquitted at a court martial of inviting a junior officer to kiss her on the cheek.

Bronwyn Heslop was the commander of HMNZS Canterbury when she was alleged to have encouraged a junior officer to kiss her by tapping her own cheek in a bar, during a deployment in Fiji in March 2023.

She was found not guilty of doing an act to prejudice service discipline at a court martial in February.

The earlier complaint of touching – revealed in documents released by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to RNZ under the Official Information Act – alleged that Commander Heslop “placed her hands on a member of the NZDF’s neck and shoulders without their consent and made comments that made them feel uncomfortable”.

Military police found there was not enough evidence to lay a charge, but the complaint did result in “administrative action” taken by command.

The NZDF said a command investigation followed the two complaints against Commander Heslop in 2024, to determine whether there was a “pattern of behaviour” inconsistent with the NZDF’s core values. It concluded with administrative actions, which can range from counselling to warnings.

Commander Heslop’s lawyer Matthew Hague said she denies any wrongdoing in relation to all the allegations.

Heslop became the first female officer to be in charge of a Royal New Zealand Navy vessel, when she took command of HMNZS Moa in 1998.

She became the ship commander of HMNZS Canterbury in April 2022, and the NZDF said she had reached the natural end of that tenure by September 2025.

She is now in a shore-based role in Military Maritime Operation Orders.

Survivor: ‘They hung her out to dry’

A survivor of sexual assault said Commander Heslop was hung out to dry while more serious sexual allegations against men in the military were dealt with behind closed doors.

Karina Andrews had her statutory name suppression lifted to speak out about the sexual abuse by her father, former Air Force Sergeant Robert Roper, which started when she was six years old.

As a child, she was interviewed by members of the Royal New Zealand Airforce in the same room as her abuser.

Andrews, who was involved in the early stages of NZDF’s Operation Respect when it was launched in 2016, said things haven’t improved as much as they should have, and that the “old boys’ club” where men in the military looked after their own was still “alive and kicking”.

Andrews said the alleged behaviour in both complaints against Commander Heslop were not fitting for a ship commander.

However, she said the alleged behaviour did not warrant a court martial, and she felts the military was prosecuting the less serious cases to show they were still doing something about the culture.

“Pretty pissed off that they would use that to say ‘hey, we’re doing something with Operation Respect’, they hung her out to dry, because they needed a win,” she said.

Andrews said if similar allegations were made against a male, it would not have resulted in a court martial.

“I know that there have been some women that have been rail-roaded into making a closed disclosure, because the military can deal with that, and nine times out of ten it is because it’s a high ranking staff member that has performed a sexual assault, that’s still the old boys looking after their own, and that hasn’t changed,” she said.

Andrews said she had spoken directly to two female NZDF staff who complained of sexual assault by male staff in the past two years, who had their complaints dealt with internally.

RNZ asked the NZDF about the allegations of its treatment of the two women, but the NZDF has not responded directly.

It said the sex of the accused person was not a factor in their decision to lay a charge in Commander Heslop’s case.

It also added that members of NZDF are free to report concerns to other independent agencies, such as the police.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s survey of more than 6000 defence personnel found that 78 people (1.3 percent of respondents) experienced unwanted sexual activity in the 12 months to March 2023.

It found junior uniformed women were particularly affected, with 7.2 percent of them among respondents reporting unwanted sexual activity, and 24.6 percent reporting some form of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Andrews said she felt that the unwanted sexual behaviour was under-reported, based on her wide contacts in the military and people who had come to her for advice on how to proceed on a complaint.

NZDF said it had made significant progress with Operation Respect, since the review in 2020.

A refreshed Operation Respect strategy with a 20-year outlook was released in June 2024, it said.

NZDF: Charge needed to be laid in alleged kissing incident

The NZDF said there was a well-founded allegation of an offence under the Armed Forces Discipline Act (AFDA) regarding the alleged kissing incident, and that they were legally required to lay a charge.

It said the charge first went to summary trial, and Commander Heslop later was given the right to elect court martial – which she chose to do.

Commander Heslop’s lawyer Matthew Hague said her decision to select court martial was a necessary step to access her basic right to a fair legal process.

“A summary trial lacks the protections afforded to all other New Zealanders, such as the right to legal representation and a trial presided over by an independent Judge,” he said.

Following Commander Heslop’s electing court martial, a decision still needed to be made by the director of military prosecutions to proceed the case to court martial.

NZDF said allegations referred to the director of military prosecutions must satisfy both the evidential and public interest tests.

“If an accused at summary trial elects trial by court martial, this will normally weigh in favour of laying the charge or charges before the court martial, provided the evidential test is met,” it said.

“As the evidential test was deemed met in this case, the charges proceed to court martial,” said the NZDF.

Law professor: discretion needed in Armed Forces Discipline Act for lower level allegations

Retired Auckland University law professor Bill Hodge sat on court martial panels for sexual assault cases when he served in the US Army.

He said he was perplexed as to why Commander Heslop’s case ended up in front of a court martial.

“I wondered why it is at that level, that’s the most senior level, it’s a lot of valuable time of valuable experienced people, and it looked like they should not be spending their time on this type of case,” he said.

He said the allegations were at a relatively low level, and based on his knowledge of military courts, the allegation of soliciting a kiss on the cheek wouldn’t even have reached the level of a summary court.

Hodge however said he understands how a ship commander can be held to a higher standard.

Hodge said there needs to be more discretion in the Armed Forces Discipline Act, where even if a charge is well founded, there could be the option of selecting a form of punishment akin to “company level punishment” – such as training, warning and counselling.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

David Tamihere’s murder convictions have been quashed, after nearly four decades, re-opening wounds and calling into question whether justice has actually been served

It took a jailhouse lawyer and a justice campaigner to break open a 36-year-old case and push for another day in court for David Tamihere, exposing a system that doesn’t like to think it’s made a mistake.

That’s investigative journalist Mike White’s take on the news this week that David Tamihere’s convictions for murdering Swedish tourists Heidi Paakkonen and Sven Urban Höglin have been quashed in a “remarkable decision” by the Supreme Court.

“It’s not too often that you get one of the most controversial cases in New Zealand’s history turned on its head,” says White, a senior writer for The Post and Sunday Star-Times who has written extensively about the case.

The five Supreme Court judges in a “very strong”, unanimous decision directed a retrial should be heard. The Crown prosecutor now has to decide whether to proceed with a retrial.

“It’s basically saying the Court of Appeal, our second most powerful and second most senior court in New Zealand got it really wrong,” says White.

In 2024, the Court of Appeal found there had been a miscarriage of justice but declined to quash his convictions.

White says the Supreme Court has made it clear that it is not saying that Tamihere is innocent, it is simply saying that his trial was fundamentally unfair and that the new case that has been brought by the Crown with a new scenario about the location of the Swedish couple has not been tested by a jury.

“That’s a fundamental right that David Tamihere has.

“So they [the Supreme Court Judges] are saying that Tamihere might be found guilty but to do that you need a new trial.”

White says this week’s decision is the right one in the interests of justice because so much of the evidence has been knocked out or refigured. But it also means the families of the victims have to relive the terrible events.

In today’s podcast, White sets out what happened in 1989 when Paakkonen and Höglin were reported missing on the Coromandel Peninsula, the arrest of Tamihere, his conviction and sentence.

Over the years, White has interviewed Tamihere – who has always insisted he is innocent – and spoken to people in Sweden closely connected to the case. This week it is once again front page news in Sweden and White’s story on Saturday will give that perspective.

“We think this is a New Zealand case, but this is still a very important case in Sweden which a lot of people remember and the country over there is still fascinated with.”

White details how in 2023 he broke the story about the involvement of the late property developer, Sir Bob Jones. Tamihere was in prison for less than a year when the lead investigator in Operation Stockholm, Detective Inspector John Hughes, met Sir Bob at a function. The two knew each other through their mutual interest in boxing.

“John Hughes came up to him allegedly. John Hughes had had a bit to drink and Bob Jones said that he started poking him in the chest and said, ‘I got Tamihere. We stitched him up, but he was guilty.”

Sir Bob was “absolutely adamant” that it had happened and wrote an affidavit for Tamihere’s lawyers explaining it, says White.

He says the case attracted a lot of attention, partly because it reflected badly on New Zealand.

“Here were two innocent travellers who’d come to New Zealand to enjoy what it offers and had disappeared and been murdered. All of a sudden it has sullied New Zealand’s reputation somewhat,” he says.

But there was much more to it.

“The police case against Tamihere had a lot of questions about it from the start and many more arose after Urban Höglin’s body was found, and they’ve continued.

“Everyone is trying to get to the bottom of it. It’s a whodunit in its most basic form. Like a lot of these cases, [the question is] have we got the right person and has justice been served?

“I think therefore it’s natural that journalists have continued to look at this and there have been some remarkably fine pieces of journalism written about the David Tamihere case including by Donna Chisholm, the legendary journalist, in North and South magazine.”

White says it’s not the first time a conviction has been overturned by journalists or others outside the system, like the jailhouse lawyer Arthur Taylor, private investigator Tim McKinnel and lawyer Nick Chisnall.

“What does it say? It says it’s a system that doesn’t like to contemplate that it’s made a mistake and it’s left to other people, not the authorities, not the police, not the Crown to push for the right questions to be asked and for another day in court for these people, leading to wrongful convictions being exposed,” White tells The Detail.

“This week’s decision is another example of how slowly and painfully the system works when it sometimes might have got it wrong.”

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

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Source: New Zealand Government

A member’s bill reforming alcohol laws comes into force at midnight tonight, providing much-needed regulatory relief and clarity for the hospitality sector just in time for the Easter long weekend, says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill, put forward by Hon. Kieran McAnulty, received Royal Assent today.

“As the Minister responsible for the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, I want to provide clear guidance to hospitality businesses about what this change means in practice,” says Mrs McKee.

The Ministry of Justice has published guidance on their website for the benefit of those involved in the alcohol regulatory system. 

“Thanks to this law, and a common-sense amendment from ACT MP Cameron Luxton, bars and pubs will no longer be forced to close at midnight tonight, or wait until 12.01am on Saturday morning to open.

“This is a practical fix that removes confusion and inconsistency between alcohol laws and shop trading restrictions.

“It also removes outdated requirements at restaurants and cafes for customers to order a ‘substantial meal’, and restrictions preventing alcohol from being served more than an hour before or after eating.

“Businesses that hold an on-licence can now operate under their normal licence conditions across Good Friday and Easter Sunday, as well as Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day.

“We are aware of some businesses that have been planning to open or host events this weekend, but have had concerns raised about whether doing so would be lawful, or whether they can even promote events that are conditional on the law being passed.

“This change makes it clear: those businesses can now proceed with confidence that they can operate under their normal licence conditions, without fear of falling foul of the law.

“Regulatory agencies are aware of the changes and will apply the new law from midnight tonight.

“Any business experiencing difficulties or being advised otherwise is encouraged to contact my office directly via my email N.McKee@ministers.govt.nz which will be monitored over the weekend.”

Mrs McKee says the change provides long-overdue certainty for the sector.

“This is huge for hospitality, especially after a rough few years, and something I’ve been keen to see fixed for some time.

“In practical terms, it means treating Kiwis like adults. These days are important to many New Zealanders, but people should be free to recognise them in their own way.

“No business will be forced to open, and no one will be required to drink. This is about restoring choice.”

ACT MP Cameron Luxton was responsible for the amendment ensuring bars and pubs can continue trading past midnight.

“I put forward this amendment after realising that the opening night of Christchurch’s new Te Kaha Stadium would have been cut short by outdated alcohol laws on Anzac weekend,” says Mr Luxton.

“This change will also benefit hospitality businesses on other restricted trading days, including Good Friday and Easter Sunday this weekend.

“Taxpayers and Christchurch ratepayers have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this stadium, in part to drive economic activity and showcase the city.

“It would have made no sense to undermine that opportunity during the opening weekend, when 10 Super Rugby teams and tens of thousands of supporters will be in town, simply because the day after opening falls on Anzac Day.”

Mrs McKee says the change will also improve public safety.

“The last thing we want is large numbers of people being pushed out onto the streets all at once at midnight. That creates unnecessary risk, particularly with large crowds and international visitors who may not understand what’s going on.

“Allowing venues to operate under their normal trading hours means people can leave gradually and safely, rather than all at once.

“This is a good example of MPs across Parliament working together to fix what matters and solve practical problems for New Zealanders. I hope to see more of this.”

