Murder Of British Woman Jacqueline Blackbourn, Trial Underway

The trial of the man accused of the murder and rape of British immigrant, Jacqueline Blackbourn, got underway at Auckland Crown Court today. The man has already pleaded guilty to a charge of arson.
The Crown said in its opening statement that Jacqueline had been raped, strangled and stabbed to death before being set alight in her Glenfield home.

A knife had been plunged into her chest with such force that it when through her sternum. Siobhan Buckley told the court that Jacqueline's boyfriend could not accept the fact that their two year relationship was over and was "relentless in his attempts" to get her back.

A former girlfriend of the accused was in tears when she told about three incidents in which

"household items were smashed and she was physically or verbally assaulted.
After one dinner party she said the accused went "absolutely crazy", dragging her down the hallway before pushing her up against the kitchen bench and putting his hands around her throat.
"I thought he was going to kill me for sure. I was terrified really," she said.
Under cross-examination, the woman admitted that she hadn't called police or sought medical attention after the incidents.
"I'd say nine out of 10 women who get beat don't go to police," she told the court..." source

Ms Blackbourn was found in her burning house in Glenfield, North Shore in June 2010. At the time of the accused man's  arrest, news reports said a 28 year old man had appeared in court and

Police said that Ms Blackbourn, 43, suffered a violent death inside the View Road, Glenfield, house on the night of June 26. Police said the man, who has interim name suppression, was also charged with historical offences that related to another female complainant.  These included injuring with intent to injure, assault with intent to injure, assault with a weapon and intentional damage...
...Ms Blackbourn came to New Zealand from England 20 years ago.”

In our blog of 30 June 2010 we reported that the NZ Herald said that Jacqueline had recently split up with her partner, Steve Ellis. He was severely burned in the fire was found outside the property wearing only his underpants. Her former boyfriend, Karl Hawthorne, told reporters that Ms Blackbourn:

“worked in the accounts section of Harvey Norman at Wairau Park, was “the life of the party” and loved dancing, Mr Hawthorne said.
She missed her family, who were all overseas.
“She was really close to her mum,” he said. “There wouldn’t have been two days go by that she wasn’t in contact with her.”
Another friend, Margie Cardwell, described Ms Blackbourn as an “English rose”. “She was really feminine and girly, looked quite young for her age. She had a heart of gold.”
Ms Blackbourn’s brother, Tommaso Cerullo, yesterday left a heartfelt message for her on a social networking website.
“Rest in peace my darling sister. Love you and always will. You will never be forgotten in my heart or soul, miss you so much.
“To all the people that had the pleasure of having their heart lifted by her kindness and her smile, thank you for being there for her.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Kim Libby, of North Shore CIB, said police officers hoped to speak to Mr Ellis in the next couple of days.
His injuries were not life-threatening, he added.
They would continue combing the scene of the fire today. A post mortem examination has been carried out on Ms Blackbourn, but police have declined to reveal the cause of death, saying only that it was violent.”

Our deepest sympathies are again extended to Jacqueline’s family and friends for their terrible loss. Our thoughts are with you all in the difficult days that lie ahead during the trial.
Domestic Violence a problem in New Zealand
Far from being the safe haven it wishes to present to the world, life in New Zealand is a misery for hundreds of thousands of women, a third of them have been affected by domestic violence at some time during their lives.
New Zealand has an appalling record for domestic violence and some of the highest preventable child death stats in the developed world.  After a spike in referrals to Women's refuges after the shock of the All Black defeat in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, refuges were on standby for an influx if New Zealand lost again in 2011.
NZ’s appalling record for domestic violence is shamed by an international human rights group

"Police statistics show a 15% increase in the number of family violence incidents and offences in 2007-08, with more than 86,000 reports made. They say family violence affects a third of all women during their lifetime and that 45% of murders in New Zealand are family violence-related.

Meanwhile, a second report calling for an overhaul of systems to keep women and girls safe is being presented alongside the New York findings. The report, by a newly-formed local group called the Roundtable of Violence Against Women, says certain types of violence and victims are being overlooked. This includes prostitutes who come from countries known for trafficking, such as Korea, Thailand, Eastern Europe and the Philippines.

