A utility vehicle belonging to one of the victims, Garry Holden, outside David Gray's house after the Aramoana massacre. (NZ Herald Archive)
A utility vehicle belonging to one of the victims, Garry Holden, outside David Gray's house after the Aramoana massacre. (NZ Herald Archive)
The officer in charge of the Port Chalmers police station in 1990 was Sergeant Stewart Guthrie, a good local copper whose heart was set firmly on doing his best for the town, as a policeman and a community leader.
"He was the sort of guy who could participatein community affairs, be totally accepted by the people and still not lose the necessary credibility that a police officer needs to have," his friend John Medder told the Herald's Bernard Orsman a few days after Guthrie lost his life while doing his duty in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances imaginable.
On the afternoon of November 12 Guthrie received a call to say that a gunman had run amok in the small settlement of Aramoana, about seven kilometres northeast, near the mouth of Otago Harbour.
He knew who the man was - David Gray, a loner with a history of mental illness - and, arming himself with a police issue .38 revolver, set out for the scene of the crime.
When Guthrie arrived, he and an off-duty constable carrying a borrowed rifle moved cautiously through the town to assess what was needed to contain the gunman and get help to the wounded.
Gray had killed 11 people, including three children, and the two policemen were constantly reminded of their own danger by the extent of the visible carnage, says the official citation for the George Cross Guthrie would receive posthumously.
"With limited resources available to him and impending darkness Sergeant Guthrie had the task of locating and containing the crazed gunman, dealing with the wounded and preventing further loss of life," says the citation.
Sergeant Stewart Guthrie was gunned down by David Gray on the night of the Aramoana massacre. (NZ Herald Archive)
When Gray, with his face blackened like a commando, emerged at the back of the house Guthrie challenged him saying "Stop ... stop or I shoot".
He fired a warning shot but Gray responded with a volley of fire, killing Guthrie, his 12th and final victim. Gray himself was shot dead by police the next day.
Guthrie was awarded the George Cross - the highest award for bravery for a civilian.
"His action in placing himself in danger to protect his staff and members of the public at the cost of his own life were selfless acts of heroism," says the citation.
Sergeant Stewart Guthrie GC, the hero of Aramoana, is our New Zealander of the Year for 1990.
