Child Abuse Jailing – Waterside Wars – Twizel Mystery – Date Rape – Sydney Storm – US Elections – No More Grace –
Sports Romance
CHILD ABUSE JAILING: She bashed burned and bruised her two-year-old grand-daughter for months. Today Patricia Bisset was
jailed for 5 years. Her grand-daughter has been left seriously injured and brain damaged. In May Sade was removed from
her parents after allegations of child abuse. Her grandmother reluctantly took over custody. “This is in essence
sustained torture of a defenceless child.” The toddler nearly died of a massive blow to the head. Bisset’s lawyer says
it was a disaster waiting to happen. She was abused as a child herself. She asked for help but received none. Sade’s
parents were in court today and are appalled at the sentence.
WATERSIDE WARS: Auckland watersiders took on Carter Holt Harvey today over the wages and conditions of South Island
colleagues. The watersiders are upset at what they say are attempts to “casualise” the Bluff and Port Chamlers
workforce. Mainland Stevedoring says that Bluff watersiders should not have a monopoly on labour. The battle is about
thousands and thousands of tonnes of forestry exports.
TWIZEL MYSTERY: Police have dropped their investigation into the assault of Shane Lacy a Twizel constable found
unconscious in his car. Police say they are no longer interested in the case. Extensive medical tests have cast doubt on
claims from Lacy was hit on the head. Closing the case today Police say the people of Twizel have
DATE RAPE: In Wellington a man accused of date rape today gave evidence in his defence. Glenn William Hooker denies
drugging the woman and says the sex was consensual. Hooker says the pair spent some time in a spa-pool before they had
sex. The woman says she remembers nothing after getting into the taxi with Hooker. The woman says there is something
unusual about Hooker’s genitals. He has undergone a medical examination and denies this.
SYDNEY STORM: Sydney residents cleaned up today after lightning cut power to thousands in the city. The weather bureau
recorded more than 2000 strikes in two hours. Commuter services were severely delayed. Stormwater drains were unable to
handle the deluge. Dozens of trees were brought down.
US ELECTIONS: A rental truck with more than half a million ballots on board drove across Florida today. Meanwhile Al
Gore has been rolling out statistics to justify his calls for a recount. The Florida legislature meanwhile has put a
spanner in the works. The Republican tactic is still to present an air of certainty about Bush’s victory. Today Bush met
with Gulf War hero Colin Powell.
GRACE MAGAZINE: Grace Magazine is going out of business. Magazine editor of the year Linda Clark is out of a job. INL
magazines say the magazine is not profitable.
SPORTS ROMANCE: Hockey player Mandy Smith and yachtsman Dean Barker have been linked romantically in the NZ Herald
newspaper. Dean Barker and Smith are not talking about it but. Former boyfriend Marc Ellis isn’t spilling the beans
either.