Selwyn_Times: March 13, 2024

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20 Selwyn Times Wednesday March 13 2024 CouncilCall Wednesday 13 March 2024 Are you Prepared for an Emergency? With the recent Port Hills fires on everyone’s minds, it’s the right time to remind our Selwyn community about how you can be prepared for any emergency. Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere, and often without warning, but here are some steps you can take now to be better prepared: Have an evacuation plan In an emergency, some houses, streets, and neighbourhoods may not be safe to stay in and you may have to leave in a hurry. Decide where you will go and make sure everyone in your household knows in case you’re not together. Have a grab bag ready to go with all the essentials Each bag should have walking shoes, warm clothes, bottle of water, snacks and copies of important documents and photo ID. Medications, a first aid kit, torch, radio and batteries should be located somewhere you can grab them in a hurry. Respect Every Intersection Mate, father, mother, son, daughter — we all know someone that places lives at risk through not following simple road rules and disrespecting intersections. They might believe they’re a good driver or that the road ahead is clear, but tragically, lives continue to be lost at intersections in Selwyn. Over the past five years in Selwyn, 10 people have died and 78 have been seriously injured due to drivers failing to stop or give way at intersections. Surprisingly, it’s not just young or inexperienced drivers — 71% of those responsible held a full driver’s licence. These accidents come with a staggering social harm cost of $257 million, but beyond the financial burden, it’s the emotional toll on families, friends, and emergency responders that weighs heavily. Even near misses leave lasting impacts. We’ve all seen drivers run stop signs, narrowly avoiding disaster. But what happens when “almost” turns into reality? Work out what supplies you need Make sure you have enough supplies to last three days at home. This includes nine litres of water per person, long-lasting food that doesn’t need cooking, food for babies and pets, toilet paper and large plastic buckets for an emergency toilet. Stay informed During an emergency, our volunteers and Civil Defence teams will be working hard to provide you with the most up to date information through our website and our Council Facebook page. You can also stay informed by following the Civil Defence NZ website, social media page and listening to battery-powered radio or car radio if the power goes out. Find out more useful tips in our ‘Are You Ready?’ guide, available at Selwyn Libraries, Service Centres, the Rolleston Council Office or on our website. Sign up for free emergency alerts at getready.govt.nz MY SON FAILED TO STOP RESPECT EVERY INTERSECTION Many drivers shrug off their actions when they don’t result in a crash or a ticket, perpetuating the dangerous behaviour. But this cycle can be broken if we take action. If we say nothing, nothing will change, a missed opportunity could cost someone’s life and impact many others. If you know someone that fails to stop or give way, call them out on it, it could be your loved one who becomes their next victim. Respecting intersections isn’t just about following rules — it’s about safeguarding lives. Let’s work together to ensure every intersection is treated with the attention and respect it deserves. New Licence for Huts Discussed A draft Deed of Licence for the Upper Selwyn Huts will be considered by the Council today, as it works to provide some certainty to hut owners on their situation before the current licence expires on 30 June 2024. The Council will be considering options such as the length of time these licences will be renewed for, and options for funding the wastewater solution. The Upper Selwyn Huts location faces a number of challenges that will increase risks of living there, from more frequent and severe storms, rising groundwater levels and growing difficulty of opening Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere to the sea. In May 2019, the Council determined that Hut licences and renewals are short-term and for a finite period. This is in line with the decisions by Ngāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation around the end dates for licence renewals at the Greenpark Huts and Lower Selwyn Huts. The priority through the new deed of licence is to ensure that hut owners have some certainty on their situation beyond 30 June 2024 and time to allow the community, the Council and relevant agencies to work together on the longer-term future. Dog Microchipping Clinics Free monthly service. Friday 22 March • Leeston Library & Service Centre 9am to 9.30am • Lincoln Library & Service Centre 9am to 9.30am • Council Offices Rolleston 11am to 11.30am • Darfield Library & Service Centre No clinic this time around Clinics will not take place if wet. Any questions contact Animal Control on 0800 SELWYN (735 996) Council and Community Board Meetings Council Meeting* Wednesday 13 March 1pm Rolleston Council Offices Sister Cities Meeting Monday 18 March 4.30pm Rolleston Council Offices To speak at a Council meeting, please email meeting.changes@selwyn.govt.nz five days prior. *Livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Events Poetry Writing Workshop with Claudia Jardine Thursday 14 March, 6.30–8pm Lincoln Library Bookings required at selwynlibraries.co.nz/events FREE Learner Licence Workshop $90 Family Water Safety $5–$25 Saturday 16 March, 10am–4pm Sunday 17 March, 1.30–5pm Youth Hub, Rolleston Community Centre Selwyn Aquatic Centre Bookings required at selwyn.govt.nz/events Bookings required at selwyn.govt.nz/events For all the latest news and events visit our website selwyn.govt.nz or follow us SelwynDistrictCouncil or 0800 SELWYN (735 996) E24_130324
