Karen Aim Murder - A Change of Plea and a Father's Unanswered Questions

Jahche Broughton (15) who had previously pleaded guilty to the murder of Scottish woman Karen Aim has taken on a new lawyer and has asked to change his plea before sentencing is given out.

According to Stuff.co.nz

"Legal experts say Broughton's young age he was 14 at the time of the killing could be used as a factor in his plea change application, in that he may not have understood the nature of the charge or a possible defence."

Karen's parents are said to be disappointed with the change but Mr Aim still has unanswered questions regarding events surrounding the death of his daughter.

Broughton was said to have been vandalising a school on the night of the murder. A baseball bat used to batter Karen had also been used to smash windows at the school . However, Karen's body was found just metres from her home, well away from the school.

Broughton was said to have hidden the bat at his home and showed it to his mate Leigh Herewini.

Herewini is the 34-year-old security guard who responded to an alarm at the school on the night of the assault.

In a court hearing in Sept of last year Herewini gave evidence that

"the accused had shown him the baseball bat when he had gone to his house about two or three days after Ms Aim was killed.

"It had a lot of dents and bitsmissing off it," Mr Herewini said. "It looked like it had blood on it."

He said the accused had called him on the day Ms Aim was killed and told him he knew who was responsible for the murder.

"He said it was a guy Bryan, a Mongrel Mob prospect from Rotorua."

The accused allegedly said Bryan had hit Ms Aim over the head with a baseball bat and was planning on throwing her into the Waikato River "but there was too much traffic around so he left".

Previous Karen Aim articles: Link

Hamilton On-Line Date Leads to Sex Assault

Source: Stuff.co.nz
Clio Francis

"Police have issued a warning over the perils of online dating after an alleged sexual assault in Hamilton over the weekend.

Detective Inspector Greg Nicholls said a 41-year-old man was facing a variety of charges relating to the alleged sexual assault of a woman in her home on Saturday morning.

He would appear in Hamilton District Court this afternoon, he said.

"The offender and victim had connected via the internet sometime last November and had been in subsequent contact since by phone, text and email but had not previously met in person.

"The pair had planned to meet on Friday night, however when that fell through the accused had gone to the victim's house and sexually assaulted her," Mr Nicholls said.

He urged people to exercise caution.

"Wherever possible when meeting with someone for the first time meet in a public place, such as a cafe or restaurant and inform someone where you are going and who you are meeting."

A German tourist made headlines last month after travelling to New Zealand to stay with a Dunedin man she had met on the internet.

The woman, 36, struck up an online friendship with a man she believed was a 33-year-old PhD student from Dunedin in October.

When she arrived on February 8, she realised the unkempt, unemployed 54-year-old had lied about his identity.

She went to his house, where chickens lived inside among cartons and rubbish, and there was no electricity.

When he refused to let her leave the house on her own or take her passport, she contacted a person she had met on her plane, who called police.

The Armed Offender Squad were called while the pair were in Kaikoura, but she was later rescued by police.

The man would not be prosecuted, police said."

Armed Youths Cased Dairy Before Robbery

Source: NZ Herald
Andrew Koubaridis

"The masked youths who robbed a dairy at gunpoint for icecreams were captured by the store's security cameras - with their faces uncovered - when they visited the store shortly before the crime....

... police believe two of the three robbers checked out the Edendale dairy between 7.45am and 8am that morning while they pretended to look for something on the shelves.

During the robbery one of the trio waved a gun at shopkeeper Shazia Hussain while the other two loaded a bag with about $400 - as well as chocolate bars and icecreams.

After the robbery the youths, who looked about 14 years old, fled on foot towards Edendale Reserve....

...Ms Hussain was alone in the shop with her 2-month old baby asleep in a back room. Her husband, Tahir Ketan, told the Herald on Sunday they were shocked at the age of the robbers.
Today he told NZPA his wife had been unable to sleep since the robbery.

"She is very upset," he said.

"She couldn't sleep last night and the night before. She says, `When I close my eyes, I see the same thing happening'. She is still in shock."

Mr Ketan, who wasn't present, said the incident, captured on security video, lasted 1-1/2 minutes and was like something out of the movies.

"It was like film-style, movie-style," he said.

"They threw a big black bag down and one of the boys stood there with the gun."

More Auckland Bag Snatches: Police get one man but lose the other

Source: NZ Herald

"A man has been arrested in downtown Auckland after a bag-snatching incident.

Police swooped onto the lower Queen St, Viaduct Harbour areas after sightings of two men linked with an alleged bag-snatching on the North Shore this morning.

