Manawatu Standard
Newcomers spend up big
Spending money on election campaigns has paid off for some newcomers to the Horizons Regional Council. The currently incomplete election donations and expenses returns posted on the council’s website show that Peter Wells, the only newcomer for the...
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Uses sought for old nacelles
The imminent dismantling of the Te Rere Hau wind turbines above the Palmerston North skyline has posed a recycling conundrum the community is asked to help to solve. When Meridian takes the wind farm’s 97 twin-bladed turbines apart later this year to...
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Vice-chancellor hands over reins
In nine years at the helm of Massey University, vice-chancellor Jan Thomas faced multiple challenges – but when she sees a smiling student cross the stage to graduate, it’s a reminder of why it’s all worth it. She finishes at the end of this month and...
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Homes found for homeless
More than 100 people who might otherwise have been sleeping on Palmerston North’s streets have been helped into homes in the past year. The key has been the intervention of one of a team of three housing navigators who have provided wraparound support...
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End of the line for Marton railway station
Plans to demolish a neglected Rangitīkei railway station have been brought forward after the building was damaged by fire. The Marton railway station was damaged by a blaze early on Sunday morning, with crews from Marton, Bulls and Halcombe attending...
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Cafe embraces safe identity
Some will come armed with a list of questions, others will stand silently at the counter in tears. One customer even spent time working in the kitchen to build trust and combat her anxiety about ordering from a menu. Though society has become...
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Boutique is a blooming venture
Every night Caroline and Eddie Ficher, and their little dog Pierre the 4th, pack up their boutique gifts and homeware, and pop them inside their purpose-built shop. The following morning they do it all over again before opening their century-old home...
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Skating back to glory days
The Memorial Park skating rink in Palmerston North is progressively being restored to glory with the help of the Memorial Park Sports Trust Board. The voluntary group – led by skate rink enthusiast Sandy Nimmo – has provided an umbrella group for...
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King’s Service Medal for five decades of firefighting
For 55 years, Henry Joseph Wheeler has responded to calls donning whatever firefighting gear he has available. In the early years that was a pair of thin pants and a shirt – none of it fire retardant – even if he was turning up to a raging house...
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The return of independence
The return of local decision-making and identity is being welcomed as regional governance is restored at UCOL this week. The polytechnic, which has campuses in Palmerston North, Masterton, Levin and Whanganui, is one of 10 that will be reestablished...
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Rongotea couple dig deep
A Rongotea husband and wife are taking on an ambitious project turning a plot of bare land into a flourishing garden that will provide more than just food. Sarah-Jane and Martin Roundill came up with the idea to plant the rural town’s first community...
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The property KiwiRail wants but will not buy
The owner of a once-immaculate country home on the outskirts of Palmerston North wants some certainty about the future. Hangfeng Ji’s Clevely Line property lies in the path of KiwiRail’s proposed freight hub. It has been designated for the...
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The black-singlet subversion of J Clarke
From a broad, blokey farmer to straight-faced political satire, John Clarke blazed a trail lovingly chronicled in the film Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke. Manawatū Standard editor Matthew Dallas spoke with writer-director Lorin Clarke about...
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New owners to take over The Plaza
The Plaza in Palmerston North has new owners hinting at likely future development of the shopping precinct. The sale from Kiwi Property to NZ Retail Property Group was settled on December 12, and mayor Grant Smith said it was “a great Christmas...
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Conditional licence approval for pub site
Operators of the currently non-existent Cloverlea Tavern have been told they will get a renewed alcohol licence so long as new premises are built and approved. The former tavern building was destroyed by fire in February 2024, and the site on the...
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A base for troubled youth
The founders of an education programme for at-risk youth in Manawatū don’t believe in giving up on anyone. Snapback Academy, previously called Snapback Boxing, runs education and support programmes for young people who are at risk of disengaging from...
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Christmas goes to the dogs
The stars, snowmen and reindeer flicker and pulsate with brilliant abandon, but the festive cocktail of lux and kilowatts is no match for an honest wag of the tail and three pairs of piercing blue eyes. “The dogs are the best part!” is yelled from a...
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Team rapt with medal haul
Claiming double gold on the national stage has been years in the making for a team of Palmerston North Girls’ High School runners. The school had a stellar day at the national secondary schools athletics championships in Hastings earlier this...
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Lifeline for bus services
High school bus services will continue from Ashhurst to Palmerston North, with the regional council coming to the party after previously refusing to fund replacement routes for cancelled services. The Ministry of Education is next year cutting some...
