Richard Adams had an established history of treatment-resistant schizophrenia he had been living with for 30 years. Sometime during the day on March 15, 2025, Richard Adams became annoyed at his cousin and went into his bedroom. When a support worker arrived to administer their daily medication, Richard Adams told her his cousin was in bed asleep. When spoken to by police, Richard Adams said he had assaulted his cousin because he “wanted some peace and quiet”. He had been in and out of mental health wards and prescribed a range of treatment for his mental health.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 04, 2026 17:35 UTC