ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Tuesday, November 27, 2012
NEWS
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Sister pays tribute to dead sibling By Katie Holland Michelle Hoffman-Tamm’s tragic death will touch people from many walks of life, says her sister Jan Donlan. Rotorua police have confirmed the body found in a forest area close to State Highway 38 near Murupara on Friday was that of the 51-yearold Rotorua woman. She had been missing since November 7 when she left her Phillip St home on her bicycle to visit a friend nearby. A 44-year-old Rotorua woman appeared in Rotorua District Court on Friday charged with assault and was remanded in custody. Police have said further charges are likely. Ms Donlan said although her sister’s disappearance was out of character she still hadn’t expected it to end like this. “We were hoping against all hope that she would be coming home,” she said. “But as time went on it became clear something wasn’t right.” Ms Donlan said her sister was a wonderful person who would be greatly missed by a lot of people. “She did not deserve this. She was taken away from us far too young, she still had a lot to do on this earth.” The death had hit Ms HoffmanTamm’s family and partner hard, although they were all “hanging in
Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 261112-TM-041
Michelle Hoffman-Tamm there”. “Her partner is very fragile. They had been together about 14 years and had a loving relationship.” Ms Donlan, who spent the afternoon with her sister the day she disappeared, said her younger sister was the most non-judgmental person she had ever known. “She never judged anyone. She befriended people from all walks of life ... the elderly, young, disabled ...” Ms Hoffman-Tamm was born in Rotorua, attending Glenholme School and Rotorua Girls’ High School, and had lived in the city most of her life. She was well known around Glenholme and being a sickness beneficiary hadn’t stopped her contributing to her community, her sister said. “She was always helping people out, mowing their lawns, etc,” she
Jan Dolan said. “She would give anybody the shirt off her back.” Ms Donlan said she was relieved an arrest had been made in connection with the case but was unable to comment further. Forensic examination of a Holland St address continued over the weekend. A police team has also been searching the Rotorua Landfill for “items of interest”. Meanwhile police are still appealing for sightings of a two-tone light-coloured Subaru Legacy between the evening of Wednesday, November 7 and Sunday, November 11 in Rotorua and between Rotorua, Whakatane and Murupara. They also want to hear about any suspicious behaviour in the Holland St or Victoria St areas during that time. Ms Hoffman-Tamm’s funeral will be held on Wednesday at 1.30pm at Osbornes Funeral Home. - APNZ
Our Lady of the Snows pupils (from front to back) Patrick McHughs, 5, Savannah Clark, 5, Vikki Derik-Westaway, 11, and Lily Chapman, 10, will have a new principal next year as their current principal Alison Lilley (left) moves on at the end of the year.
Principal says it’s time for change By Myles Hume When Alison Lilley walks out of the school gate for the last time at the end of term, she can leave knowing the school in is good shape. Ms Lilley, 55, has resigned as principal of Our Lady of the Snows after spending 11 years at the school, nine of those as principal, during which she has seen the school grow and develop. “I want to leave while I’m still having fun,” she said.
Ms Lilley said it was time for a change, one for herself and the school as she looks to spend more time with her husband Richard. They want to travel the world, with Turkey being at the top of the list. “I think it’s time for a change and that’s my decision, but I think it’s also good for a small school to have change,” she said. Mrs Lilley said she would have “mixed feelings” about leaving the school, but she hoped to go into a reliever’s role one day
after spending quality time with her newly-born grandson Arthur, and adult children Michael, Jane and George. “I want to be able to spend quality time with my family and my children live away from home so I want to be able to visit them. There just comes a time when I want to make a choice and I feel happy that the school is growing and developing with the great team in place. “It’s going to be different driving past the school because I live down the road, but I think it’s a
great opportunity for the school and I look forward to seeing what they (the new principal) will add.” Ms Lilley has seen the roll more than double while leading the school, but she has also seen herself develop as a principal, learning the art of the challenging job at Our Lady of the Snows. “I’ve learnt so much about children’s learning and as a teacher you have to develop because it is always a changing environment.” Her last day of school will be on December 14 but she will still be working over the summer break.
