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Anna Leask
Senior Journalist - crime and justice
Christchurch, New Zealand

Anna Leask, specialist in crime and justice reporting for the New Zealand Herald, has covered some of New Zealand’s biggest events, incidents, tragedies and disasters.

Anna Leask is a senior journalist and crime and justice specialist for the New Zealand Herald. From a young age, Anna was an avid storyteller and writer so it was no surprise to anyone when she chose journalism as a career. Anna studied Mass Communications and Sociology at Canterbury University before completing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism in 2005. This led her to her first job at The Star in Christchurch. She spent two years there covering all things crime and court and then made the move to the Herald on Sunday. In 2010, Anna became a police reporter, a role that soon came to be much more about broader crime and justice issues, particularly the people involved. Anna has covered some of the most high-profile crimes and events New Zealand has seen. To name a few, the Pike River mine disaster; the Christchurch quakes; and the unprecedented four-day sentencing of the gunman responsible for the 2019 terror attack. Alongside her daily reporting Anna writes, hosts and produces monthly episodes for the chart-topping podcast 'A Moment In Crime' which won a silver award in the true crime category at the inaugural New Zealand Podcast Awards in 2021. You can contact Anna at anna.leask@nzme.co.nz.

Check out Anna’s latest content
'He snapped': Dead man's family not angry at police after shooting
Aucklander

'He snapped': Dead man's family not angry at police after shooting

23 Apr 03:57 AM
Man shot dead by police fought with brother over Fiji property before rampage
Aucklander

Man shot dead by police fought with brother over Fiji property before rampage

21 Apr 10:09 PM

The man shot dead by police had a long-running feud with family over a Fiji property.

Man with machete calls 111, threatens to 'kill people' before police shoot him dead
Aucklander

Man with machete calls 111, threatens to 'kill people' before police shoot him dead

20 Apr 06:13 PM

The man shot dead by police in Papatoetoe called 111 and threatened to "kill people".

Machete-wielding man shot dead believed to have moved to NZ from Fiji
Aucklander

Machete-wielding man shot dead believed to have moved to NZ from Fiji

20 Apr 03:05 AM

The investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by police in Papatoetoe continues.

Auckland man charged with hospital staff car break-ins
Aucklander

Auckland man charged with hospital staff car break-ins

18 Apr 08:10 PM

A man has been found by police and charged after a spate of hospital staff car break-ins.

Lime scooter rider charged after footpath collision
Aucklander

Lime scooter rider charged after footpath collision

17 Sep 11:00 PM

A man has appeared in court after he allegedly crashed into pedestrian on Lime scooter.

Vigil organised in honour of slain Auckland mother
Aucklander

Vigil organised in honour of slain Auckland mother

24 Jan 04:38 AM

An anti-domestic violence group have organised a vigil for slain Aucklander Xi Wang.

Accused robber jumps out of Auckland court dock, flees in getaway car
Aucklander

Accused robber jumps out of Auckland court dock, flees in getaway car

17 Oct 10:40 PM

A man facing aggravated robbery charges made a dramatic escape from an Auckland courtroom

Premium
First rape at 15: Predator Colin Mitchell's victim speaks
Aucklander

First rape at 15: Predator Colin Mitchell's victim speaks

10 Oct 10:20 PM

A woman raped by Colin Mitchell in 1973 tells her story after his name suppression lifts

Second arrest for Auckland dairy stabbing
Aucklander

Second arrest for Auckland dairy stabbing

26 Jun 01:52 AM

Teen charged with assault with intent to rob and aggravated wounding.

Alleged 'teen crimewave' Zion Tuoro arrested after police chase
Aucklander

Alleged 'teen crimewave' Zion Tuoro arrested after police chase

18 Mar 07:14 PM

A teenager wanted for an alleged crime wave across Auckland has been arrested this morning

Brutal West Auckland assault caught on CCTV
Aucklander

Brutal West Auckland assault caught on CCTV

14 Feb 06:40 PM

CCTV footage shows brutal assault as prone man bashed with wood.

Auckland top cop wins award for Roast Busters case
Aucklander

Auckland top cop wins award for Roast Busters case

18 Sep 08:53 PM

Auckland's top cop has been awarded a prestigious title at an international conference.

Good Samaritan Lucy Knight will return home
Aucklander

Good Samaritan Lucy Knight will return home

17 Oct 04:00 PM

Good Samaritan Lucy Knight will return home for the second time since the assault that left her with a serious head injury, to celebrate her son's fifth birthday today.

Hero mum doesn't remember attack
Aucklander

Hero mum doesn't remember attack

30 Sep 05:05 AM

Husband of mother left with severe head injuries after she tried to stop a bag snatch says: "She is very sore and extremely tired."

Great views, but killer road
Aucklander

Great views, but killer road

28 May 05:00 PM

There are two sides to State Highway 16, the western route from Auckland to Northland. One is scenic. The other is a killer.

Ex-cop had concerns about fatal road
Aucklander

Ex-cop had concerns about fatal road

23 Apr 04:15 PM

A former top police crash investigator was involved in a head-on smash in almost the exact spot where mother-of-four Lysette Brown was killed on Monday.