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Outpouring of shock and love for victims
Palmerston North Jewish and inter-faith groups have responded with horror and sadness to the terror attack at Bondi in Australia. Alternative Jewish Voices spokeswoman Marilyn Garson said Jewish people in Palmerston North had awoken yesterday to the...
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LGNZ won’t give stance on capping
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) cannot take a formal position on Government’s rates capping proposal until it meets with mayoral representatives, its vice president says. Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz said the organisation had not yet sat down...
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City rates rise may start at 5.2%
Palmerston North’s total rates rise for 2026/27 could be 5.2% based on the first draft of the proposed annual budget discussed by city councillors on Wednesday. Council chief financial officer Cameron McKay said Government plans to bring in a rates...
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John Clarke – what a Dagg
The city was his home for only eight years but John Clarke would have been “utterly unsurprised” a documentary on his life would premiere in Palmerston North, says daughter and film-maker Lorin Clarke. She attended a gala screening of her film Not...
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Two dead in Foxton Beach fire
The streets of Foxton Beach fell into an eerie silence after two people died in a tragic house fire yesterday morning. Police Manawatū area commander Ross Grantham said the bodies were recovered from the Queen St house, which was “completely on fire”...
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Dead Fish shop a vivid ride
Thirty years ago a skateboard shop would never be confused for an art gallery, but time has a way of reframing the past – and pastimes. Dead Fish in Palmerston North is as much a vivid shrine to the subculture as it is a store, trading in memories as...
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Palmerston North growth: It’s all about the balance
Outside David Murphy’s office on the first level of the city council building sits Te Marae o Hine. The treasured centrepiece of the inner city is a visual reminder of the need to protect it but also see it thrive. With that comes a careful balancing...
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Acclaimed artist Brent Harris back on home ground
Acclaimed international artist Brent Harris has returned home to Palmerston North to tell some of his own story in a new exhibition. The Home and Back Again exhibition opens at Te Manawa art gallery today and runs until July 19. It displays the work...
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Summerset ready to rise
On the edge of Palmerston North, 20,000m³ of earth has been moved around in preparation for building the $170 million Summerset Kelvin Grove retirement village. Civil works are almost complete, and over the next five years up to 200 local tradespeople...
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‘Tornado’ flips and flattens
Billy Walker was inside his caravan watching the cabin next door get blown down a hill when a “tornado” hit. The 63-year-old man was staying at Dudding Lake Motor Camp and Caravan Park near Marton in Rangitīkei, which was struck by extreme weather...
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X marks a milestone at Massey
In its three decades of existence, a Massey University programme has produced some of New Zealand’s most celebrated Māori visual artists. Massey is this week celebrating 30 years since its bachelor of Māori visual arts degree began in 1995 at Te...
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Rates cap will be a struggle
“We knew it was coming,” Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith says of the Government’s announcement that rates capping is on the way. He said the city council was already reviewing its future budgets to peg rates increases back to somewhere close to the...
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Courts’ future questioned
Rangitīkei Netball is welcoming a council grant to go towards resurfacing courts in Marton, but it still has questions about the future of the sporting facility. Rangitīkei Netball Centre and Rangitīkei District Council have been in disagreement about...
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The battle to save a racing club
‘It’s location, location, location. We’re right next to the shit ponds, then we’ve got the [dog] pound,” said Michael Kay. “So, you know, basically - between the smell of shit and dogs barking all night - it’s not really that attractive.” Kay is...
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Tall order
As Finn Delany sees it, the task is a simple one for his Tall Blacks in their back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against the Australian Boomers either side of the Tasman. “We just have to be the best version of ourselves,” says the 30-year-old, 55-game...
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McD’s claim shopping site
Awapuni is likely to get a drive-thru McDonald’s next to the Woolworths Pioneer supermarket, but a proposal for 24/7 opening hours has been withdrawn. McDonald’s Restaurant NZ’s application for a resource consent to build the restaurant and takeaway...
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Sanson siblings farewelled
“I need you to know in this life and every life, I choose us every time.’’ These tear-jerking lyrics were played against a backdrop of family photos depicting happy times, full of love and joy, as thousands flooded into Crossroads Church in Palmerston...
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Root cause of racecourse woes eagerly anticipated
Bosses at Palmerston North’s Awapuni Racecourse are awaiting the results of soil testing to see what work needs to be done to restore the troubled track to action. The grass track has been closed for two years. It was shut for 19 months while...
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Dream garden up for sale
Fifty years of a green-thumbed passion project has developed into a garden of international significance, but now it’s time for the owner to move on. Lynne Atkins has lived at Greenhaugh Gardens between Palmerston North and Ashhurst for 49 years, and...
