Ric Stevens is a Multimedia Journalist specialising in Open Justice reporting at Hawke's Bay Today.
I have worked in journalism for about 40 years, including as a political reporter at Parliament and in senior roles at a number of daily newspapers. In the course of my career I have met 10 prime ministers and covered topics as diverse as riots, earthquakes and murder trials, among many other things. I stepped aside from daily journalism for a while in 2016 to complete a master's degree and then found myself working for four years on the front line of the criminal justice system, as a probation officer. This has helped inform my current reporting on crime and justice. I was delighted to be able to come back to journalism as a member of NZME's Open Justice team in 2022.
![Meth offender claims $31k seized cash was from selling 5205 pipes - police say yeah right](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Meth offender claims $31k seized cash was from selling 5205 pipes - police say yeah right
Cops calculated former Mob boss would have had to have made more than 5000 pipes.
!['Our little secret': Teen cried and hugged her puppy during rape](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Our little secret': Teen cried and hugged her puppy during rape
Her rapist tried to appeal his convictions after being sent to prison for 10 years.
![Drug dealer found with $91k of meth, $14,500 cash three months after prison release](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Drug dealer found with $91k of meth, $14,500 cash three months after prison release
Police monitored meth dealer's phone calls and texts for a month before raiding house.
![Teen drug dealer bashed would-be robber with baseball bat until he thought he was dead](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Teen drug dealer bashed would-be robber with baseball bat until he thought he was dead
Now a judge has dismissed an appeal against the teen's jail sentence.
![Meth-maker with $1.5m debt to Crown has to give up ‘bequest’ from late father](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Meth-maker with $1.5m debt to Crown has to give up ‘bequest’ from late father
Royce Duncan owed the Crown $1.5m earned from a large-scale drug-dealing operation.
![Man who poached 4600 crayfish for ‘sprawling’ black market ring jailed](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Man who poached 4600 crayfish for ‘sprawling’ black market ring jailed
Crayfish poacher apologised after abusing customary permit system.
!['Dad didn't make it': Family tragedy caused by meth-using driver who had been awake for four days](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Dad didn't make it': Family tragedy caused by meth-using driver who had been awake for four days
Son should have been celebrating his birthday. Instead, his father died.
![Two wrongs make a right: Man uses proceeds of crime to repay $21,000 in wrongfully received Covid-19 subsidies](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Two wrongs make a right: Man uses proceeds of crime to repay $21,000 in wrongfully received Covid-19 subsidies
Police found $31,000 in cash, drugs and a firearm, but they had no search warrant.
![Inheritance mystery: He's alive and well - but ignoring a $300,000 windfall. So a court has now ruled he doesn't exist](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Inheritance mystery: He's alive and well - but ignoring a $300,000 windfall. So a court has now ruled he doesn't exist
He's been avoiding attempts to contact him for 14 years. Even a PI couldn't track him.
![Kiwi loses appeal against deportation after fatal crash](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Kiwi loses appeal against deportation after fatal crash
Kiwi who caused woman's death did not disclose NZ convictions on entering Australia.
![Appeal reduces sentence for five-hour night-time crime spree](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Appeal reduces sentence for five-hour night-time crime spree
Three separate incidents involved three victims.