Our Abbie catches out Penguin
Publisher recalls
books after
plagiarism fears
By RYAN EVANS
ryan.evans@dailynews.co.nz
A TARANAKI gardening guru
has uncovered another case of al-
leged plagiarism involving a
book released by publishing
house Penguin Books.
The accusations against The
Tui NZ Fruit Garden, written by
Sally Cameron, have caused Pen-
guin to recall the book, which
was released on Monday.
The book contains many sen-
tences and passages which seem
to have been taken, in some cases
word for word, from various
websites including Wikipedia.
Penguin came in for scrutiny
just last year, after the book The
Trowenna Sea by Witi Ihimaera
was found to contain unacknowl-
edged copy which appeared to
come from other authors’ work.
This afternoon Penguin gen-
eral manager publicity and
promotions Sandra Lees said
bookshops were being asked to
return all copies of the book.
‘‘Penguin is taking these
allegations very seriously,’’ she
said.
‘‘At the same time Penguin is
ordering a detailed review to de-
termine whether there is any
substance to the allegations.
‘‘The review will reveal
whether the suggestions are ac-
curate and what further action
will be taken.’’
Ms Cameron, the author of a
number of gardening and cook
books who has been a food
writer, stylist and editor in both
New Zealand and Britain, could
not be contacted for comment.
The allegedly plagiarised work
in The Tui NZ Fruit Garden was
picked up by Taranaki Daily
News gardening writer Abbie
Jury and her husband, inter-
nationally renowned plant
Family of stabbing victim hail court’s guilty verdict
By LYN HUMPHREYS
lyn.humphreys@dailynews.co.nz
THE Niwa family say they finally
have justice for their youngest
after New Plymouth Black Power
members were last night found
guilty of killing Peri Niwa.
‘‘It’s justice. It’s a closure for
us today. It’s been a massive,
massive loss,’’ his oldest brother
Fabian said.
Peri Niwa who was 31 when he
died, had been the much-loved
‘‘baby’’ of a family of nine.
The family was not looking for
the death penalty and there was
no hatred, he said.
‘‘It’s like a disease once you
start hating.’’
www.taranakidailynews.co.nz
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breeder and gardener Mark Jury, eral examples of plagiarised
while reviewing a copy of the work including:
book. ● Cameron: ‘‘There is an old
Curious over what appeared to adage that an apricot tree will
be inaccurate information, Mrs not grow far from the mother
tree.’’
● Wikipedia: ‘‘There is an old
‘‘
adage that an apricot tree will
not grow far from the mother
There are sufficient tree.’’
instances of When the Taranaki Daily News
began looking further, numerous
unacknowledged sentences of apparently plagiar-
ised work were found.
quotes to make me ‘‘There are sufficient instances
breathe the dreaded of unacknowledged quotes to
make me breathe the dreaded
word: plagiarism. word: plagiarism,’’ Mrs Jury
ABBIE JURY writes in her column.
She told the Taranaki Daily
News she believed it was an
Jury began hunting online to example of putting a book to-
prove she was correct but instead gether quickly to meet a market.
stumbled on passages of work ‘‘There were so many cases
she had already read in the book. where we had to ask questions
In her Taranaki Daily News and we just thought ‘this is
column, Mrs Jury points out sev- crazy’.
Mr Niwa was stabbed to death
at the back of a house while flee-
ing from Black Power members
who had turned up armed at a
New Plymouth party.
During the trial, it was
revealed how jealously the Black
Power gang defended its turf
against the rival Mongrel Mob.
The dead man was not a gang Fabian Niwa Peri Niwa
member, but had the misfortune
to work for a team of scaffolders other three accused, Mahana
run by an out-of-town Mongrel Edmonds, 39, Rangi Rick Brown,
Mob member. 40, and Adrian Tony Fenton, 27,
The High Court jury in New were found guilty of being par-
Plymouth returned its verdict ties to the manslaughter of Mr
about 6pm last night after 11⁄2 Niwa at 1A Squire Pl on Novem-
days’ deliberation. ber 15, 2008.
Matiu Pahau, 22, was found Pahau admitted to stabbing Mr
guilty of Mr Niwa’s murder. The Niwa but had given evidence in
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Eagle-eyed: Taranaki Daily News gardening columnist Abbie Jury and a gardening book she says appears to contain plagiarised copy.
‘‘I was thinking that’s really
odd advice for New Zealand.
There were so many anomalies
in it, that’s when I started to
track her information sources
and that’s when I started think-
the witness box during the 21⁄2-
week trial to tell the jury he did
so in self-defence and by acci-
dent.
All four accused were found
guilty of the commission of a
crime with a firearm.
Fenton, who was the only one
of the four to plead not guilty to
being part of an organised crimi-
nal group on the night, was found
guilty of the gang-association
charge.
Outside court, Fabian Niwa
said their family strongly disap-
proved of gangs.
‘‘It was really hard for us.
What came out in court blew us
away.
‘‘We are not the type of family
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Office/Showroom 136 Gill Street, New Plymouth
ing the copy was really familiar. Ms Lees said the onus lay with
I’ve read that before. Cameron the author to supply the pub-
didn’t go very far. For me it was lisher with a text which is free
a straight click through, just like from any copyright restriction.
she must have done. Who writes The formal contract between
a book from Wikipedia?’’ publisher and author specifically
to have anything to do with all ‘‘We are so grateful that a
that gang stuff.’’ handful got up and they wanted
His 71-year-old mother had to make a change. We know how
attended every court day, holding hard it was on them in a Black
a photo of Peri in her arms. She Power town.
had left the court rather than ‘‘These idiots that didn’t, I
hear Pahau’s apology for her hope they have a nice
son’s death. Christmas.’’
‘‘She is struggling. It has been Peri is buried on the family
real hard for her. He was her marae at Kairau. Fabian said the
baby.’’ family was now planning an
The police and the anonymous unveiling of his headstone,
witnesses who were prepared to which was postponed while they
give evidence were unsung went through the extended court
heroes, he said. process over the last 18 months.
Of the hundreds of kids at the Crown prosecutor Cherie
party that night only a few came Clarke said last night that the
forward to give their evidence, verdicts were the result of the
Fabian and his wife, Carolyn diligence of the New Plymouth
Niwa, said. police, of the courage of the for-
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requires this, she said.
‘‘Penguin sincerely apologises
for any inconvenience this may
have caused.’’
● Abbie’s review: page 11
mer Black Power sergeant-at-
arms, Ricky Riccardo Murray
who had given evidence for the
Crown.
Ms Clarke also praised ‘‘the
extreme courage’’ of the anony-
mous witnesses and the court
orders that allowed them to give
evidence in a way that let them
feel secure.
The public could have confi-
dence in providing information
to the police about serious crime,
Ms Clarke said.
After the jury’s verdicts, Jus-
tice Raynor Asher QC, of Auck-
land, thanked the jury for their
service. The judge convicted the
four men and remanded them for
sentencing on August 16.
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