Ric Stevens is a Multimedia Journalist specialising in Open Justice reporting at Hawke's Bay Today.
I have worked in journalism for about 40 years, including as a political reporter at Parliament and in senior roles at a number of daily newspapers. In the course of my career I have met 10 prime ministers and covered topics as diverse as riots, earthquakes and murder trials, among many other things. I stepped aside from daily journalism for a while in 2016 to complete a master's degree and then found myself working for four years on the front line of the criminal justice system, as a probation officer. This has helped inform my current reporting on crime and justice. I was delighted to be able to come back to journalism as a member of NZME's Open Justice team in 2022.
‘Easy money:’ How string of life setbacks led man to become meth courier
Tony Looker was eventually stopped by police who found $113,000 in cash and 44g of meth.
‘Driver error’ the cause of a car crash that killed three people
A couple from Hamilton and a man from Auckland died in the 2022 crash.
New Zealand’s only convicted saboteur released from prison but will still be monitored
Taupō man served full prison sentence of three years and one month.
Police seize Hastings homes, cars and $68k in Louis Vuitton handbag linked to meth ring
Police say encrypted messages found indicated the distribution of meth worth $1.54m.
‘National disgrace’: NZ’s landmark Abuse in Care inquiry finds 200,000 harmed
The 3000-page report calls for apologies, redress and police investigations.
'Tell us where to find Heidi': Police challenge David Tamihere as murder convictions upheld
Court of Appeal finds a miscarriage of justice but won't quash his murder conviction.
Phone data, text message seal meth-making man's fate
Cellphone data put accused man at property where methamphetamine was being made.
Murderers who stabbed man who ‘narked’ on Mongrel Mob boss get extra jail time
The men murdered Eli Johnson in 2022 for 'narking' on a gang boss.
Meth offender claims $31k seized cash was from selling 5205 pipes - police say yeah right
Cops calculated former Mob boss would have had to have made more than 5000 pipes.
'Our little secret': Teen cried and hugged her puppy during rape
Her rapist tried to appeal his convictions after being sent to prison for 10 years.
Drug dealer found with $91k of meth, $14,500 cash three months after prison release
Police monitored meth dealer's phone calls and texts for a month before raiding house.
Teen drug dealer bashed would-be robber with baseball bat until he thought he was dead
Now a judge has dismissed an appeal against the teen's jail sentence.
Meth-maker with $1.5m debt to Crown has to give up ‘bequest’ from late father
Royce Duncan owed the Crown $1.5m earned from a large-scale drug-dealing operation.
Man who poached 4600 crayfish for ‘sprawling’ black market ring jailed
Crayfish poacher apologised after abusing customary permit system.
'Dad didn't make it': Family tragedy caused by meth-using driver who had been awake for four days
Son should have been celebrating his birthday. Instead, his father died.
Two wrongs make a right: Man uses proceeds of crime to repay $21,000 in wrongfully received Covid-19 subsidies
Police found $31,000 in cash, drugs and a firearm, but they had no search warrant.
Inheritance mystery: He's alive and well - but ignoring a $300,000 windfall. So a court has now ruled he doesn't exist
He's been avoiding attempts to contact him for 14 years. Even a PI couldn't track him.
Kiwi loses appeal against deportation after fatal crash
Kiwi who caused woman's death did not disclose NZ convictions on entering Australia.
Appeal reduces sentence for five-hour night-time crime spree
Three separate incidents involved three victims.