The mother of a murdered Bay of Plenty teenager said today she was unable to describe how she felt about her son's "brutal, absolutely senseless death". A Mongrel Mob member ran down Jordan Herewini in Murupara last year.

The family of 'Good Samaritan' Austin Hemmings has been "torn to shreds" by his murder, a court heard today. Mr Hemmings' killer was this morning sentenced to at least 16 years in jail.

The man who admitted fatally stabbing "good Samaritan" Austin Hemmings has been sentenced to a minimum of 16 years' imprisonment, with the sentencing judge questioning whether he was truly remorseful.

An injured man broke a police officer's nose as the officer tried to help restrain him in an ambulance.

The jury has gone out to consider its verdict in a case in which a police officer is accused of a cover up of the circumstances leading to the death of man fleeing custody.

A 27-year-old Christchurch woman charged with murdering her new born child has been remanded in custody for a psychiatric report.

A toddler admitted to Starship Hospital earlier this year with a severe head injury has died.

A 14-year-old boy was jailed for 20 months and his father for two years at the High Court in Gisborne today in an emotional sequel to the shooting of an 11-year-old boy on an East Cape farm in July 2009.

A man arrested after a west Auckland domestic incident which resulted in six people being taken to hospital has appeared in court.

A trial has begun for two police officers accused of punching and challenging to a fight an 18-year-old who was getting "a little bit lippy" after they were called to disperse a group of teens drinking in an Auckland park.

For eight years, a British grandmother has been living on death row in Texas.