PM Edition: Here are the top 10 law and security articles on LiveNews.co.nz for March 25, 2026 – Full Text
Jevon McSkimming complainant allegedly sent 87 emails to wife of officer overseeing investigation into her
March 25, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
A woman who accused former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming of sexual offending allegedly sent 87 abusive emails to the wife of an officer who was overseeing an investigation into her.
Police claim the emails were “threatening and highly disparaging” of the woman and made reference to her children, including “suggesting they should be sexually abused”.
A damning report released in November by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found serious misconduct at the highest levels, including former Commissioner Andrew Coster, over how police responded to the woman’s allegations.
The woman, who had name suppression but was referred to as ‘Ms Z’ in the IPCA’s report, was charged in May last year with causing harm by posting digital communication in relation to over 300 emails sent to McSkimming’s work email address between December 2023 and April 2024.
The charge against the woman was withdrawn in the Wellington District Court in September because McSkimming did not wish to give evidence. But the woman remained before the court on two charges of causing harm by posting a digital communication in relation to another police officer and his wife.
On Wednesday, the case was called in the Wellington District Court before Judge Andy Nicholls.
At the hearing, Judge Nicholls granted RNZ access to a court document that detailed the police allegations against Ms Z. The police officer and his wife had name suppression. Ms Z pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Wellington District Court. RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The document said Ms Z was in contact with the officer in charge of the prosecution into the initial charges she faced. However, due to the volume and nature of emails, phone calls and text messages that she sent to him a bail condition was added, preventing her from contacting him except through her counsel.
The court document said this “frustrated” Ms Z who “went about trying to circumvent this ban on contact”.
Police said Ms Z went online and discovered the identity of the officer’s wife and found out they had young children. She also found the wife’s contact details, including her employer, job title, work email address and home address.
“She accessed social media to locate material about her locating a photograph of [the wife] at a social event many years earlier holding a beer bong. This required a lot of effort as it was not on [the wife’s] own Facebook page.
“The defendant decided that this photograph was embarrassing for [the wife].”
She was accused of creating a fake email address and sending 87 emails to the wife’s work email address between 26 June and 3 July 2025. She copied senior police officers, the Lower Hutt mayor and a journalist into some of the emails.
“The emails were threatening and highly disparaging of [the wife]. They also contained highly offensive language. The content of the emails worsened over time. The emails also made reference to [the wife’s] young children.
“This included highly offensive sexual references about the children and suggesting they should be sexually abused.”
The court document said some of the emails were sent in quick succession. Ten were sent in the space of 51 minutes on 29 June, nine in the space of 32 minutes, and 56 were sent on the same day.
The document said Ms Z referred to the couple’s home address in her emails.
“The reference to their home address in combination with the derogatory and offensive content of the emails caused serious emotional distress, embarrassment and anxiety to both [the wife] and her husband. This impacted both their personal and professional lives.”
On 3 July, Ms Z was arrested and charged in relation to the emails. Bail conditions were imposed to prevent her from contacting the wife.
It was alleged she then began messaging the chief executive of the company where the wife worked, sending 10 emails to the CEO in one day in August from the same fake email account. A senior police officer was copied into some of the emails.
“The emails were threatening, and contained offensive language and derogatory comments about [the wife]. The defendant also made sexual references in relation to [the wife’s] young children.”
The wife was advised of the emails. The court document said the email “caused further serious emotional distress, embarrassment and anxiety to [the wife] and her husband”.
Ms Z’s lawyer earlier filed an application to dismiss the charges she faced on the grounds that the continued prosecution was “an abuse of process”.
On Wednesday, the application was discussed again. Ms Z’s lawyer, Steven Lack, said his client’s position was that the initial prosecution against her was “an abuse of process by the police because it was designed to silence her”.
“And then the second prosecution is effectively fruit of the poisoned tree in that regard.”
In response, barrister Ian Murray – acting for police – said there were “multiple ways this abuse of process could be sliced”.
“It could be that the original prosecution was in bad faith to prevent her from airing allegations about McSkimming, that’s probably the most understandable ground.
“In my submission there are then some breaks in the chain that would make even that argument difficult to sustain in relation to her behaviour, in relation to a completely unrelated person not connected with the investigation.”