A police spokesman said one of the men was arrested near the boat terminal on Quay St without incident. Police are still seeking the other man."

Comment:

Muggings of women/handbag thefts is an increasingly serious and widespread problem in Auckland, where a number of incidents have resulted in a death and serious injuries to both victims and innocent bystanders. See blog link: Handbag snatches

Attempted Abductions in Wellington and a Brothel Hold-Up

From Stuff.co.nz

"Police are worried a man who tried to force a 20-year-old woman into his car late at night in Wellington could strike again.

Police are seeking help to identify the short, fat, balding Asian or Middle Eastern man who approached the woman as she walked home from a trip to her local service station in Newtown about 11.30pm on Friday.

Detective Paul Baskett told NZPA the man, who was dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, pulled up alongside the woman and asked if she would like to get into his white four-door car.

When she refused he pulled his car across a driveway in front of her, got out and tried to wrestle her into the vehicle.

But the woman "made a lot of noise" and the man fled when two people called out from across the other side of the road.

Mr Baskett said the man's attempt to abduct the woman had worrying "sexual overtones" and police were concerned he could strike again.

Police wanted to hear from anyone who could help them identify the man, including the couple on the other side of the road who intervened.

He said the woman estimated him to be about 1.65m tall. His balding hair was closely shaved and he spoke with an accent.

The incident happened on Adelaide Rd."

Comment:

The abduction attempt bears remarkable similarities with other attacks.

One occurred 2 kms. away in the city in September of last year.

In that incident a 19 year old woman fought off an attacker who tried to drag her into his light coloured, four door car on Cambridge Terrace, near the Woburn Railway Station carpark.

She described him as being "about 173cm tall with dark skin and the appearance of an Indian or Somalian. He was wearing a dark-coloured parka type jacket with the hood up."

See this link to Google maps that shows the locations of the two attacks: LINK

In August 2005 there was an abduction attempt on a 13 year old girl in the Newton/Melrose area involving a white, 4 door car.

The attacker, who came from the direction of Melrose, was described as "tall, dark skinned, big build and possibly with facial stubble. He was wearing a bulky black hoody, and possibly dark coloured pants. "

The incident occurred at the junction of Mt Albert Road and Lavaud Street which is not far from Adelaide Street.



Brothel Hold Up

Also in the news from Wellington this morning was an armed robbery at the brothel "Il Bordello" which occurred at last night. The robber, who used a sawn off rifle, escaped with a large amount of cash.

The female receptionist, who had tried to escape during the robbery but was dragged back, is still in shock after the traumatic incident.

link: NZ News Yahoo

Another Handbag Theft - Woman Dragged 130 Metres Behind Car

In yet another mugging in Auckland a woman has been dragged 130 metres by a car as she tried to cling onto her handbag.

This is just the latest in a very long string of similar attacks on women in the
Auckland region. They have continued unabated despite a large scale round up of offenders by police in September . See blog entry.

Last month an innocent bystander was shot dead by police, and another injured on an Auckland motorway, following a mass vehicular pursuit of a handbag snatcher that involved 20 police cars and caused severe distruption to the region's traffic system. Blog link

In June 2008 Joanne Wang was killed in front of her young son in an almost identical attack at the Manukau Westfield shopping centre.

This report on today's most recent incident is take from Stuff.co.nz

(N.B. The Tident Tavern is in Onehunga, not Panmure)

"The 45-year-old was walking through the Trident Tavern car park in Panmure about 4.40pm when an occupant of a vehicle grabbed her handbag, said Detective Sergeant Mark Cullimore of Auckland Central CIB.

She was dragged about 130m by the car as the two wrestled for the bag.

The woman suffered severe grazing and bruising to her legs and arms and was quite shaken by the attack, Mr Cullimore said.

She was taken to an Accident and Emergency Centre for treatment.

There was only a vague description of her attacker, who was described as having dark skin and being in a dark coloured car, he said.

Police were keen to hear from any witnesses to the incident."

Karen Aim's Murderer Pleads Guilty.

Link: Karen Aim

Scottish woman Karen Aim was brutally murdered as she walked home alone one night in January last year.

The murder, which happened in Taupo in NZ's North Island, shocked not just the residents of the small town but people all over the world.

The incident received international press coverage and brought into sharp focus the problem of violent crime in the country. People questioned New Zealand's reputation as a safe place in which to live and visit.

Today Karen's 15 year old killer Jahche Te Manawa Kaha Brougton pleaded guilty and spared her family the ordeal of sitting through what was likely to be a long court case.

He also pleaded guilty to one count wounding with intent to cause causing grievous bodily harm to another woman, aged 17, in Taupo on January 5 last year.

Sentencing will be carried out on 6th March.

News Story: Sky News UK

13 Year Old Robbed and Raped in Public Toilet

Source: Stuff NZ
By Marty Sharpe - The Dominion Post

"Hastings police are investigating a alleged sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl in a central city block of public toilets.

Senior sergeant Dave Greig said the girl was found wandering around the city centre in a "dazed and confused" condition around 8pm yesterday and was taken to the police station by members of the public.

The Hastings girl told police that between 6pm and 7pm she had been approached by a group of 5-6 teenage males outside the Russell Street public toilets

"She was allegedly taken into the toilet by those youths where her handbag was taken from her and allegedly sexually violated by one of those youths," Mr Greig said.

Police recovered property of interest in the toilets last night. The toilet block was cordoned off overnight and a scene examination would take place this morning.

"At this stage we're appealing for any witnesses who were near the toilets between approximately 6-7pm last night to come forward," Mr Greig said."

Two other separate attacks

The allegation comes just weeks after two other incidents involving attacks on women in the area.

At New Year an attacker forced his way into a young woman's home in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere link and physically assaulted her.

And another just 3 days later when a 42 year old woman was attacked and pinned to the ground when walking through St Leonards Park at about 4.30am. Link

Tokoroa Sex Attack

Link ODT

Police are appealing for witnesses to a sex attack which occurred in the Waikato town of Tokoroa on Saturday night when a 25 year old woman was attacked in the Pine Grove subdivision between 10pm and midnight.

Tokoroa has had its fair share of crime in recent years, see link.

The most high profile probably the sexual assault and vicious murder of 66 year old teacher Lois Dear in her classroom at the Strathmore Primary School. Link NZ Herald

Her killer Whetu Te Hiko was sentenced to a minimum non parole period of 18 years.

Whetu Te Hiko had 13 prior convictions, eight of which were for assaulting women and children in 10 months, from April 2004 to February 2005.

His brother, Hamuera Te Hiko, was jailed for 14 years for the rape and manslaughter of his wife Eliza in December 2000. Link Sensible sentencing trust

Bystander Shot on Motorway Following Handbag Theft

Source: NZ Herald
A vehicle was stolen in West Auckland earlier today and used in a handbag snatch that went fatally wrong.

Following a high speed pursuit on Auckland's North Western Motorway involving the Armed
Offenders Squad a member of the public was was shot dead and another injured. At this time it is not known who fired the fatal shot.

20 police vehicles and a helicopter were involved in the chase which started at 1pm following a handbag theft in Titirangi.

A man has been arrested and a sawn off .22 rifle was found at the scene.

Back in Sept 2008 this blog highlighted the problem of bag snatches in the Auckland area. Link - Bag snatchers targeting women again

The Waitemata police carried out a series of raids on the homes of an Auckland-wide gang that was stealing handbags from the front seats of cars while women loaded their groceries into the boot.

At the time 9 men were arrested but police admitted that it hadn't stopped thieves from stealing women's bags and the spate of thefts continued in the New Lynn Area (close to Titirangi) all of which involved the use of stolen cars to make a getaway.

Woman killed in robbery June 2008

In June of last year 39 year old Joanne Wang (right) was killed when she was run down down in the street after her handbag was snatched at the Manukau Westfield shopping centre, her 8 year old son was with her and was traumatised after witnessing the appalling incident. News link

47 Bag Snatches over the Christmas period

Then in December police released released video footage of another dramatic handbag theft in South Auckland, showing a woman being dragged along the ground by her attacker. Over the Christmas period there were 47 bag snatches in the area. Link TVNZ

Police have said that it's becoming a big problem in the area and the criminals are targeting Asians.

These incidents suggest that the rule of law is failing in Auckland and the problem is beyond the the control of the police. It belies the commonly held perception that New Zealand safe place in which to live.

Sex Assault at Dunedin Back Packer Hotel

Dunedin police have arrested a man for the alleged sexual assault of a woman at the Leviathan Hotel last night.

The man, aged 50, was found near to the hotel as police set up a cordon and spoke to the occupants at around 8:50 pm.

The hotel offers cheap accommodation and is often used by back packers and trampers. Reviews on Tripadvisor.com are mixed and the hotel is described as being like a rabbit warren, situated on a very busy road and with a car park filled with huge juggernauts. Questions are bound to be raised about security at the hotel and access by non residents.