It also highlights the "serial abuse" of many immigrant women, saying both Women's Refuge and the Shakti Community Council have evidence that men are using women's residency status to exploit them and keep them in abusive relationships..." April 2009 source

For more read our blogs tagged violence against women.
Today's posts - click here

Second AOS Call Out This Month In Glenfield, North Shore

The armed offenders squad has been involved in what is thought to be the second call-0ut in Glenfield this month.

News reports about the incident vary, the NZ Herald's account says two truckloads of officers descended on James Street and Glenfield Road after a report of gunshots. The report adds that two women were seen coming out of the house and were taken away by police and that a man seen sitting in a parked ute had been lead away by police.  More here


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Apparently police were called after a member of the public heard a gunshot at around 11 am. Three News said that "Members of the public were asked not to walk down Glenfield Road, near the Wairau Rd, in order to avoid getting in the “line of fire” and added the following information:

Two women were escorted from a property in the same street around 1pm this afternoon. Residents were told to stay indoors.  A negotiator was heard yelling through a loud hailer that AOS had the property “completely surrounded”.
AOS on two SUVs and four police cars were seen entering the cordon via James St earlier this afternoon. An ambulance is also in attendance.

Another report on Stuff said that police had been at the property since 8.45 this morning and it published three photographs of the incident.

Earlier this month, less than a kilometre away, there was another AOS call out in Glenfield, searching for the fugitive Daniel Vae,  a patched member of the King Cobras gang. For more see Daniel Vae and New Zealand's War on Drugs.

At the time police played down suggestions that there is a King Cobra chapter established on the North Shore, although there is the taint of gang activity there already with incidents involving the Bloods and Crips at Glenfield College (see news report) and the Killer Beez.

Shortly before the NZ Herald broke the news of the Daniel Vae arrest it published the article  “Police tip bloodshed” saying that armed turf wars between Asian organised crime, street dealers and gangs could result in the spilling of blood.

The Herald reported that police officer DS McNeill had said Vae had allegdly been taxing low-level methamphetamine dealers who were selling drugs near the King Cobra’s Grey Lynn headquarters.

Gangs demand $30,00o in taxes for dealing on their patch, failure to comply would mean the gang would beat-up the dealers and steal their drugs and money. However, a uneasy relationship between the Asian gangs (who import was pseudoephedrine) and local gangs (who buy it to cook meth) was starting to unravel.

“Some of the gangs are ripping off the Asians, who are starting to arm themselves too. So they’re all carrying guns when they’re doing these deals. It’s not going to be long before there is a shooting.”

Perhaps that explains why police and AOS officers took this latest incident, and reports of a gunshot in Glenfield, so seriously.

For other Glenfield related crime/drug related stories see:

• Operation Slab - Clan Labs Investigation - 18 August 2010 -"Six Clan Labs that have been actively manufacturing Methamphetamine and Ecstasy have been located and dismantled in a multi police district operation..."

• 10 in Court Following Police Bust - 6 August 2010 - "Ten Chinese people appeared in court today in connection with last month's bust of a financial exchange business that was allegedly laundering money in an Asian drug ring..."

For more about armed police and the AOS in New Zealand click here

Today's posts - click here

Attempted Abduction In Gelnfield, North Shore

Glenfield is fast becoming Auckland's most dangerous place north of the Harbour Bridge. It's taken a while for the story to get out but it would appear a 14 year old girl fought off a would be abductor on 5th August. The man tried to snatch her as she walked along Seaview Road at around 4.30pm in the evening. Back in February there was another attempted kidnapping of an 11 year old girl in nearby Beach Haven.

Some other recent Glenfield related crimes include the stabbing murder of Paul Chong in View Road, a group of teenagers who were attacked and their car damaged on Glenfield Road, a gang of 4 young thugs from the suburb who beat-up two young couples in Milford and Takapuna and an Iranian buisness owner left in a coma and with severe facial wounds after an attack in Wairau Road.