Notes to editors:

• The Ministry of Justice has published the attached fact sheet here: https://www.justice.govt.nz/about/news-and-media/news/changes-to-alcohol-sales-on-restricted-trading-days/
• As originally drafted, Kieran McAnulty’s member’s bill would allow businesses to sell alcohol under their normal licence conditions every day of the year – but only if their principal business is selling food (i.e. restaurants and cafes). Many bars and pubs don’t fit this requirement and therefore would be forced to remain closed under separate Shop Trading Hours Act restrictions relating to alcohol. Cameron Luxton’s amendment overrides the Shop Trading Hours Act restrictions in this narrow situation.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

A former Auckland executive who was convicted of receiving “commercial sexual services” from a person aged under 18 can now be named.

Greg Hornblow’s name suppression has now lapsed.

Hornblow, who is former OneRoof chief at NZME, admitted to the charge in November 2025.

He was sentenced at the Auckland District Court in early March to 10-month home detention and ordered to pay $3000 in emotional harm reparations.

The man’s lawyer, Graeme Newell sought a discharge without conviction, saying his client believed the girl involved to be 17-years-old.

But in reality she was 14.

He cited the hardship Hornblow would have in finding work, as well as the impact it would have on his family.

Newell said the consequences of his actions had already been significant and that a conviction would make them extended and amplified.

He said Hornblow was deeply ashamed of what he had done.

Details of the relationship between the two were outlined by Judge Kathryn Maxwell in the Auckland District Court during the case.

The executive met the girl over Snapchat in September of 2025.

He reported himself as a sugar daddy, according to the summary of the offending.

The victim asked for UberEats, which the executive provided in exchange for intimate photos and videos of the girl, Judge Maxwell said.

Over the course of three weeks, she sent 12 photos and 19 videos of a sexual nature, including a short video of her in her school uniform.

He paid $1000 to the teen to come to his house, where the two engaged in unspecified sexual activity in his bedroom, Judge Maxwell said.

The man told the girl he couldn’t pay her for sex, and instructed her to say she wanted to have sex and he had just given her the money.

Judge Maxwell said the victim felt disgusted by her interaction with the man.

She said he had effectively enticed her to prostitute herself, and coached her to avoid the application of the law.

“I do not accept the offending was less serious because the victim consented,” she said.

Under the Prostitution Reform Act, no one under the age of 18 may be contracted for commercial sexual services. The legal age of consent is 16.

Maxwell said the victim was underage for what he intended, and he knew it.

Judge Maxwell refused Hornblow’s application for a discharge without conviction, as well as his permanent name suppression.

A law change last year meant the victim had to agree to the man’s identity remaining suppressed, which Judge Maxwell said she did not.

She gave discounts for his guilty plea, remorse, and reported good character.

He was convicted , and sentenced to 10-months of home detention as well as the $3000 in emotional harm reparations.

At the time, Judge Maxwell granted interim suppression for Hornblow which has now lapsed.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Police

Police is still taking a firm approach to unsafe driving behaviour from travellers going anywhere on our roads this Easter holiday weekend.

Over Easter weekend in 2025, four lives were lost on roads – down from seven deaths recorded for the same period the year before.

Superintendent Steve Greally, Director of Road Policing, says we can all do much better. We still need drivers and road users to make smart decisions to keep themselves and others safe or they can expect to be ticketed, he says.

“Our staff will be out patrolling roads at any time and any where over Easter weekend and we will use the appropriate enforcement action if motorists are thought to be risking the safety of themselves and others on the roads.

“We are taking a serious stance to ensure we don’t see more lives lost on our roads.”

Police will maintain a high level of visibility on our roads in order to prevent unsafe behaviours and enforce the law with a clear focus on reducing road trauma.

Superintendent Greally urges drivers to consider the safety of others and their own when getting behind the wheel and consider how your actions, can change the lives of people in an instant.

“Decisions when driving can put a life in the balance that’s why it’s important not to overlook them whenever or wherever you’re travelling.

“Make good choices. Put that seatbelt on – both your own and your kids. You don’t need to drink and drive – get a taxi or a ride-share like Uber or Didi or have a sober driver get you home. Never use your phone while driving, that distraction could cost a life, and slow down, plan your holiday journey so you don’t have to hurry anywhere.

“Any of these will improve the chances of you arriving at your destination safely.”

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Team

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand has joined Australia, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom in expressing “deep concern” about an Israeli bill expanding the death penalty for Palestinians.

Winston Peters posted on social media on Wednesday night, indicating New Zealand had joined the other nations, and emphasising the country’s opposition “for decades” to the death penalty “in all circumstances”.

It comes as the Green Party tried on Wednesday to move a motion in Parliament on the issue, but failed to get the support of all parties.

