TV3 News

Friday, 1 December 2000, 6:19 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

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.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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