Man dies after golf accident
A man has died days after being hit on the head by a golf ball.
Jaden Goldfinch-Booker, 27, was playing a round of golf with friends when he was struck in the temple by a golf ball while standing to the right of his mate on the second tee at the Frankton Golf Course in Queenstown on February 17.
The former Taranaki man, who lived in the resort town, was in Dunedin Hospital’s intensive care unit on life support for several days, undergoing surgeries to try and release the pressure on his brain and control the brain bleed.
In his February 24 death notice, Goldfinch-Booker’s family wrote that their boy had died at peace with his world.
‘‘Our worlds are totally shattered. He was the boy with the biggest heart that lit every room with his contagious smile and warmed their hearts. The angels just got too jealous of how much fun he created in this world.’’
A Givealittle page has been set up to support his family.
‘‘No human, person, or family should have to go through this so please if you can, help us all heal and love and support this beautiful family as they have for others for years,’’ a friend wrote on the page.
‘‘I have known Jaden since I was five years old; his beautiful sister Renee was my best friend growing up. We all spent a lot of our lives growing up together, sharing families, motorsport & hobbies.
‘‘They are, and have always been, amazing loving people who share so much love and happiness.’’
Goldfinch-Booker went to New Plymouth’s Spotswood College. It has been reported the death is being investigated by police on behalf of the coroner.
Jury selected
A jury has been selected for a highprofile defamation trial in the High Court at Invercargill. Invercargill City councillor Karen Arnold is suing Mayor Tim Shadbolt and Stuff.co.nz, formerly known as Fairfax Media, over comments made by Shadbolt in four opinion columns published by the Southland Times newspaper. The columns discussed Arnold’s stance on council projects including plans regarding the council’s trading company, Holdco, and a proposed ka¯ka¯po¯ chick and tuatara display house. Arnold, a former Southland Times journalist, joined the Invercargill City Council in 2013. She unsuccessfully ran against Shadbolt for the Invercargill mayoralty in 2016 and to be his deputy in 2017. Justice Jillian Mallon and the jury will hear arguments from today about whether Shadbolt damaged Arnold’s reputation with his comments. The trial is expected to last at least two weeks.
AOS assist police
Police and the Armed Offenders Squad cordoned off an Invercargill street yesterday morning as they a carried out an arrest warrant. A police communications spokeswoman said the squad were assisting police who arrested a wanted man shortly before 7am. The male was at a house at the intersection of Inglewood Rd and Dart St, the spokeswoman said. The man was set to appear in the Invercargill District Court on charges of willful damage, failure to answer police bail and failing to appear on a warrant, the spokeswoman said.
Illegal grazing
The Department of Conservation is unsure how an area of the Takitimu Conservation Area will recover after a farmer allowed cattle to graze their illegally. DOC said about 380 cows were in part of the conservation area for two weeks last year. In a statement, yesterday, DOC said Wairaki Station Ltd was sentenced in the Invercargill District Court on February 20 after admitting one charge of ‘‘knowingly and without authority carrying out an activity, namely farming operations, on a conservation areas’’. About 380 heads of in-calf cows were grazed in two areas that covered about 190ha for 15 days last year. In an affidavit, Wairaki’s director Richard Slee said he saw the area as ‘‘rough feed’’. Judge Callaghan imposed fines of $52,450.
Arson charge
A 29-year-old man has been charged with arson after allegedly setting fire to a gang pad in Invercargill. Police issued a statement saying emergency services were called to a fire at 50 Balmoral Dr, Invercargill, at 2am yesterday. The address is the Road Knights Motorcycle Club’s headquarters. Police said a fire at the rear of the building caused a moderate amount of damage. As a result of inquiries, the man has been charged with arson and other domestic-related offences. He is expected to appear in the Invercargill District Court today.
Slip cleared
It’s ‘‘business as usual’’ at Fiordland’s Doubtful Sound after hundreds of stranded tourists were successfully transported out of the area when a slip blocked the only access road. Real Journeys spokeswoman Tsehai Tiffin said helicopters flew about half the 339 people out of the area and the other half were taken out by buses after the slip was cleared on Sunday evening. Those affected by the slip were day passengers.It took contractors less than two hours to clear the slip, which covered about 25 metres of road on Wilmot Pass, Tiffin said.