The ACT party told RNZ it did not support the motion being put without notice, and noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs was responsible for expressing New Zealand’s position on international issues.

Earlier this week, the Israeli parliament finalised a controversial bill that would effectively expand the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism and nationalistic murders.

The bill stipulated that residents in the West Bank who killed an Israeli “with the intent to negate the existence of the State of Israel” would be sentenced to death.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom released a joint statementexpressing their “deep concern” about the bill, saying it would “significantly expand the possibilities to impose the death penalty in Israel”.

“We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles.

“The death penalty is an inhumane and degrading form of punishment without any deterring effect. This is why we oppose the death penalty, whatever the circumstances around the world. The rejection of the death penalty is a fundamental value that unites us.”

The statement also urged the Israeli decision makers to “abandon these plans”.

The Green party wanted to highlight the issue in parliament, and sought support from across the House to move a motion without notice.

Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick told reporters on Wednesday afternoon convention stipulated motions without notice needed prior agreement from all parties.

“This stops spurious motions going up and clogging the time of our parliament.”

The motion read that the “New Zealand House of Representatives expresses deep concern about Israel’s new legislation which extends the use of the death penalty against Palestinians living under unlawful occupation; shares the concerns of Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy about the “de facto discriminatory character’ of the legislation; and calls on the Israeli Government to reverse this legislation”.

Labour and Te Pāti Māori both told RNZ they supported the motion.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said his party would firmly support a motion in the House to condemn Israel’s use of the death penalty against Palestianians.

“It clearly discriminates against Palestinians – a point underscored by the fact that the law does not apply to Israeli extremists who commit similar crimes. There are major issues with the process including that it removes the right to an appeal. By condemning Israel, we would stand alongside the United Nations, EU and the UK.”

Te Pāti Māori told RNZ it supported the motion, and queried why other parties had not.

“This law further embeds discrimination into Israel’s justice system by allowing Palestinians to be sentenced to death while others are not subject to the same punishment for similar acts,” a spokesperson for the party said.

“It sits within the context of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, and the backdrop of Israel and the United States’ illegal invasion of Iran and Lebanon.”

National and New Zealand First did not respond to queries but the ACT party told RNZ it did not support the motion being put without notice.

A spokesperson for the party said it noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs was responsible for expressing New Zealand’s position on international issues, and “ACT supports that approach over symbolic motions in the House”.

“If the House passed a motion every time a country passed a law of concern, we would spend more time talking about other countries’ legislation than our own.

“All MPs have the right to put a motion on notice under Standing Orders.”

In response, Swarbrick said it was “deeply disappointing” and acknowledged the point was “symbolism”.

“I can point to many different examples when the ACT Party, for example, has put forward very similar motions, evidently for the very purpose of that same symbolism, which in turn means something on the international stage.

“It felt particularly pertinent for our country to take a stand against the perpetuation of abuse of human rights with the Israeli parliament passing the ability to effectively murder, to slaughter Palestinian hostages and prisoners.”

She said a motion on notice did not have the status of being read out in Parliament and having the backing of every single parliamentary party.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand has not joined in the latest international call for responsible use of AI by the military, but has been taking part in the UN talks about autonomous weapons.

AI has been used in unprecedented ways in the war in Iran, for instance in drawing up hit lists and targeting missiles, according to overseas media reports.

Forbes has called it “the first AI war”.

Australia, Canada and the UK were among this country’s Five Eyes group partners that endorsed the non-binding call issued by the third summit on “responsible artificial intelligence in the military domain”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no one was sent to the summit in Spain in February, unlike the second summit in 2024 when the NZDF had someone there.

“Although we observe when resourcing allows, New Zealand is a not a member of REAIM,” MFAT said.

The US endorsed an earlier call from the 2024 summit of REAIM, a European government initiative.

The summits have been trying to nut out a blueprint for armies using AI but there remains no international law or legally-binding treaty that bans the use of lethal autonomous weapons.

Their calls to action have been described as “modest”.

The latest call said military AI “can and should” contribute to peace and security, for instance, by reducing exposure of military personnel and civilians to danger, and helping decisions to be faster and better.

But its risks had to be corralled within frameworks of international humanitarian and human rights law, it said.

In March, NZ permanent mission staff in Geneva took part in the UN talks on lethal autonomous weapons, MFAT said.

These revolved around work by a group of government experts on the conditions where autonomous weapons could be developed and used legally.