He said he did not understand how a suggestion that there was a deliberate not charging of McSkimming could make prosecution of her in relation to her alleged conduct an abuse of process.
A pre-trial callover has been set for 9 June. Judge Nicholls continued suppression orders for Ms Z and the police officer and his wife.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. Calvin Samuel / RNZ
RNZ earlier approached police asking if they had any comment on charges she still faced and whether police would now drop them.
In response, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said the matter was before the court and police had instructed a senior criminal barrister in the proceeding.
“It would be inappropriate for me to comment about the merits, including public interest, of any case that is before the court.
“However, what I have done and what I can say is that I have assured myself that proper process has been followed in bringing this case.”
Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson said Ms Z was the defendant in a prosecution in the district court.
“In these circumstances it is not appropriate to comment publicly on the merits of the prosecution, including the public interest.”
In an earlier statement to RNZ, Lack said police “failed my client”.
“Over a period of years, she attempted to report allegations of serious physical, psychological and sexual offending by McSkimming, then one of the most senior Police Officers in the country. Instead of being heard, she was dismissed and ultimately prosecuted for speaking out and raising her concerns.
“At every stage, the police had the opportunity to engage with her, to properly assess what she was saying, and to investigate her allegations. They could have viewed her as a traumatised victim.
“They chose not to. They accepted McSkimming’s denials without meaningful inquiry and placed the full weight of the criminal justice system on my client for more than a year until the charge against her was withdrawn. Understandably this has had a devastating impact on her.
“The way her complaints were handled should alarm all New Zealanders. It suggests that the police were more focused on protecting McSkimming’s career and advancement than on properly assessing serious allegations of offending against him.”
Lack said the police were an organisation “entrusted by the community to protect and serve”.
“In my client’s case, they did neither.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/25/jevon-mcskimming-complainant-allegedly-sent-87-emails-to-wife-of-officer-overseeing-investigation-into-her/
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Pike River Mine victims’ families fear proposed health and safety law changes risk another tragedy
March 25, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Sonya Rockhouse (left) and Anna Osborne outside Parliament in 2025. RNZ / Anneke Smith
Families of those killed in the Pike River Mine disaster fear the government’s proposed health and safety law changes will remove worker protections and risk another tragedy.
Sonya Rockhouse, who lost her 21-year-old son Ben, and Anna Osborne, who lost her husband Milt, told the Education and Workforce Select Committee on Wednesday they wanted health and safety laws strengthened.
A methane-fuelled explosion ripped through the Pike River coal mine in the rugged Paparoa Range on the South Island’s West Coast on 19 November 2010, killing 29 workers.
The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament last month and the government said it was intended to reduce death and injury rates while also cutting compliance costs by focusing on the most serious critical risks and reducing confusion.
But critics said the changes could weaken worker protections and result in more workplace injuries.
Osborne said her husband’s death was preventable, it was not bad luck or an act of God.
“He was killed by a company that put its profit ahead of his life and the lives of 28 others, and that was allowed to happen by years of people, sitting in the same seats you are now, weakening the health and safety laws and regulations again and again,” she told the committee.
“This should never have happened and the travesty of justice that followed is a blight on New Zealand’s soul.”
‘This bill takes that away’
Workplace health and safety laws were strengthened in 2014 after the mining disaster, which had kept workplace deaths and injury rates at bay despite the population of the country growing larger, she said.
“People could be confident in speaking up and employers began to feel they needed to listen,” she said, of the 2014 changes.
But that was still not enough and Osborne and Rockhouse wanted to a corporate manslaughter charge introduced in New Zealand law.
“Milt always looked out for his people – he was a volunteer fireman, a local councillor – I have always thought that among all the bad that came from Pike he would have taken some heart in the fact his death helped keep others safe even just by a little bit,” Osborne said.
“This bill takes that away. It takes it away from every person at work in New Zealand and it takes it from the memory and the legacy of Milt and all the men he is lying with in that shithole of a mine.”
The pair made the submission on behalf of Stand With Pike outlining their concerns with the proposals in the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill.
Rockhouse said Ben was a intelligent, articulate, gentle boy who believed people were good.
“I don’t know what he would have made of how hard we’ve had to fight for truth that should have been ours by right. We should never have had to fight, protest and campaign for justice, accountability or truth,” she said.
