'My little brother': How a 22-year-old Kiwi was killed fighting for Ukraine on the frontline

PremiumHome / LifestyleMark CrysellNZ Herald·4 Jul, 2026 08:00 PM13 mins to readHow a North Shore 22-year-old with zero combat or military experience died fighting for Ukraine.The doorbell on the gate of Simon Haines and Mary Spencer’s North Shore home plays a two-note chime, the kind found on thousands of houses across New Zealand. When it rings now, Mary goes rigid. “Oh God,” she says. “I hate the doorbell ringing.”

Last December, a

AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.