The March talks referred to a new report by a leading Swedish thinktank that said militaries must change their AI weapons buying practices to build into them political commitments to responsible use.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in the US the Pentagon had previously stressed that its flagship Replicator initiative – to build fleets of thousands of drones focused in the Indo-Pacific – was based on policies for ethical use of AI.

But it added, “the tension between acquisition speed and thorough legal, safety and ethical review remains unresolved in public documentation.”

More recently, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has hit the accelerator on emerging tech development, while at the same time deriding “stupid rules of engagement” aimed at reducing mistakes and civilian casualties.

The Stockholm study said militaries seeking speed were turning to commercial AI solutions rather than the traditional approach of ordering what they need, custom-made. This was leading to the fielding of “minimum viable capabilities” often without a whole lot of pre-testing.

“States may even knowingly accept governance trade-offs under acute security or operational pressures,” it said.

The commercial, minimum viable approach has been gathering pace at the New Zealand Defence Force in the last year.

The study said governments should invest in evaluation mechanisms for military AI, and strengthen that by clear thinking in the military about what they want the AI they buy to do, backed up with solid ways to assure commercial suppliers’ tech was set to meet political obligations.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An armed man sent a manifesto to schools, the police and the government promising to “kill everyone” and become the country’s “most deadly mass shooter”, police allege.

The man – who has never had a firearms licence – is accused of possessing a pump action shotgun with more than 350 shotgun cartridges, “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” and Nazi literature, it can now be revealed.

The 20-year-old faces an array of charges including two representative charges of threatening to kill, three charges of threatening to destroy property and four representative charges of unlawful possession of firearm/explosive.

He had also been charged with three representative charges of possessing an objectionable publication – including the Christchurch terrorist’s manifesto and video – and two charges of failing to carry out obligations to computer search.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The man, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has name suppression, is set to go on trial in July. RNZ has been granted access to a court document that details the police allegations against him.

The document accused him of sending a manifesto to various addresses at 1.40am on 12 March last year.

The recipients included Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and Parliament.

Police said the email was titled “This is my manifesto” and stated that another person was the author. It made several claims, including that the author had been “subject to constant bullying and harassment”.

“I have finished making weapons, body armour and suicide vest that will be needed for what I will do to get revenge on bullies.”

The author said they had finished 3D printing and assembling a Rogue 9 submachine gun and had about 200-300 armour piercing bullets, some 3D printed Glock magazines, a pistol and about 100 bullets.

Police alleged the email said the submachine gun and pistol had been tested and the author knew “they will work for ‘what I am going to do tomorrow morning’”.

“I have body armour so that I will not die in a shootout with police,” the manifesto was alleged to say.

According to the police the email author claimed to also be in possession of Molotov cocktails and ingredients for explosives. The manifesto also said explosives had been sent in various packages to Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and the Beehive.

“The rest of the … explosive was in the suicide vest that I will detonate even if defeated in a gun fight and kill everyone around me.

“I will go to Rutherford College or Waiuku College early and … become New Zealand’s most deadly mass shooter.”

It also promised “a big tragedy” if there were not enough police at the school, and threatened to set schools on fire and take hostages.

“The only way out of this is for a plane to be provided to me and safe passage out of New Zealand.”

Later that morning, police said they received an online form submission to a Police Service Improvement webform link, detailing the manifesto that had been sent.

When the schools became aware of the threat students and staff had already started to arrive for school.

As a result, Waiuku College put the school into lockdown for several hours, before staff and students were sent home.

Rutherford College restricted access to the property and had armed police posted at the school for the duration of the day.

Police said they spoke with a person who had been named as the author of the manifesto. They denied being the author and instead identified the defendant as a possible suspect.

On 13 March, police raided two properties associated with the defendant.

At one of the properties, police said they found a 12-gauge pump action shotgun under his bed, as well as 359 shotgun cartridges.

They said they also found a 3D printer, a machete in sheath, blueprints showing the assembly components of an AR15 rifle and Nazi literature.

The court document said “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” were also seized from the property. This included electrical chipboards, timers and household chemicals.

While searching the other property, police said they seized a phone, an iPad, two laptops, a USB drive, a desktop computer, 134 spent shotgun shells and a large knife.

When asked for the passcodes for the iPad and one of the phones, the defendant allegedly provided incorrect passcodes.

“When suggested that he was providing the wrong passcodes, the defendant claimed not to remember the passcodes,” the court document said.

Police analysed the defendant’s devices and said they found several objectionable materials, including a copy of Brenton Tarrant’s manifesto, a video of the Christchurch mosque attacks and a copy of a manifesto written by Ryan Palmeter, who killed three people in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2023.

There were also two copies of “an instructional book on how to make explosives, weapons, drugs and other dangerous or illegal activity” and videos of the Russian Moscow ISIS concert hall terror attack and the Buffalo, New York, mass shooting.

When spoken to by police, the defendant denied being involved in any of the alleged offending.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

An armed man sent a manifesto to schools, the police and the government promising to “kill everyone” and become the country’s “most deadly mass shooter”, police allege.

The man – who has never had a firearms licence – is accused of possessing a pump action shotgun with more than 350 shotgun cartridges, “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” and Nazi literature, it can now be revealed.

The 20-year-old faces an array of charges including two representative charges of threatening to kill, three charges of threatening to destroy property and four representative charges of unlawful possession of firearm/explosive.

He had also been charged with three representative charges of possessing an objectionable publication – including the Christchurch terrorist’s manifesto and video – and two charges of failing to carry out obligations to computer search.

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The man, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has name suppression, is set to go on trial in July. RNZ has been granted access to a court document that details the police allegations against him.

The document accused him of sending a manifesto to various addresses at 1.40am on 12 March last year.

The recipients included Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and Parliament.

Police said the email was titled “This is my manifesto” and stated that another person was the author. It made several claims, including that the author had been “subject to constant bullying and harassment”.

“I have finished making weapons, body armour and suicide vest that will be needed for what I will do to get revenge on bullies.”

He said he had finished 3D printing and assembling a Rogue 9 submachine gun and had about 200-300 armour piercing bullets, some 3D printed Glock magazines, a pistol and about 100 bullets.

Police alleged the email said the submachine gun and pistol had been tested and the author knew “they will work for ‘what I am going to do tomorrow morning’”.

“I have body armour so that I will not die in a shootout with police,” the manifesto was alleged to say.

According to the police the email author claimed to also be in possession of Molotov cocktails and ingredients for explosives. The manifesto also said explosives had been sent in various packages to Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and the Beehive.

“The rest of the … explosive was in the suicide vest that I will detonate even if defeated in a gun fight and kill everyone around me.

“I will go to Rutherford College or Waiuku College early and … become New Zealand’s most deadly mass shooter.”

It also promised “a big tragedy” if there were not enough police at the school, and threatened to set schools on fire and take hostages.

“The only way out of this is for a plane to be provided to me and safe passage out of New Zealand.”

Later that morning, police said they received an online form submission to a Police Service Improvement webform link, detailing the manifesto that had been sent.

When the schools became aware of the threat students and staff had already started to arrive for school.

As a result, Waiuku College put the school into lockdown for several hours, before staff and students were sent home.

Rutherford College restricted access to the property and had armed police posted at the school for the duration of the day.

Police said they spoke with a person who had been named as the author of the manifesto. They denied being the author and instead identified the defendant as a possible suspect.

On 13 March, police raided two properties associated with the defendant.

At one of the properties, police said they found a 12-gauge pump action shotgun under his bed, as well as 359 shotgun cartridges.

They said they also found a 3D printer, a machete in sheath, blueprints showing the assembly components of an AR15 rifle and Nazi literature.

The court document said “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” were also seized from the property. This included electrical chipboards, timers and household chemicals.

While searching the other property, police said they seized a phone, an iPad, two laptops, a USB drive, a desktop computer, 134 spent shotgun shells and a large knife.

When asked for the passcodes for the iPad and one of the phones, the defendant allegedly provided incorrect passcodes.

“When suggested that he was providing the wrong passcodes, the defendant claimed not to remember the passcodes,” the court document said.

Police analysed the defendant’s devices and said they found several objectionable materials, including a copy of Brenton Tarrant’s manifesto, a video of the Christchurch mosque attacks and a copy of a manifesto written by Ryan Palmeter, who killed three people in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2023.

There were also two copies of “an instructional book on how to make explosives, weapons, drugs and other dangerous or illegal activity” and videos of the Russian Moscow ISIS concert hall terror attack and the Buffalo, New York, mass shooting.

When spoken to by police, the defendant denied being involved in any of the alleged offending.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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