COURT
Debt collector gets detention A man who demanded a $1000 drug tax and threatened to ransack his victim’s house was yesterday sentenced to four months’ community detention in the Ashburton District Court. Charles James Nukunuku, 32, a debt collector, had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of demanding with menace in relation to an incident on August 1, where he demanded the money after turning up at the home of a man who he had earlier threatened while wearing his gang patches.
At an earlier court appearance, the court heard Nukunuku was a patched member of the Mongrel Mob, but yesterday his counsel Keith Owen said Nukunuku had moved to Ashburton for a better life and to get away from his gang connections. He told the court Nukunuku had handed in his gang patch and was caring for his two young children. Judge Joanna Maze said Nukunuku had a limited history of violence and had admitted to asking for tax money, but denied
making threats. She said he may have come to Ashburton for a better life, but his offending had been pre-meditated and he had been assessed as being a moderate risk of reoffending. So she sentenced him to four months’ community detention with a curfew of 7pm until 7am, and warned him if he didn’t make the most of the opportunity to change, a custodial sentence would be inevitable. “And the real victim in that will be your children,” she said.
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Pensioner’s dark secret comes to light By Sandra Conchie Eighty-three-year -old Eileen Marie Farquer fleeced the system for quarter of a century, pocketing almost $215,000 in benefit payments. The frail-looking Te Puke pensioner managed to hide her offending for more than 25 years but her dark secret was finally uncovered after she drove into the path of a fully laden fuel tanker in March and ended up in hospital with serious injuries. Farquer hobbled into the Tauranga District Court on Friday with the aid of a walking stick to be sentenced on five benefit fraud charges. She appeared bewildered and confused. Farquer had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge each of making a false statement and obtaining by deception and three charges of dishonestly using a document. Partially deaf, she needed spe-
cial headphones to listen to Judge Christopher Harding and was given permission to sit in the witness box beside him rather than in the dock. According to court documents, Farquer used the name Lee J. Strauss in 1987 to get an unemployment benefit, and continued to receive benefits in that name until June 3 - a period of 25 years. A year later she used her real name to get another unemployment benefit which she received until December 10, 1993, when she was granted superannuation. During that time she also filed two income review forms and an emergency benefit application using her fake identity. As result of the car crash south of Te Puke on March 30, police received information that Farquer was receiving two benefits. On May 24 police searched her Tauranga Hospital bedroom, her site at Bledisloe Caravan Park in Little Waihi and a storage unit in Papamoa.
Community work Man who had ‘lots’ to drink has costly hangover sentence on multiple charges A man who forced his former partner to the ground and ripped her clothing was yesterday sentenced to 200 hours’ community work. Matthew James Sandor Cague, 27, appeared for sentence in front of Judge Joanna Maze in the Ashburton District Court yesterday having earlier pleaded guilty to charges of wilful damage, assaulting a female and two of breaching a protection order. The court heard the victim had a protection order out against Cague but went around to his house and he became upset, grabbing her by her collar and forcing her to her knees. She got away but he followed and ripped her jacket before she got into her car. He then also got into the car and pulled her hair. The victim struck out and he head-butted her before getting out of the car and slamming and kicking the door.
The court heard Cague then called her later and threatened to kill her. He had three previous convictions for assaulting a female – all from earlier this year. Judge Maze said aggravating factors in the case were the fact he was still serving a sentence for previous offences when the latest offences occurred, and that there was actual violence, although injuries were limited. She said a pre-sentence report stated Cague had a propensity for anger and violence and although he had been doing well on a sentence of supervision, his attitude towards his victim was appalling and he was unable to see the situation from the position of the victim. The fact that he was able to pay reparation immediately worked in his favour. Cague was sentenced to 200 hours’ community work and was ordered to pay $1446.90 in reparation within 48 hours.
