A 51-year-old man was found by members of the public after being assaulted in Nelson just after 2pm.

An Upper Hutt man says he will never forgive the man he considered his best friend after he killed his mother in a frenzied and brutal axe attack.

A man and woman charged after the death of Taupo preschooler Moko Sayviah Rangitoheriri have had the charges upgraded from assault on a child to murder.

A New Zealander living in Vanuatu has appeared in court today facing charges for murdering a local man in what police describe as a vicious, drunken fight over a girl.

Father says finding killer will always hinge on someone coming forward with information as Ewen McDonald's lawyer says family "wasting money".

Lawyer Peter Coles says he's not surprised Kylee Guy has run out of money investigating her husband's death because he says she's focusing on the wrong man.

The mother of slain teenager Luke Tipene faces the prospect of reliving her son's death all over again at a second trial.

The jury on the Luke Tipene murder trial has reached a stalemate and been discharged by the judge.

An Auckland teen charged with murder, who allegedly escaped bail and evaded authorities for four days, will remain behind bars until trial.

A teenager deliberately stabbed a rugby league starlet in the neck and must have known death was likely, the Crown says.

A fight over a taxi left a young man lying in the middle of a central Auckland road with critical head injuries at the weekend.

Toxicology results from the second autopsy performed on Maggie Watson showed traces of chemicals or drugs in her system, her grandfather claims.

A 13-year-old boy convicted of manslaughter was supposed to be taken into CYF care a month before he killed an Auckland dairy owner last June.

The man accused of murdering a Christchurch toddler last month has been granted bail.

The friend of a teenager accused of stabbing an up-and-coming rugby league player has described seeing his mate's look of shock moments after the fatal incident.

An eleventh hour decision by a man who bashed his elderly mother to sack his lawyer was branded "disgusting" by his mother in court today.

Detectives probing the 2008 slaying of Mellory Manning have admitted being in a "legal limbo" while a gangster found guilty of being involved appeals his conviction.

Name suppression has lapsed for a man accused of bludgeoning an elderly man to death with a bottle.

One of two people arrested in relation to the discovery of an elderly man's body in a public toilet last night has appeared in court charged with murder.

A man armed with a hatchet attacked patrons in a movie theatre in the Nashville, Tennessee, area before he was shot and killed by police officers.

A homicide investigation is underway in Manawatu following the discovery of a body outside a block of units this morning.

Two people who came to the aid of a woman who was assaulted in Dunedin on Saturday are being asked to contact police.

A man accused of fatally stabbing a woman at a party will stay behind bars until his trial next year.

Families of homicide victims have spoken candidly about their experiences in a new study aimed at documenting how losing a loved one to crime affects the lives of those around them.

Officer accused of beating up his partner now charged with conspiring with the woman to make false statements.

The three men accused of killing Wellington man Matthew Stevens have pleaded not guilty at the High Court in Wellington today.

Justice Minister Amy Adams has told police to revise their guidelines so they can secretly warn people if their partner has a history of violent abuse.

A group of six to eight men allegedly assaulted the two male tourists - one from France and the other from the UK - outside the Vagabond Backpacker in Christchurch.

Two tourists who were attacked by a group of people outside a Christchurch backpackers were victims of "random bad luck", the hostel owner says.

A white United States police officer who shot a black motorist after stopping him over a missing licence plate pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter.