Year in review: A look back at the most high-profile court cases of 2024

It was another busy year for the courts of New Zealand, with a number of high-profile cases.

Here is a look back at some of the biggest which gripped the public's attention in 2024.

Golriz Ghahraman appeals shoplifting conviction

It was a tumultuous year for former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman after she was caught shoplifting thousands of dollars' worth of clothing items from boutiques in Auckland and Wellington.

Police laid four shoplifting charges against Ghahraman, of which she pleaded guilty to.

Her lawyer applied for a discharge without conviction, but the Crown asked for a sentence of imprisonment.

Judge June Jelas convicted Gharaman in June, ordering her to pay a fine of $1600 and an additional $260 in court costs.

"Ms Ghahraman has demonstrated her deep remorse for her offending, through her in person apology with the proprietor of Scotties Boutique store, before any of the charges were laid. Her remorse is also demonstrated by her early payment of full reparation to all of the three affected retail stores," Judge Jelas said.

"Ms Ghahraman has been proactive in seeking to make amends for her offending."

Ghahraman's complex experiences of trauma contributed to Judge Jelas' decision not to impose a custodial sentence.

Ghahraman later appealed to have her convictions wiped, raising concerns about it causing issues with reviving her legal career.

The appeal was dismissed by the High Court at Auckland in October.

As well as criminal court cases, high-profile inquests also took place this year in the Coroner's Court.

Mother sentenced for murder of three daughters

In June, South African woman Lauren Dickason escaped life imprisonment for killing her three young daughters just weeks after arriving in New Zealand in 2021.

In 2023, a jury found Dickason guilty of murdering Karla, Maya and Liané, despite the defence arguing she was not guilty by reason of insanity and mounting the case as infanticide.

Various family members spoke at Dickason's sentencing, including husband Graham who said he had forgiven Dickason for what she had done to their daughters, but that her actions had robbed him of the life he knew and any joy his future held.

Dickason was ultimately sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment, with no minimum non-parole period.

She was to begin her sentence in a mental health hospital under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act.

Shortly after her sentence was handed down, Dickason released a statement saying she loved her daughters but had failed them, her husband and their families, and took responsibility for taking their lives.

In August, it was reported that she was appealing her murder conviction, and in October, it was announced she had been issued with a deportation notice that would take effect upon her release from prison.

Dickason will be eligible to be considered for parole in September 2027.

Philip Polkinghorne not guilty of wife's murder

Arguably the most high-profile case of the year, retired Auckland eye surgeon, Philip Polkinghorne, was on trial for the murder of his wife, Pauline Hanna.

He was ultimately found not guilty by jury, with the defence arguing Hanna took her own life in April 2021 after struggling with depression for many years.

The trial delved into the intimate life of the wealthy couple, as well as Polkinghorne's relationship with an Australian sex worker and methamphetamine use.

At the beginning of the trial, Polkinghorne pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing methamphetamine and a pipe. He was later sentenced to 150 hours of community work.

Following the not guilty verdict for this murder charge, Polkinghorne told reporters it was a "huge turning point".

"This process has taken a massive toll on so many of us. But now we can grieve and let Pauline rest in peace. That is the best gift we can possibly give her."

How Christchurch terrorist got gun licence examined

The second phase of the inquest into the deaths of 51 worshippers at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch adjourned, with evidence partially heard, in October.

The inquest, before Coroner Brigitte Windley, examined how the terrorist had come to get his gun licence and the laws surrounding firearms licensing prior to the attack.

The court heard arms officers were dealing with firearms licence holders who saw owning guns as a right rather than a privilege.

It was also operating with a gaping loophole that allowed people, including the terrorist, to obtain a standard firearms licence and with it, buy centrefire semi-automatic rifles that could be equipped with high-capacity magazines.

No licence was needed for the magazines because they were entirely unregulated.

The inquest also heard from the two people who were referees for the terrorist at the time he applied for his gun licence, and it was clear they were not happy about being questioned.

One of the referees told a lawyer to "sit down" and refused to answer her question while the other threatened to walk out as another lawyer was "annoying" him.

During the second referee's interview with a vetting officer, he said the terrorist was a "good outstanding young man" and a "nice person".

The hearing ended with moving statements from the lawyers representing the families of the victims and survivors of the attack, police and Coroner Windley.

Daughter accused of mother's murder

In October, it was revealed that Julia DeLuney was charged with murdering her 79-year-old mother, Helen Gregory, at her home in Wellington's Khandallah.

Gregory had been found dead in January after suffering what police described as a "violent act".

In July, DeLuney pleaded not guilty to murder and obtaining thousands of dollars by deception.

The Crown alleges that DeLuney deceived her mother into giving her $15,000 before going to Gregory's house on 24 January and murdering her.

The Crown says DeLuney "attacked her with significant, and ultimately fatal, force".

Court documents say DeLuney faced significant mental health issues since the onset of menopausal symptoms in 2022, and suffered from poor sleep, panic attacks and persistent low mood.

A trial date has been set for June 2025.

Manslaughter verdict for meth beer death

A Fonterra manager who gave an employee a beer laced with methamphetamine was found guilty of manslaughter in October.

Aiden Sagala died in Auckland Hospital in March 2023 after drinking from a beer can that he did not know contained high purity liquid methamphetamine.

Sagala's tragic death sparked a wider investigation - Operation Lavender - into an alleged methamphetamine importation operation.

The investigation had seen numerous serious drugs charges laid and a large quantity of methamphetamine and other drugs recovered from a Manukau address, police said in July 2023, when a manslaughter charge was laid.

On 25 October, Himatjit "Jimmy" Kahlon was found guilty of manslaughter and serious drug charges in the High Court at Auckland.

Kahlon will be sentenced in February 2025.

Charges after body found in bag

Three people are facing charges after a body in a bag was found floating in Gulf Harbour earlier this year.

The body was found by fisherman Paul Middleton in March, originally thinking it might be a bag of rubbish.

There was "a bit of clothing ... and then there was this hand sticking out".

It was at that point he called police.

It was not until October that police were able to positively identify the body as 70-year-old Chinese woman Shulai Wang.

Three people have been charged with manslaughter and kidnapping - a 36-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman and a 61-year-old woman.

The 36-year-old and 37-year-old are facing additional charges related to obstruction and providing false immigration information.

They have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Extensive work had been done to identify the victim, including officers going to China, acting Detective Inspector Tim Williams said.

Wang had come to New Zealand in August 2023 from China.

"She had no family in New Zealand and had not been reported missing," Williams said.

Chinese national guilty of real estate agent's murder

After less than two hours of deliberating, a jury found Tingjun Cao guilty of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao.

The mother-of-one went missing in July 2023 after showing a house on Hornby's Trevor Street to Cao.

Despite police arresting Cao early in the investigation, at Christchurch Airport with a one-way ticket to Shanghai, Bao's body was not found until July this year.

Cao's trial saw delays due to the need for interpreters and Cao choosing to sack his lawyers and represent himself.

At the end of the trial, Bao's partner Paul Gooch told reporters the unimaginable circumstances of her death had been a heavy burden to bear.

"Coming to terms with this devastating loss has been an incredibly challenging journey, especially considering the complete lack of remorse displayed by the individual responsible," Gooch said.

"His actions throughout this trial have highlighted a profound absence of humanity."

Disappointment as Olivia Podmore inquest adjourned until 2025

The inquest into the suspected suicide of Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore was adjourned in early December, with her family saying it only added to the emotional and financial toll of the process.

The hearing before Coroner Louella Dunn was originally set down for three weeks and due to wrap up, but the coroner announced it would be adjourned until 2025 to allow a continuation of evidence.

The inquest had shone a light on the serious bullying Podmore had experienced and revealed medical professionals had warned High Performance Sport NZ in 2018 "we would have an athlete kill themselves" if the environment in Cycling NZ was not fixed.

Podmore died in August 2021, the day after the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games, for which she was not selected.

Cycling NZ chief executive Simon Peterson, who took the helm of the organisation in February 2023 in the wake of a second major inquiry into the sport in three years, apologised to Podmore's family during the inquest for the "appalling" treatment she endured.

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