A man who damaged three cars on Lincoln Road, Christchurch, on September 22 was yesterday sentenced to community work and supervision. Robert Bennett, 24, a printer of Ashburton, will also have to pay more than $2000 in reparation for the damage he did to the three cars. Bennett jumped on the roof of a parked vehicle, jumped on the bonnet of another vehicle and cracked the windscreen, and then smashed the windscreen of a third vehicle. He earlier admitted to having had “lots” to drink that night. Bennett was sentenced to 60 hours’ community work and six months’ supervision by Judge Joanna Maze, with a condition that he complete a drug and alcohol assessment.
was convicted of driving with an excess breath alcohol level of 546mcg/l. He pleaded guilty to the charge and the court heard he was stopped on Havelock Street at 2.50am on November 10. He was fined $400, ordered to pay court costs and disqualified from driving for six months.
Jason Henry Forsyth, 29, unemployed of Ashburton, was convicted of driving with an excess breath alcohol level of 563mcg/l. He pleaded guilty to the charge and the court heard he was stopped on Eton Street at 1.05am on October 22. Forsyth said he was just reversing his car from his driveway, to park it on the street. Judge Joanna Maze fined him $650, ordered him to pay court costs of $650 and disqualified him from driving for six months.
Andrew Robert Crestani, 23, a farm hand of Coldstream, was convicted of charges of obstructing police and possessing cannabis, arising from an incident in Greymouth on November 4. He pleaded guilty to both. He’d been at a party and tried to intervene when another man was being arrested. When Crestani was taken to the police station, six grams of cannabis was found in his wallet. He was fined $200 and ordered to pay court costs.
Phoenix Hawkins, 20, a shed hand of Rakaia,
Patrick Minhinnick, a shearer of Ashburton, was convicted of driving while disqualified after being caught at 7.05am on October 21. He was heading to Christchurch where his partner had been unexpectedly discharged from hospital. Judge Maze fined him $250 and ordered him to pay court costs, but did not disqualify him further.
During those searches police found and seized documents in her true and fake identities. When interviewed by the Social Development Ministry on July 19 Farquer admitted she knew what she was doing was wrong, and had used the extra money to live and pay debt. Farquer was overpaid $214,780.88 between April 21, 1987 and June 3 this year that she has arranged to pay back at $10.50 a week. The ministry opposed home detention, arguing it was an inadequate response. But Farquer’s lawyer Cate Andersen told Judge Harding her client was remorseful and had offered to pay all the money back. Judge Harding told Farquer he had read medical reports that detailed her health difficulties, including her ongoing needs as a result of the crash. “In all the circumstances I am prepared to exercise my prerogative and show you the mercy of
the court and you will instead be sentenced to 12 months’ home detention,” he said. Outside court Farquer, who was assisted from the courthouse by her supporters into a waiting car parked close to the back door, declined to comment. None of her supporters would comment either. Iona Holsted, deputy chief executive Ministry of Social Development, said Farquer had deliberately and systematically stolen from taxpayers for 25 years. “We know that most of our clients are honest and meet their obligations, but when we find people who cheat our system we will prosecute them. “Age is no barrier to us prosecuting those people who go out of their way to rort the welfare system,” Ms Holsted said. “We have started to recover the money that Eileen Farquer stole from us, and will continue for as long as it takes.” - APNZ
Committed to trial The case of a Tauranga man charged with two attempted murders after separate shooting incidents has been committed to trial in the Rotorua High Court. Steven Dennis Poole, 44, of Bayfair, appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday facing two charges of attempted murder, one charge each of aggravated burglary, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The first callover will be held at Rotorua High Court on February 14. Poole remains in custody. Meanwhile, one of the four men involved in a smash and grab at a Tauranga central city liquor store has pleaded guilty to the charge in court. Anthony Wilson, 28, from Te Puna, appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday morning and pleaded guilty to burglary in relation to an incident at a Thirsty Liquor outlet. Wilson was remanded in custody after being declined bail on Friday. - APNZ
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