At this stage the nationality of the victim has not been released and police have stated that the incident is not linked to two other rapes which occurred in the town over the weekend.

This blog has previously highlighted assaults on back packers and campers in NZ and the growing frequency of this type of attack on visitors to New Zealand : link

Australian Tourist Attacked in Nelson

Source: Stuff

Police are hunting for a sex attacker who assaulted an Australian tourist walking along a roadside in Nelson, South Island.

The woman had been in NZ with a tour group and had decided to walk from Tahunanui to central Nelson to buy souvenirs when the man dragged her into undergrowth near Auckland Point school.

Her screams were heard by the occupants of a passing car who came to her aid and chased the offender who has yet to be found by police. He was described as having light olive skin, and being about 180cm tall and of medium build, in his early 40s, with greying hair, stubble, bad body and breath odour.

Police have released a CCTV video of the alleged attacker:



The assault comes days after the rape and robbery of a young Dutch backpacking couple at a campsite in South Island and is part of a rising trend of violent crime in NZ.

Also in the news was the arrest of three men for the gang rape of a woman in Matamata last Friday, her nationality is not known at this stage.

On the same day residents of the small town were incensed when a 16 year old youth, out on bail for aggravated robbery despite police objections, raped a 15 year old girl within hours of his release.

NZ First MP Ron Mark commented "When is the Youth Court going to take victims into account instead of worrying about the sensibilities of vicious young mongrels?

To bail him to his home, where his family obviously doesn't give a damn and from where he already absconded at the weekend to allegedly commit rape, borders on the insane."

Matamata-Piako District Mayor Hugh Vercoe said the bail -rape issue was "extremely frustrating, Matamata is a good little town, it does not have a lot of crime and is a very tight-knit sort of place."

Perhaps he would like to reconsider that statement in the light of recent events.

Bag Snatchers Targeting Women Again

Source: NZ Herald, 9 Sept 2008

"The bust of a major handbag-snatching ring has not stopped thieves from stealing women's bags in supermarket carparks.

Waitemata police recently carried out a series of raids on the homes of men involved in an Auckland-wide gang that was stealing handbags from the front seats of cars while women loaded their groceries into the boot.

The raids, which involved 30 officers and the execution of 15 search warrants, resulted in nine men being arrested and charged.

Detective Senior Sergeant Stan Brown said the arrests had not put an end to region-wide handbag snatching. At least five more cases had occurred in the past week. One of those was believed to be a copycat crime and the thief has since been arrested. Police are still hunting those behind the other snatchings.

Mr Brown said it was too early to say if they were carried out by associates of the original gang or whether other copycats were now at work.

The latest spate of snatchings started in New Lynn last Tuesday but the woman who was loading her groceries had locked her door, meaning the thieves were unable to get to her handbag. Undeterred, they tried again half an hour later at Westgate, where they stole a woman's bag. At 6.30pm they successfully struck again in Otara.

Mr Brown said in all three cases the thieves used stolen cars to make their getaway.

Yesterday, another handbag was stolen from a carpark behind the mall in Henderson.

Mr Brown said it was important people did everything they could to deter thieves, including keeping their handbags with them at all times and making sure car doors were locked. While many of the earlier victims were Asian, Mr Brown said thieves were now indiscriminate in who they targeted.

Police staff involved in last month's handbag raids have recovered dozens of stolen items, which they would like to return to the owners."

Retrieved possessions may be viewed HERE

Karen Aim Murder Case Comes to Trial

The trial began today of the youth accused of the murder of Scottish tourist Karen Aim.
It was a shocking crime that sickened many people in both New Zealand and the rest of the world. The trial will probably be the focus of a lot of media attention in the coming weeks and over a hundred witnesses will be called.

My thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.


Accused Tries to Pin Blame on Friend
Source: NZ Herald, Tuesday September 02, 2008

The 15-year-old boy accused of murdering Scottish tourist Karen Aim allegedly lied that another person had killed her but was arrested after her camera, handbag and a baseball bat with her blood on it were found at his house.

The teenager, who was 14 when Ms Aim was murdered in Taupo in January, allegedly said that a friend called Bryan killed the 26-year-old and planned to dispose of her body in the Waikato River when he was disturbed.

The accused, who cannot be named because of his age, allegedly showed a baseball bat to a man he knew and said he had obtained it from Bryan.

The man is appearing as a witness at a depositions hearing for the defendant and is expected to testify today that he was disturbed by blood he saw on the bat.

The depositions hearing began yesterday in the Taupo Youth Court.