“I don’t even know what to think of this right now, of the fact that we are having to come here again to tell people yet again about the consequences of taking people’s rights to health and safety from them.”
Osborne and Rockhouse met with Workplace Safety Minister Brooke van Velden at Parliament last November on the 15th anniversary of the disaster.
The minister, who admitted she had not read the Royal Commission’s report on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy, and did not support the introduction of a corporate manslaughter charge, instead preferred to focus on “upfront guidance” for businesses.
Rockhouse said everyone had the right to go to work in the morning and come home safely.
“It feels like the authors of this Bill have failed to learn from history, they have wilfully ignored it and it makes me sick and angry”, Rockhouse said.
“To wind back health and safety despite the price our men and us – their families – have paid, despite the fact that all of New Zealand has seen that cost? Shameful does not even begin to describe it.”
‘Absolute conflict of interest’
Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March asked the pair about their concerns with the law change.
Rockhouse said both her sons – Dan was one of just two survivors from the disaster – told her if they tried to raise issues around health and safety, no matter how big or small, they were told to “just shut the F up and get on with your job, basically that was the mentality”.
Several miners told her they had been worried about an explosion at the mine and the chief executive had said, “if you don’t like it there’s the door, leave, you’re not in Australia now”, she said.
“It’s very hard in that context to think the CEO would have identified the appropriate critical risks under the financial pressure they were under.”
Osborne said methane levels in the mine peaked over 19 times in the two weeks before the explosion.
“Those 19 times the men should have been out of the mine and, until that mine re-ventilated, they should not have been allowed to work but [Peter] Whittle and the managers there wanted production to happen,” she said.
“It was almost like they were playing a game of Russian roulette – production over safety.”
Stand With Pike advisor Rob Egan said the Bill assumed the workplace health and safety regulator could police and provide guidance and consultation to employers.
“That’s exactly what happened at Pike River … it is an absolute conflict of interest,” he said.
Earlier this year police said they were nearing the final stages of the criminal investigation into the disaster.
Detective superintendent Darryl Sweeney said the investigation was legally complex and police had been working with the Wellington crown solicitor for more than 18 months.
Further investigation was still needed and an update was likely to be several months away, he said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/25/pike-river-mine-victims-families-fear-proposed-health-and-safety-law-changes-risk-another-tragedy/
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Man faces court after fleeing Police
March 25, 2026
Source: New Zealand Police
Please attribute to Inspector Grant Tetzlaff, Acting Auckland City District Commander:
A 30-year-old man is facing serious charges after he fled from Police and drove dangerously before crashing in northern Waikato.
At around 11.40pm on Tuesday, a vehicle of interest was seen on Dominion Road, Sandringham.
This vehicle had been reported stolen at gun point earlier in the day from the south Auckland area.
Eagle located the vehicle as it entered the Southern Motorway at Newmarket and monitored it as it travelled towards East Tāmaki.
As the vehicle exited the motorway onto East Tāmaki Road officers attempted to perform a traffic stop, however the vehicle took off at speed.
The driver was seen driving in a dangerous manner through south Auckland, turning off its lights and reaching high speeds on residential streets.
The vehicle re-entered the motorway at SH20 and continued south towards Te Kauwhata.
Police units were able to spike the vehicle, and it continued for a short distance before losing control and crashing into wire median dividers.
As officers approached the vehicle, the sole occupant had barricaded himself inside.
Officers observed live ammunition on his lap.
Police deployed a taser, before being able to extract the man from the vehicle.
He was taken into custody and transported to Waikato Hospital in a moderate condition after receiving injuries from a dog bite during his arrest.
A search of the vehicle located two handguns and a large amount of live ammunition.
It is pleasing that these firearms are now out of circulation in our community.
The 30-year-old man will face failing to stop, reckless driving, receiving, possession of firearms and resisting arrest.
Police are continuing to make enquires into the initial stolen vehicle report, and we cannot rule out further charges in that matter.
As standard procedure, the Independent Police Conduct Authority will be notified of the incident.
ENDS.
Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/25/man-faces-court-after-fleeing-police/
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Update: Common Room bar fight, Hastings
March 25, 2026
Source: New Zealand Police
Attribute to Detective Sergeant Heath Jones, Hastings Criminal Investigation Branch:
Hasting Police have arrested and charged a person in relation to a fight at the Common Room bar earlier this month.
