Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - A man accused of murdering his convicted sex offender stepfather has admitted burning down his stepfather's house.

Jamie Stewart Davies, 31, of Raglan, admitted a charge of arson at the start of his murder trial in the High Court at Hamilton yesterday.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - A Palmerston North officer slammed on the brakes of a police wagon so hard he crippled a prisoner he was transporting, a High Court trial has been told.

Mark Edwards, 46, suffered a fractured dislocation of his spine which left him a quadriplegic.

Auckland, Oct 21 NZPA - A woman charged with leaving her 11-month-old puppy to starve is still on the run, three weeks after failing to turn up for her sentencing.

Dunedin, Oct 21 NZPA - The sister and mother of slain Balclutha teenager Michael Hutchings say no jail sentences for those involved in his killing would be enough.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - A former Christchurch bus driver has become the first person in New Zealand to be sentenced for sexual grooming of young people without being convicted of more serious sexual offending as well.

Auckland, Oct 21 NZPA - It's nearly two years since Judy Ashton's 20-year-old daughter Debbie was killed by a disqualified driver.

But she still turns into a "blubbering mess" for little or no reason.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - A Wellington father will face trial next year for allegedly assaulting his daughter during an argument over a mobile phone.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - A man who murdered a South Otago teenager in January has been sentenced to a minimum of 13 years' jail.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - The former partner of murder accused Liam James Reid was today accused of "distorting" her evidence about his behaviour after the disappearance and murder of Christchurch woman Emma Agnew.

Rotorua, Oct 21 NZPA - For 36 hours after she was kicked repeatedly in the head, little Nia Glassie lay in a coma in a Rotorua house with no one -- not even her mother -- making any effort to get medical help, a court was told today.