One of NZ's most dangerous sex criminals attacked two women while on parole and under Corrections Department supervision.

A man appeared in court this morning charged with the murder of Harold Skudder after police received new information yesterday.

A young father was stabbed with a steak knife and bitten after he confronted two burglars - both young women - in an incident police say could easily have ended in tragedy.

A woman's trial for murdering a three-year-old boy in her care was abandoned today after four weeks because a key medical witness was too ill to give evidence.

An eyewitness to an attack on school principal and councillor Hawea Vercoe, told a court his head was kicked like a rugby ball.

A man allegedly used his car to ram an ambulance and police cars before threatening police with a baseball bat on Saturday night, police say.

A 5-year-old and two 6-year-old boys were apprehended by police for sexual assault last year.

A professional rugby player facing assault charges after a bar incident in October cannot be named, despite a judge lifting a suppression order.

A customer who ran up a $5500 drug debt was kidnapped, beaten and forced to hand over his car by the "heavies" employed to collect the money.

The Government is considering a proposal to limit the sale of knives to young people amid concerns over the number of knife crimes.