NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

'Please baby please come back: Jury hear 111 call, resuscitation attempt in domestic violence murder trial

Anna Leask
By Anna Leask
Senior Journalist - crime and justice·NZ Herald·
10 Feb, 2020 11:35 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A woman on trial for murdering her partner says she suffered battered woman's syndrome.

A woman on trial for murdering her partner says she suffered battered woman's syndrome.

The son of a woman who stabbed her partner to death after years of domestic violence has spoken of his desperate attempt to revive the man.

Poutau Cameron described being woken by his 14-year-old brother shortly after the alleged murder, and how he desperately tried to revive his mother's partner as he called 111.

Joseph Michael Ngapera, 56, died in November 2018 from stab wounds.

His partner Karen Anne Ruddelle was charged with his murder and her trial began in the High Court at Auckland yesterday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Today at her murder trial, the court heard that Ruddelle and Ngapera were drinking together at a Manurewa bar the night of the fatal incident.

Soon after the couple were dropped at Ruddelle's Manurewa home, they had an argument and she stabbed him twice in the chest using a kitchen knife with a 19cm blade.

The Crown alleged Ruddelle stabbed Ngapera with the intention of killing him or seriously wounding him.

However, the defence says that after years of domestic abuse she "knew what was coming" and used the knife to protect herself and her 14-year-old son who tried to intervene after his mother called for help.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ruddelle's lawyer Shane Cassidy told the jury that her actions were in defence of herself and her child.

Cameron was living with his mother at the time of the alleged murder.

He had gone to bed early the night before after kickboxing training and dinner with his nephews and brother.

He woke briefly when Ruddelle and Ngapera got home.

Discover more

New Zealand

Domestic abuse victims call for end to 'no-fault' divorce settlements

10 Feb 06:37 PM

He heard a door slam and "faint voices" then went back to sleep.

Shortly after, his teenage brother was at his bedside rousing him.

Cameron got up and went to the kitchen.

"I saw Joe lying on the floor ... he was not responsive," he said.

"I checked his airways, I checked his pulse ... couldn't find anything.

"It was then that I rang 111."

Cameron said his mother was in the room at the time.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"She was just standing there telling me to help Joe up off the floor," he recalled.

The 14-year-old was also in the room.

Cameron said his mother was "really emotional".

He had to go out into a hallway to hear instructions from the 111 operator.

The jury was then played audio of the Cameron's emergency call.

"There's been an altercation and my mum's partner's on the ground," he said, his voice shaking.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I woke up and I heard arguing and then he was on the ground - I'm not sure what happened.

"I think my mum does [know what happened] ... but she is intoxicated.

"It might have been a knife ..."

Cameron told the operator Ngapera was not awake but he was breathing.

"He's bleeding, he's bleeding ... from his chest," he said.

Shouting and screaming can be heard in the background.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Leave it mum, leave it, get out ... mum, get away," Cameron shouts as he is taking direction from the operator to try and stop the bleeding.

Cameron repeatedly tells his mother to "get out" and tells her the ambulance is on the way.

"You're bloody ... you're not helping, man," he says to her.

The 14-year-old can also be heard shouting "mum" and a woman's voice is heard crying out "no".

Cameron tells the operator Ngapera is no longer breathing and she gives him instructions on how to start CPR.

"If I take pressure off his chest he's gonna bleed ..." he says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He tries to get his younger brother to hold a towel over Ngapera's wound as he starts chest compressions.

As he listened back to the call, Cameron became upset.

In the dock his mother had her head down and members of their and Ngapera's family cried in the public gallery.

"Don't give up, you're doing amazing ... there's lots of help coming," the operator tells Cameron as he keeps pumping Ngapera's chest.

Ruddelle can be heard screaming "no" and "come on" as she cries and wails hysterically.

"Please baby please. .. please come back, honey ... baby please come back...." she desperately screams.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Cameron further explained to the court that his mother was "obstructing" him as he tried to help Ngapera.

She had been trying to revive him and "get him up" when Cameron came in and called 111.

"There were instances where she would come up and tap him and try to wake him up," he explained.

"Just to try and get some sort of response from him.

"There was an instance where she was trying to perform CPR herself."

The trial continues.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Crime

'No bad blood': Inmate apologises for shanking prison officer

06 Jul 08:00 AM
Wellington

'Exercise caution': Investigation into Kiwi's death in elephant attack

06 Jul 06:58 AM
New Zealand

Police respond to assault at pool: One hospitalised, charges laid

06 Jul 06:31 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'No bad blood': Inmate apologises for shanking prison officer

'No bad blood': Inmate apologises for shanking prison officer

06 Jul 08:00 AM

The guard was lured from his office and then attacked by the prisoner.

'Exercise caution': Investigation into Kiwi's death in elephant attack

'Exercise caution': Investigation into Kiwi's death in elephant attack

06 Jul 06:58 AM
Police respond to assault at pool: One hospitalised, charges laid

Police respond to assault at pool: One hospitalised, charges laid

06 Jul 06:31 AM
'Harrowing incident': Coastguard rescues boaties after 3m waves hit vessel near Motunau

'Harrowing incident': Coastguard rescues boaties after 3m waves hit vessel near Motunau

06 Jul 06:20 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP