Napier courthouse attack: Hearings delayed after someone tries to smash in front door

Hearings in the Napier District Court were delayed nearly an hour on Thursday after someone tried to smash through the front door overnight.

Both of the double front doors were damaged, with one side showing at least two axehead-shaped holes in a smashed area, which caused a small amount of broken glass to scatter inside.

The security of the building does not appear to have been compromised as the strengthened glass doors remained closed.

Hearings were scheduled to start at 8.30am but the doors were not opened until after 9am as the broken glass was cleared up from the entrance. The first matter was called at 9.20am.

Following cases were delayed further as a backlog of people were processed through security screening.

Potential jurors reporting for a trial were given priority.

Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of front-line experience as a probation officer.