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Owner remains hopeful
Palmerston North Lone Star owner-operator Shari Zika is used to dealing with challenges in the hospitality world. The restaurant and bar has been in a months-long struggle to retain a liquor licence after its application to renew its on-licence was...
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Gravel and Tar cancelled
Organisers of the Gravel and Tar cycle race are determined to keep the event going even though they have had to postpone until next year because of low entry numbers. The Gravel and Tar, which was meant to be held this weekend, was the creation of...
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Age, perfected
L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Day Cream L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Revitalising Day Cream SPF 15 combines two active ingredients rich in polyphenols and vitamins specifically formulated for mature, dull skin. The luxuriously...
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Surgical mesh agony: ‘I thought I was going to die’
Sue Carson was playing tug of war with her dog when she felt a searing pain in her groin. Initially, the 59-year-old from Levin didn’t think much of it and she carried on. She didn’t realise that within a matter of days she would be undergoing three...
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A beautiful country garden amid the farms
It has taken more than 30 years to transform Chatswood from bare Kairanga farmland into a sheltered park-like garden. The 3.6-hectare dream-come-true for Judith-Sandra and Bruce Wilson will be groomed to its best for the Manawatū Garden Festival...
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‘Golden opportunity’ awaits
For almost 40 years, Brian Gilbert has been providing specialist tricycles for riders of all abilities from his store in Levin. Back in 1986, he brought Southend Cycles and Nursery Centre after working at Ford for 23 years and has since built the...
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Primed for world title fight
A Palmerston North boxer has her eyes on the prize and her mind firmly focused on her own preparation ahead of her first shot at a world heavyweight title. Sequita Hemingway, 43, says she knows little about Allahna Tuteru, her opponent for the vacant...
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Scaled-back Pahīatua Wind Farm gets nod of approval
Consent has been granted for the Pahīatua Wind Farm to go ahead, but with only eight of the 11 proposed turbines, and another three subject to conditions that could be impossible to meet. The decision of an expert consenting panel is highly critical...
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City’s Mr fix-it calls it a day
Through decades of changes in technology and attitudes on the value of repairs, one Palmerston North business has been a constant. Roger Martin, 77, has been working as a serviceman, repairing home appliances big and small, since he was 16, but is now...
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Playcentre celebrates outdoor play week
A regular reminder for parents of children at Milson Playcentre in Palmerston North is to bring a change of clothing. The centre is one of many across the country this week that are celebrating outdoor play week and inviting people to visit centres...
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Iconic Fitz pub reduced to ashes
Those were the days my friend. We thought they’d never end. Drunken debauchery, nude running races, jelly wrestling and chugging down crates of Lion Red. These will be the memories surfacing among thousands who haunted The Fitz, an iconic institution...
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Memories reignited in granite
Memories of Palmerston North’s old Opera House on Church St are set to be triggered by the restoration of the building’s original foundation stone. The slice of history had lain for more than 30 years among demolition materials rescued by Fraser’s...
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Family reunion emotional
After decades of lost contact between family members, tears said more than any words could when a Manawatū whānau rekindled a connection with relatives in China. Palmerston North woman Ai Kwong Chiew was recently reunited with members of her family in...
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Parish celebrates 150 years
Palmerston North’s All Saints parish is taking a pause to reflect on its 150-year history this weekend before making critical decisions about the future of its mission and its earthquake-prone building. Priest-in-charge Julia Budd said the Anglican...
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Food charity takes a hit
A drop in donations to a farmer-led charity providing food banks with mince is putting the supply of the Kiwi meal staple at risk for some of the country’s most needy. Set up in 2020, Meet the Need relies on donations from farmers who give livestock...
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Carving embodies school’s history, culture
Children at a Palmerston North school have been able to add their input to a new carved entranceway outlining its past, present and future. Cloverlea School on Saturday unveiled a new carved wooden tomokanga, or entranceway, at the front of the...
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Dancers find shelter from national storms on city stage
The poise and precision on stage was in stark contrast to the mad scrambling that preceded performances at the National Young Performer Awards in Palmerston North. Seventy troupes, consisting of 1020 dancers, competed at the Regent on Broadway...
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Call for better pay, conditions
Hundreds of public service workers are demanding the Government better resource their sectors. Thousands of nurses, teachers, doctors and other public sector employees joined a nationwide mega strike yesterday as collective bargaining negotiations...
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A ‘smorgasbord’ of talent
A marathon of rhythm, melody and dissonance should sate the tastes of every music lover at SwampFest this weekend. The enduring festival at Palmerston North’s The Stomach is running from today to Sunday, and will feature punk, rock, reggae, indie, hip...