Police responded to the fight around 1.45am on Sunday 8 March, where several people were injured – some seriously, with one requiring hospital treatment.
Police arrested one man today in relation to the incident. The 32-year-old is due in Hastings District Court tomorrow, charged with five counts of assault with intent to injure, three counts of injuring with intent to injure, injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and assault.
Police are not ruling out any further arrests and would like to speak with the five people pictured, as we believe they may be able to assist in our enquiries.
If this is you, or you know who these people are, please get in touch through 105 – either online or over the phone – and reference file number 260308/6292.
Alternatively, information can be provided through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/25/update-common-room-bar-fight-hastings/
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Arrest in Operation Aurora
March 25, 2026
Source: New Zealand Police
Please attribute the following to Detective Senior Sergeant Colin Baillie:
Police executing search warrants have arrested one person from a religious organisation that has a presence in New Zealand, Australia, Samoa and Fiji.
A 45-year-old man will appear in the Christchurch District Court today charged with unlawful sexual connection, indecent assault, strangulation and rape.
Today’s arrest follows a number of allegations, and partner agencies are supporting those that have come forward.
It is possible there may be other allegations that we are not yet aware of, and I strongly encourage any survivor to speak with us, should they wish to. Your voice matters, and you will be treated with respect.
Our staff who work in this space are specially trained, and any reports will be made in confidence, and we will provide wrap-around support.
Please make a report by calling Police on 105 or using our online service. Click ‘Make a report’.
Please reference Operation Aurora or use file number 260319/8197.
Police will not be making further comment as the matter is before the Court.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/24/arrest-in-operation-aurora/
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Nailed it: Police clean up following tip off
March 25, 2026
Source: New Zealand Police
Police in Counties Manukau have been busy cleaning up and returning a pile of stolen goods following a tip off from a member of the public.
On Friday afternoon, Police patrolling the Counties Manukau West area were alerted to an address of interest in Mangere Bridge by a member of the public who reported he’d had several items taken from his vehicle in Pakuranga.
Counties Manukau West Area Commander, Inspector Dave Christoffersen, says one of the items belonging to the victim had a GPS, which lead to a property in Tima Lane.
“Units were in the area at the time and met with the victim, who had observed his items inside the address.
“A search of the property located multiple tools and other items, one of which was a GPS linked stolen nail gun.
“This lead to one person at the address being arrested and charged for receiving.”
Inspector Christoffersen says Police recovered the alleged stolen goods and have managed to return several to their rightful owner.
“This is a great example of members of the public reporting incidents when they happen, then following up with any helpful information that comes to hand.
“This allows the opportunity for Police to act and, as in this case, recover stolen property.
“I would like to acknowledge the community for their vigilance and reporting suspicious activity promptly to Police.”
A 37-year-old man was remanded in custody and will appear in Manukau District Court today charged with receives property.
ENDS.
Holly McKay/NZ Police
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/23/nailed-it-police-clean-up-following-tip-off/
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Fiji’s human rights watchdog raises concerns over new Israeli embassy plans
March 25, 2026
Fiji’s human rights watchdog has warned that the country’s pro-Israel foreign policy and diplomatic engagement works against its international obligations and could be enabling “genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity” in Gaza.
The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission (FHRADC) released a statement on Tuesday in response to the Fiji government announcing plans to establish a resident embassy for Israel in Suva.
The FHRADC said that the announcement “raises important questions” and is calling on the government to uphold its human rights obligations “in all aspects” of its diplomacy.
As a state party to the Genocide Convention, Fiji is bound by international human rights law and international humanitarian law, the FHRADC said.
It added under the Convention of the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the country “is obligated to support international efforts to prevent genocide” and ensure those responsible for such crimes are held responsible.
“This includes ensuring that Fiji’s foreign policy and diplomatic relations do not assist, enable, or legitimise conduct by parties or states involved in serious violations of international law.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024 said that claims are “plausible” that the rights of Palestinians in Gaza under the Genocide Convention are being “violated . . . by Israel’s large-scale military operation in Gaza” a position firmly rejected by Israel, which has maintained its actions are necessary for self defence against Hamas.
“The duty to prevent genocide is a jus cogens obligation, a non-derogable principle of international law,” FHRADC commissioner Alefina Vuki said.
Legal responsibility
She said according to international law every state had “the legal responsibility to intervene and prevent the intentional or deliberate destruction of a group of people”, suggesting Fiji had failed to do this.
“No government can ever justify or excuse its failure to carry out this responsibility. States must ensure diplomatic relations that uphold, rather than undermine the duty to prevent genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,” she said.
Fiji opened its permanent diplomatic post in Jerusalem in September last year.
Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said at the time that the opening of Fiji’s embassy in Jerusalem “reflects our desire to build bridges — not walls — between nations, cultures, and peoples”.
Fiji is one of a handful of countries to open a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem rather than Tel Aviv, which is controversial.
Diplomatic actions
According to FHRADC, the Fiji government has the “sovereign prerogative to determine bilateral relations”.
However, Vuki said Fiji must ensure that its “diplomatic actions do not violate international norms relating to occupation, self-determination, and the protection of civilian populations”.
“Any strengthening of bilateral relations must be carefully balanced against Fiji’s responsibilities as a member of the international community,” she said.
The FHRADC has offered to provide “independent and technical advice” to support the Fijian government with its foreign policy to keep it aligned to its international human rights commitments.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz
Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/25/fijis-human-rights-watchdog-raises-concerns-over-new-israeli-embassy-plans/
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Fears for NZ children in ‘harsh’ immigration crackdown
March 25, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Axing humanitarian appeal rights for temporary visa holders will potentially harm children caught in the crosshairs, legal experts say. RNZ
Alarm bells are sounding about harsh reductions in appeal rights for migrants which could lead to families being separated by deportation.
Overseas right-wing sentiment, reporting of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) crackdowns in the US and fears about domestic migration could be factors driving policy change, says a top immigration and refugee lawyer.
Legal experts say strict rules already exist for migrants seeking to overturn deportations, and they fear that axing humanitarian appeal rights for temporary visa holders will potentially harm children caught in the crosshairs.
Law Society Immigration and Refugee Committee convener Simon Graham Supplied
Law Society Immigration and Refugee Committee convener Simon Graham said current policy balanced individual rights and the public interest, but the proposed legislation would shift the goalposts against vulnerable people, especially children and families.
“You could have a child born here, only ever gone through the New Zealand educational system, seven, eight years of age, all the formative years, and then that child is now being asked to return back to a country, [with] language barriers, different educational system, whatever that might be.
“When a child is into that seven, eight-year period, a fundamental shift occurs. Generally speaking, child psychologists will say this is going to cause or this has the potential to cause a problem for this child. And these are the types of things that currently the system looks at and weighs up in the balancing exercise. But if that’s removed, who’s going to consider this issue or weigh it up?”
Concerns were widespread in the legal community, he added, and he was worried other governments’ policies could be creeping into New Zealand’s thinking.
“I do wonder, stepping back from it all, whether there is some overseas influence as we see in other jurisdictions. It’s a sort of hardening line in a lot of these areas, probably for good reason, in certain European countries and America, where there’s this excess and it’s causing problems, whereas I think New Zealand is different from that. I don’t think we have the same tensions – but possibly our policy choices are now potentially mirroring or lining up with some of these overseas jurisdictions.”
ICE agents depart the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on February 4, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP / John Moore
Deadline over appeals
The Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) – which hears appeals against deportation, as well as residence and asylum application refusals – has seen a large increase in cases, as migration numbers have risen. In terms of deportation appeals among temporary migrants, its latest annual report shows 188 people lost and 174 won their cases.
Graham said a 42-day deadline already limited who could appeal, and the tribunal weighed up humanitarian circumstances against public interest concerns.
Under the Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill, migrants classed as visitors – which can include renewable partner and parent visas – would not be able to appeal on humanitarian grounds to the IPT at all.
“From a legal perspective, I think it’s unnecessarily harsh and unnecessary because there’s already systems in place to weigh the balance. This seems to be shifting the balance unnecessarily in one direction without any real justification for it. So it’s certainly harsh and it could potentially create very harsh and unfair outcomes in a certain percentage of cases.
