NZ Diplomat Stabbed To Death In Solomon Islands

HONIARA: A New Zealand diplomat has died of stab wounds after she apparently disturbed burglers at her residence in the Solomon Islands, Radio Australia reports.

Pacific Correspondent Kevin McQuillan reports the diplomat died in hospital late this afternoon:

"New Zealand's Foreign Minister Phil Goff says 50-year-old Bridget Nichols apparently found two men ransacking her garage inside her property.

"After challenging them, she was stabbed once. A kitchen knife was later found nearby.

"Paramedics treated Ms Nichols at the scene before taking her to hospital, but she died a short time later.

"Mr Goff says staff are traumatised by Ms Nichols' murder: 'She was a person of considerable ability. She was a lovely person, quite a slight person, very committed to what she was doing.'"

* A career diplomat, Ms Nichols had been posted in Honiara for only six weeks. Ms Nichols was a qualified lawyer who had previously worked in the Solomons with Volunteer Services Abroad.

This is only the second assassination of a New Zealand diplomat — three men were sentenced to death for killing the NZ High Commissioner in Niue, Hector Larson, in 1953.

+++niuswire

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