Boy killed at site of new family home
Aucklander

Boy killed at site of new family home

23 Apr 04:15 PM
Much-improved victim talks to police about post-Nines assault
Aucklander

Much-improved victim talks to police about post-Nines assault

17 Feb 04:30 PM

A man left fighting for his life with severe head injuries after an assault at a party following the NRL Nines league tournament is awake and has spoken to police.

Assault victim in serious condition
Aucklander

Assault victim in serious condition

16 Feb 10:00 PM

A man who was viciously assaulted at a Mt Eden party at the weekend remains in a serious but stable condition at Auckland City Hospital.

Motorcyclist hospitalised after crash in central Auckland
Aucklander

Motorcyclist hospitalised after crash in central Auckland

12 Feb 01:13 AM

A motorcyclist has been taken to hospital after colliding with a car in central Auckland.

Jewellery key to catching brutal robber
Aucklander

Jewellery key to catching brutal robber

17 Jan 01:33 AM

Police hunting a man who tied up and assaulted an elderly woman in her Papatoetoe home are trying to find her jewellery, stolen in the brutal home invasion.

Weapons used to enforce loans - claims
Aucklander

Weapons used to enforce loans - claims

17 Jan 01:22 AM

Counties Manukau Police are investigating a loan company director following complaints of him using weapons to enforce compliance of loan terms.

Trolley bandits hit shop shelves
Aucklander

Trolley bandits hit shop shelves

14 Jan 04:30 PM

Two thieves have stolen thousands of dollars worth of groceries from supermarkets and shops across Auckland by filling trolleys and running out of the store.

Link between Auckland fires?
Aucklander

Link between Auckland fires?

14 Jan 04:30 PM

Two early morning fires deliberately lit at an Auckland school and church may have been started by the same people, police say.

West Auckland police station evacuated over mortar shell
Aucklander

West Auckland police station evacuated over mortar shell

10 Jan 04:15 AM
Arrest over indecent acts on trains
Aucklander

Arrest over indecent acts on trains

10 Jan 01:31 AM

A 36-year-old man will appear in the Auckland District Court on Monday to face two charges of indecency, after allegedly exposing himself to young woman on Auckland trains.

Fire spreads through two storey block in Manurewa
Aucklander

Fire spreads through two storey block in Manurewa

06 Jan 12:45 AM

A fire has broken out at a Manurewa business with reports of people possibly trapped inside. St John was called to the fire on Great South Road at 12.25pm today.

Test says woman driver had 25 drinks
Aucklander

Test says woman driver had 25 drinks

01 Jan 04:30 PM

A woman arrested for drink-driving with two small children in the car had one of the highest breath-alcohol levels recorded in New Zealand.

Man in custody after woman's death
Aucklander

Man in custody after woman's death

23 Dec 01:25 AM

A man has been taken into police custody following the discovery of a woman's body north of Auckland this morning.

Police locate Good Samaritan
Aucklander

Police locate Good Samaritan

19 Dec 03:17 AM

Police are still seeking a Good Samaritan who chanced upon a badly beaten man and took him to hospital last month, likely saving his life.

$13,000 ring thief yelled 'thank you'
Aucklander

$13,000 ring thief yelled 'thank you'

05 Dec 04:30 PM

A thief who dashed out of a jewellery store wearing a $13,000 sapphire ring yelled "thank you very much" to staff as she ran to her getaway car.

K'Rd bottle shop man hit in robbery
Aucklander

K'Rd bottle shop man hit in robbery

27 Nov 04:30 PM

A liquor store employee assaulted by armed robbers was not even supposed to be working in the store when the terrifying ordeal unfolded.

Forest fire teen trying to look 'cool'
Aucklander

Forest fire teen trying to look 'cool'

26 Nov 04:30 PM

A teenager who admitted throwing fireworks into a popular Auckland forest, causing thousands of dollars damage, said he was just trying to look "cool" in front of his mates.

Rocks hurled from overbridge hit cars
Aucklander

Rocks hurled from overbridge hit cars

13 Nov 04:30 PM

Police are looking for youths seen throwing rocks off a motorway overbridge at cars, as forensic tests get underway on an object that killed driver Rutger Hale.

Wild winds lash Auckland
Aucklander

Wild winds lash Auckland

15 Oct 01:19 AM

Wild winds are have been lashing Auckland city today, with shattered windows< lifted roofs and runaway trampolines.

Second road-crash for grieving family
Aucklander

Second road-crash for grieving family

10 Oct 04:30 PM

A family still grieving over three youngsters killed in a horrific crash six months ago are again in mourning after another relative died when her car hit a power pole.

Cop's jail smuggling service
Aucklander

Cop's jail smuggling service

01 Oct 04:30 PM

A police officer delivered pre-ordered contraband to prisoners after collecting it from their relatives in meetings in and around a West Auckland courthouse.

Tributes flow for stabbed woman
Aucklander

Tributes flow for stabbed woman

12 Sep 05:30 PM

A woman stabbed to death by a man in her West Auckland home in a "tragic and disturbing" incident has been described as a "fantastic person".

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