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Manawatū clothing store stays in style for 80 years
From flares to skinny jeans and back again, Kerry Gracie has watched fads come and go, as well as a town grow, from his enduring family shop. The corner clothing store has been a fixture in the town for 80 years, and is one of the last retailers of...
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Sister accused of stealing brother’s KiwiSaver funds
A Palmerston North woman has denied ripping off her sibling by attempting to have more than $16,000 of his retirement savings put into her bank account. Ngawai Patricia King has pleaded not guilty to one charge of taking or obtaining a document...
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IRD seeking to liquidate award-winning butchery
Inland Revenue has signalled its intention to file liquidation proceedings against an award-winning Manawatū butchery. Moreish Ltd, which was called for a first appearance on the liquidators list in the High Court at Palmerston North on Thursday, has...
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‘No other choice’: Protest action for career firefighters
More than 2000 unionised firefighters have walked off the job in what they say is a last resort to fixing poor conditions and pay. Palmerston North’s career firefighters were among those who took part in a nationwide strike yesterday from 12pm to 1pm...
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Homicide victim’s car in Rotorua
Police are seeking the public’s help to identify the driver of a Pahīatua homicide victim’s missing car, after it was found in Rotorua. At 4.40pm on Wednesday, emergency services were called to a house on Arthur St, where they found a woman...
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More Manawatū Prison inmates seek segregation
The number of prisoners asking to be kept separate from the main population remains in the hundreds at Manawatū Prison as authorities grapple with an increasing number of inmates and safety issues such as gang tensions. According to figures released...
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Barn split perfect for arty duo
When Manawatū artist Graham Christensen gave up half of his studio he gained a critical eye. The painter of pastoral landscapes and farming life works out of a converted hay barn he shares with daughter Natasha, who took up weaving a couple of years...
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Say goodbye to dark spots with Mela B3
Discover the power of La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum. It’s no secret that hyperpigmentation is an all-too-common skin concern that is incredibly frustrating to tackle, and there are a plethora of reasons why dark spots can appear, often seemingly out of...
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‘Huge progress’: Campaign for Māori wards triumphs
Palmerston North’s Keep Māori Wards campaigners are celebrating a decisive “yes” in the referendum on whether to keep or remove the wards, which was held alongside the weekend’s local body elections. City electors have voted by 12,986 votes to 10,561...
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Downed tree causes complex problem
One of the trees Rangitīkei Line residents have feared would fall for seven years was blown down on Tuesday. A huge poplar from across a stream crashed on to Lynne and Phil Cooke’s lawn, narrowly missing their 120-year-old homestead as its fall was...
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Aokautere growth stalls
Development of Palmerston North’s Aokautere suburb has stalled as the city council tries to break a stalemate about state highway intersection improvements. Council senior transport planner James Miguel told the council’s last meeting of the term on...
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Girls going gangbusters
When five Shannon junior girl’s rugby teams run onto the field in Lower Hutt later this week, it will fulfil the dream of a volunteer and her late husband. The girls are heading to the Global Games New Zealand Junior Girls Rugby Festival, the...
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Artful spaces opening up
It’s hard to decide which is more enchanting – Belinda Paton’s vibrant paintings and pottery, or the atmosphere of her secluded studio on the outskirts of Pahīatua. A mystical thread runs through the bright pinks, purples and blues of the fairies,...
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Petition sparks dog options
Spaces for dogs to run free at Palmerston North’s Linklater Reserve are likely to be restricted, but not so far as earlier proposed. The city council will consider a compromise between making half the 25.5 hectare reserve on-leash or keeping the whole...
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Landmark event honoured
When the 1975 Māori land march made its way towards Parliament, Palmerston North became “an open city for Māori marchers”. Today marks 50 years since the group Te Rōpū Matakite o Aotearoa reached Palmerston North on its way to Wellington to present a...
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Amputee wants to get life back
Surrounded by photos of her two moko and stickers that say “you can do anything if you believe”, Sally Chambers is quietly determined to reclaim her independence after losing her right lower leg in 2022. The Taihape grandmother contracted Covid-19 in...
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Ministry and council at odds in school bus stoush
The Ministry of Education won’t commit to continuing school bus services from Ashhurst to Palmerston North and is placing responsibility for the routes on the regional council, even though it has refused to fund them. Ashhurst’s bus services have...
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Getaway driver sentenced
A mobster gunned down in his driveway over a gang conflict he had nothing to do with was also a devoted father who loved deeply and forgave quickly, a court has heard. Hori Gage was murdered on Croydon Ave in Highbury on August 6, 2023, after he was...
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