Wednesday March 13 2024 Selwyn Times Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz NEWS 21 How killer’s texts to journalist ended up in a High Court trial Last week, former prison guard David Benbow was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum nonparole period of 17 years for murdering his childhood friend Michael McGrath nearly seven years after he disappeared. New Zealand Herald senior crime reporter Sam Sherwood reports on how a series of text messages from a man who called himself ‘Nigel’ led to him being called as a Crown witness in a murder trial “HELLO, SAM. You inquired about a witch-hunt of a good friend of mine,” the conversation began shortly after I arrived home from work. Looking at my phone, I knew instantly the message from the unknown number related to an approach I’d made two days earlier to David Benbow. It was nearly 300 days since his childhood friend Michael McGrath went missing and Benbow had just put his family home on Candys Rd, Halswell, up for sale a second time. He’d tried selling it several months earlier with another real estate agent, but following media coverage of the listing, they decided to pull out as it was “too much hassle”. McGrath had done some work on the property, helping Benbow work on a deck and also making TEXTS: At the first trial, David Benbow admitted being the person behind the text messages sent to journalist Sam Sherwood. PHOTO: KURT BAYER/NZ HERALD a playhouse for his children. McGrath’s disappearance on May 22, 2017 made national headlines, with several police press conferences being held as detectives appealed for sightings of the 49-year-old. However, to date, Benbow, whom police said was a “person of interest”, was yet to make any public comment aside from telling a reporter from The Press he was the victim of a witchhunt. I had spent many hours looking for another way to contact Benbow. I couldn’t find a Facebook account, and he was not in the phone book. I had tried calling his mum, but she did not want to comment. It was not until March 2018, when his house was listed for sale a second time, that I got what I was after. I went online and the real estate agency had uploaded several documents related to the house. As I scanned the documents, I spotted one which included Benbow’s cellphone number. Finally, I had an In the back of my mind, I wondered, ‘What’s this man, whom I believe to be Benbow, going to tell me? Will he slip up?’ – Sam Sherwood avenue through which I could communicate with him. I wasn’t under any impression he would agree to an hourlong interview but felt it was important, given I was intending on writing a story, that I give him a chance to comment. I called on March 14, the phone rang and Benbow answered. He wasn’t interested in talking. I then sent him a text saying I wanted to give him the opportunity to talk about how the last 300 days had been for him. I said I had some questions for him, including how he believed he was the victim of a “witch-hunt”. I got no response and thought that was the end of it. Then, two days later on March 16, 2018, I received the first message from an unknown number. Another text followed saying Joanna Green, Benbow’s expartner, had “triggered the investigation”. They claimed Green had a “chronic drinking problem”. “Confirmed is in new relationship with Michael,” they said before alleging Green “can be violent on occasions”. I asked who I was speaking to, and they said their name was Nigel. I was immediately suspicious about who was really behind the texts – in the back of my mind, I wondered, ‘What’s this man, whom I believe to be Benbow, going to tell me? Will he slip up?’ “The police have never searched her rental house . . . or her car,” the messages continued. “She is a person of interest, but you don’t put her photo in the press and occupation.” I asked Nigel whether Benbow would be happy to speak to me, hoping I would finally get an interview with him. Nigel said he would ask him the next day. I told Nigel at the time I was not in possession of a photo of Green, which was why we had not published any. “Because your 1 dimensional eg witchhunt, getting the idea now (sic),” Nigel said. The word witch-hunt, which by now Nigel had used twice, piqued my suspicions further, given it was the term I had used in my text to Benbow. Michael McGrath was last seen at his Halswell home in May 2017. He then told me to go to Green’s workplace the following Monday morning to get a photo of her, supplying her number plate to make it easier to find her. I then asked Nigel how his good friend was coping, hoping I might be able to use these comments later down the track if I were ever able to confirm Benbow was behind the phone number. “Ask yourself the question. David has had his life turned upside-down, all the press coverage, 300 days of no evidence. I don’t think David is that clever. But I bet you publish another article in the morning.” Nigel then tells me two young girls were sitting in the gutter opposite McGrath’s house in the early hours of the morning over the period in question, which was reported by a neighbour but had not been mentioned. “A commotion and loud voices reported about 2.45am over that period by three neighbours. One neighbour witnessed a vehicle driving off. It wasn’t David’s vehicle and he wasn’t present. But the police still promoted his vehicle on (Police Ten 7).” • Turn to page 14 Shake it off. Shake it off. IT WORKS FOR TAYLOR. WE CAN MAKE IT WORK FOR YOUR WORRIES, NEEDS OR RISKS TOO. LET’S TALK. 03 349 5111 | WIGRAM.LAWYER@SAUNDERS.CO.NZ | CITY, WIGRAM, PAPANUI, FERRYMEAD | SAUNDERS.CO.NZ
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Selwyn_Times: March 13, 2024

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