“What parameters or safety nets are going to be put in place to substitute for the Immigration and Protection Tribunal process? Has that been thought about? And if it has, what is that process and who oversees it?”
The ‘Mama Hooch’ clause
Another proposal would extend the ability to deport people from 10 years after they become residents, to 20 years. Non-residents, such as temporary workers and students, would lose their chance to appeal deportation if they committed a crime.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford last week said New Zealand had “one of the most lenient criminal deportation liability regimes” compared to Australia, the UK, Canada, and Ireland, saying those countries all made residents liable for deportation indefinitely, including for relatively minor convictions.
She cited the notorious sex offending ring in Christchurch operated by rapist brothers Danny and Roberto Jaz who have been in New Zealand too long to be deported, under current laws.
Graham said that framing did not acknowledge the new law would strip appeal rights from less serious offenders, or who had immigration question marks.
“I noticed the minister made reference to the Mama Hooch guys as a general sort of overlay as to justify some of these changes to the policy, and being not able to deport these guys for serious criminal offending,” he said. “And that’s a legitimate question and consideration, I understand that. But I believe that the proposals also incorporate all the other reasons which would trigger deportation liability, which encapsulates for example, providing misleading information to immigration as part of a visa process.”
Auckland University’s Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies co-director, Professor Jay Marlowe, worried discussion about the bill and amendments also blurred important distinctions between migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Professor Jay Marlowe University of Auckland
The Jaz brothers are the children of Australian migrants, and arrived about 25 years ago as teenagers.
“I would be cautious about how the Mama Hooch case is being used in this context. It was an extremely serious case, but one that involved harm occurring over time within New Zealand, and raises serious concerns about how institutions responded to women’s complaints. Linking that case directly to asylum policy risks conflating different issues and shifts attention away from the need to address those underlying failures.
“Extending deportation liability to 20 years means we may be dealing with people who arrived as children and have grown up here, raising questions about responsibility and belonging. There are parallels with Australia’s section 501 deportations, which New Zealand has criticised – and it raises a fundamental question about whether we are managing harm here, or shifting responsibility elsewhere.”
Stanford has been approached for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/25/fears-for-nz-children-in-harsh-immigration-crackdown/
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Auckland man dies in police custody
March 25, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The man died at the Auckland District Custody Unit this morning. File photo. RNZ / Angus Dreaver
An Auckland man has died after being arrested by police in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill this morning.
Acting Auckland City District Commander Inspector Grant Tetzlaff said a critical incident investigation was now underway after the man’s death in custody.
The man was arrested shortly before 10am this morning on Morrie Laing Avenue, after officers responded to several reports of “a disorder”.
He was arrested without incident and taken to the Auckland District Custody Unit, where he collapsed.
An ambulance was called and first aid was given to the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tetzlaff said next of kin had been informed. He said support had been provided to the family, as well as police staff who had been involved.
“Several investigations will now get underway, including the critical incident investigation, which will examine the course of events this morning.
“As part of this process police have notified the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/25/auckland-man-dies-in-police-custody/
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Appeal for information as man arrested for alleged sexual offences
March 25, 2026
Source: New Zealand Police
Attributable to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Karli Whiu:
Polce investigating alleged serious sexual offending by a Flaxmere man are appealing for anyone who may have information to come forward.
On Monday 23 March, a 37-year-old Flaxmere man was arrested and he appeared in the Hastings District Court yesterday.
He has been charged with abduction for sex, impedes breathing/blood circulation, two counts of unlawful sexual connection with female over 16, and four counts male rapes female over 16.
The 37-year-old has been granted name suppression and is remanded in custody to reappear on 14 April in Hastings District Court.
Police are now appealing for anyone who may have information on any other alleged offending by this man to come forward.
This may have occurred in the Hastings area from approximately 14-15 March this year.
We know it can be incredibly difficult and at times distressing to talk about these matters, but we would like to reassure any victims of offending that we will take them seriously.
Police has a number of officers and detectives dedicated to these cases and we provide a safe space to report offending in confidence.
If you have any information that may assist Police in our investigation, please contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz or call 105, referencing file number 260316/3776.
We can then contact you to make appropriate arrangements to discuss matters in an appropriate and safe way.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/25/appeal-for-information-as-man-arrested-for-alleged-sexual-offences/
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