Articles by Tracy Neal
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Crime
Migrant farm worker claims she was 'roped' into importing cocaine
Monday, 28 April 2025, 8:44pmRuth Yanid Ramirez-Alfonso has lost her fight to avoid a conviction for importing cocaine. She was part of a group accused...
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Crime
Man's 'family emergency' no excuse for driving drunk for the seventh time
Friday, 25 April 2025, 2:06pmA man tried arguing a family emergency was the reason he chose to drink-drive, but a judge was not buying it. Gregory Robinson...
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Crime
'She misses you and hates you': Teen's world shattered after sexual violation by brother
Friday, 25 April 2025, 12:28pmWarning: This story includes details of sexual offending that may upset some readers. A teenage girl was sexually violated...
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Crime
Dog uplift goes awry as man tasered after thrusting flounder spear at police
Sunday, 20 April 2025, 9:29amDaniel Takimoana was sentenced to prison after threatening police with a flounder spear during a dog seizure. A jury found...
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National
'Soul-destroying': Woman's ordeal after she was banished from family home by ex
Friday, 18 April 2025, 11:20amMona Nygaard* won a Family Court case for her share of relationship property. Her ex-husband, Oscar Nygaard*, appealed but...
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Crime
'Very agitated' Frenchman bit police officers after they stopped him for doing U-turn
Wednesday, 16 April 2025, 4:26pmA Frenchman in New Zealand on a working holiday who violently fought three police officers is now trying to avoid a conviction. Things...
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National
‘Extremely traumatic’: Doctor’s error with implant leads to unwanted pregnancy
Monday, 14 April 2025, 2:09pmA doctor failed to reinsert a contraceptive device, leading to a person becoming pregnant and having a traumatic termination. Deputy...
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Crime
‘Sorry my darling’: Businessman jailed for child abuse material
Tuesday, 8 April 2025, 8:41pmWarning: This story contains details of sexual offences against children and may be upsetting to readers. Ian Durbin was...
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National
‘Gummy smile’: Lip filler ordeal leaves woman with smile she ‘hates’
Monday, 7 April 2025, 2:08pmA woman needed hospital treatment after a cosmetic procedure on her lips didn’t go as planned. The nurse failed to recognise...
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National
Gasfitter disciplined for installing a gas cooker in a bedroom, risking poisoning occupants
Sunday, 6 April 2025, 2:47pmPlumber and gasfitter Mathew Watkins was convicted for installing a gas cooker in a bedroom, risking carbon monoxide poisoning. Watkins’...
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National
Mental health nurse’s 46-year career ends with ruling he was sexually intimate with patient
Friday, 4 April 2025, 10:35amWilliam McPhail’s 46-year nursing career ended after a finding of professional misconduct. The tribunal determined he engaged...
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Crime
Man travelled on fake passports between NZ, Australia and Fiji for three years
Tuesday, 1 April 2025, 8:21pmDane Antony Moule used two fake passports to travel between New Zealand, Australia and Fiji for three years. The forgeries...
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National
'You lined her up': Kiwi who inflicted savage blows on partner booted out of Australia
Sunday, 30 March 2025, 2:17pmSerial family violence offender Kyle Walters will be deported from Australia to New Zealand. Walters was sentenced to 18...
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National
‘Sloppy’: Lawyer fined over name slip in high-profile case
Wednesday, 26 March 2025, 1:51pmThe “sloppy” use of a child’s name during an interview about the use of vaccinated blood in life-saving surgery has cost...
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National
Rural homebirth: Midwife returns to tragedy after popping out for lunch
Monday, 24 March 2025, 2:21pmA midwife attending a home birth in a remote area left for a break and returned to a stillbirth situation. The Deputy Health...
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National
Teen left wheelchair-bound by rare condition after food poisoning battles ACC for cover
Saturday, 15 March 2025, 3:55pmA teenager left paralysed by Guillain-Barré syndrome after a bout of food poisoning has been denied ACC cover after a third...
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National
Wrong way: Tourist wins refund despite crashing rental car minutes after leaving depot
Saturday, 15 March 2025, 3:36pmA tourist has managed to get a refund on a rental car hire after she crashed five minutes after leaving the hire depot while...
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Crime
Killer Beez secretary wants to swap life of crime for jewellery making
Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 3:17pmThe secretary of the southern faction of the Killer Beez jailed for his part in the gang’s drug dealing operation is determined...
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Crime
Rights ‘breached’: Animal abuser says conviction goes against her Māori worldview
Wednesday, 5 March 2025, 8:39pmLai Toy was convicted on animal neglect charges and then breached an order banned her from owning more animals. She appealed...
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Travel
No boarding pass: Couple not allowed to fly, despite have already checked in online
Monday, 3 March 2025, 8:46pmA couple were refused permission to board after arriving an hour before departure with only carry-on luggage and having checked...
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National
One man’s $300k mission to restore decaying yacht involved in tragic race
Saturday, 1 March 2025, 3:14pmAuckland environmental consultant Josh Markham was spurred on by nostalgia to take on restoring the classic yacht Tawhiri,...
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National
Man denies murdering Nelson police officer Lyn Fleming
Friday, 28 February 2025, 11:09amThe man accused of murdering policewoman Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in Nelson in the early hours of New Year’s Day has denied...
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Crime
Wife killer reveals why he abandoned 3yo daughter 'Pumpkin' overseas
Thursday, 27 February 2025, 7:11amNai Yin Xue murdered his wife in 2007 before abandoning his 3-year-old daughter “Pumpkin” in Melbourne. He then fled the...
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National
Inappropriate messages and home visits: Osteo leaves NZ amid indecent assault claims
Monday, 24 February 2025, 2:06pmAn osteopath ‘crossed professional boundaries’ by sending inappropriate messages to a patient and treating her at home. The...
