Court

The sentencing of a child minder to life in prison for murdering a 10-month-old baby should serve as a strong deterrent to would-be offenders, say police who investigated the crime.

A man appearing for sentence on a raft of burglary, theft and receiving charges claimed to have absolutely no memory of the three-month offending spree, Tauranga District Court was told today.

A teenage driver "went nuts" and tried to get himself run over as a woman lay dying under a van he had flipped, Palmerston North District Court has been told.

A young man who stole more than $9000 from his sick grandmother's bank account "betrayed a fundamental trust", a judge said in Tauranga District Court today.

An 18-year-old man accused of murdering a man after a party in Taumarunui a week ago has again appeared in court and can now be named.

An Auckland man whose two children drowned when his boat sank in the Hauraki Gulf declined to comment as he left court today, sentenced to 250 hours' community service.

A Lower Hutt man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl at his house last year appeared in Wellington District Court today.

Former Immigration Service boss Mary Anne Thompson appeared in court on Friday on fraud and dishonesty charges.

The "lion man" Craig Busch was back in court in Whangarei today seeking to get back control of his wildlife park.

Rape charges have been dropped against New Zealand Warriors winger Michael Crockett, with a Sydney magistrate ruling there were too many questions about his accuser's credibility.