Articles by Ben Tomsett
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Emergency
Severe winds rip roof off supermarket as wild storm batters Otago
Thursday, 23 October 2025, 3:30pmWinds ravaging Otago this afternoon have lifted the roof off the Four Square supermarket in Tapanui, leaving the store closed...
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National
‘Intimidating’: Gun shots, bloody pig carcass on spike as tensions mount in remote village
Wednesday, 22 October 2025, 4:28pmResidents of a remote Otago village say they were left alarmed and intimidated after a pig carcass was found mounted on a...
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National
Police cordon off Queenstown address after suspected fatal balcony fall
Wednesday, 22 October 2025, 11:08amPolice have cordoned off a Queenstown address after a suspected balcony fall this morning. Emergency services were called...
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National
One dead, two injured after Port Waikato boat capsize
Saturday, 18 October 2025, 2:44pmA person has died after being airlifted to hospital after a boat capsized at Port Waikato. A police spokesperson said emergency...
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National
Drink-driver kills elderly motorist and himself hours after being banned from the road
Friday, 17 October 2025, 10:07amJust hours after walking from court free following a drink-driving conviction, a Canterbury man went drinking again, then...
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National
Officials plot tougher rules for freedom campers in holiday hotspots
Thursday, 9 October 2025, 7:27amFreedom camping across some of the South Island’s most popular holiday hotspots has surged to the highest levels in the country...
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Crime
Dunedin homicide: Police appeal for dashcam footage in murder probe
Tuesday, 7 October 2025, 1:11pmPolice are appealing to motorists and pedestrians who may have critical information regarding the death of a man in North...
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Crime
Homicide: Man charged with murder after body found at North Dunedin
Monday, 6 October 2025, 9:38amA man has been charged with murder after a body was found in Dunedin on Friday. Detective Inspector Shona Low, Crime Manager...
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National
538 votes to 2: The little South Island town fighting against a drive-through liquor store
Wednesday, 24 September 2025, 2:13pmPlans for a drive-through liquor store in a small Central Otago town have drawn fierce opposition, with hundreds of residents...
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National
'Distressing incident': Two cops badly attacked by dog during arrest
Saturday, 20 September 2025, 9:51amA routine arrest in Rotorua turned violent last night when a dog attacked two police officers, leaving one requiring surgery. The...
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National
Winery’s after-work sampling session ends in tragedy as young staff member dies in crash
Thursday, 11 September 2025, 7:14amA coroner has urged wineries and other rural businesses to strengthen alcohol policies after a young worker died in a car...
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National
High-profile sportsman cleared of causing infant's injuries in Dunedin trial
Monday, 8 September 2025, 3:57pmA jury has found a high-profile sportsman not guilty of causing injuries to an infant. The jury at Dunedin District Court...
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Crime
Disgraced Dunedin healer sentenced to home detention for indecently assaulting patient
Friday, 5 September 2025, 6:20pmA disgraced Dunedin healer has been sentenced to home detention for indecently assaulting a client who came to him for help...
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National
High-profile sportsman trial: Radiologist says infant rib fractures not definitive of abuse
Wednesday, 3 September 2025, 2:07pmA radiologist says swelling seen on scans of an infant’s chest reflected rib fractures, but did not indicate abuse. The trial...
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National
'Absolutely no evidence': Doctor dismisses rickets responsible for baby's fractured ribs in sportsman trial
Wednesday, 27 August 2025, 3:32pmA doctor has told a jury there is “absolutely no evidence” a baby’s bones were abnormal, rejecting defence claims of rickets...
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National
Sportsman trial: Radiologist describes ‘grating’, 'crackly' sound of infant’s 13 rib fractures
Monday, 25 August 2025, 1:30pmThe trial of a prominent sportsman accused of injuring an infant resumed in the Dunedin District Court today, entering its...
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National
'I love that baby': Friends, neighbours, family defend prominent sportsman in Dunedin infant injury trial
Wednesday, 20 August 2025, 2:09pmThe mother of an infant found with 13 fractured ribs allegedly made a ‘flippant’ remark the injuries may have been caused...
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National
‘He’s not that type of person’: Mother of infant allegedly assaulted by sportsperson speaks
Tuesday, 19 August 2025, 1:28pmThe mother of an infant found with 13 fractured ribs is adamant that the injuries were not caused by a prominent sportsman...
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National
Prominent sportsperson accused of leaving baby with 13 broken bones
Monday, 18 August 2025, 1:30pmA prominent sportsperson accused of causing multiple rib fractures to an infant is on trial in the High Court at Dunedin. His...
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National
Watch: Scuffles, arrest – protesters shut ANZ bank after camping out in doorway
Friday, 8 August 2025, 4:21pmA group of climate activists forced the closure of a Dunedin ANZ branch today, targeting the bank’s relationship with a company...
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National
RNZAF rescues three from Antarctica in high-risk mid-winter medical evacuation
Wednesday, 6 August 2025, 2:27pmThree people in urgent need of medical attention have been rescued from Antarctica in a daring mid-winter mission by a Royal...
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National
‘You are a coward’: Teen jailed over 3 years, 3 months for Dunedin bus hub killing
Friday, 11 July 2025, 12:56pmA 14-year-old boy who fatally stabbed 16-year-old Enere McLaren-Taana at the Dunedin bus hub last year has been jailed for...
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National
‘Clearly preventable’: Company, director sentenced over timber yard death
Wednesday, 9 July 2025, 1:53pmA Timaru timber company and its director have been ordered to pay more than $450,000 in fines and reparations over the death...
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National
'David and Goliath': Australian gold mine company makes $25m Central Otago land deal
Wednesday, 9 July 2025, 12:26pmA $25 million land acquisition by Australian mining company Santana Minerals has reignited community concerns over the proposed...
