Police respond to incident on Pages Rd, Christchurch. Photo / George Heard.
A Christchurch dog walker who was repeatedly stabbed was the victim of what appears to be a random attack this morning.
The dog also returned home without its owner, who lay critically wounded at Bexley Reserve, and alerted his family that he was missing.
The dog went to his home and the family noticed the man was not with him. The family then went looking for him.
Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said the man was found critically injured at about 6.20am.
The man was stabbed multiple times and discovered by members of his family, Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves says.
Police are following a number of inquiries to determine the location of the attack, and the events leading up to it.
Reeves said evidence did not suggest the attack was targeted.
“Investigators are following strong leads, however we would encourage people to be mindful of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity to 105, or to 111 if it’s urgent.”
Police wanted to hear from anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area overnight, in particular from 4am.
Motorists with dashcams who were in the area of Pages Rd or Anzac Drive around this time were also urged to review their footage.
Reeves said police were urging anyone with information to call 105 and quote the file number 221114/3294.
Information could also be reported online at www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using “Update My Report”, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
“You may feel like the information you have is not significant, however, it could be the missing piece of the puzzle Police need to make an arrest.”
The Herald spoke with a local dog-walker who had left the house with her dog for her usual morning walk, shortly after 5.45am.
At the time, she said, no emergency service vehicles were in sight on Pages Rd, Bexley.
Walking past the main entrance of the reserve, the woman noticed a car pulled into the entrance of the park and two people - one lying on the ground, the other appearing to comfort him.
There were two dogs in the car at this stage.
“She kept saying ‘it’s okay, it’s okay,’ - initially I thought it was personal, so I planned on doing my walk which takes 15 minutes and checking on them when I got back,” she said.
The woman never got the opportunity. Her walk took the typical 15 minutes and when she returned, emergency services had arrived.
Two ambulance units and police were at the entrance of the reserve shortly after 6am.
A police officer approached the woman and demanded she didn’t come through the street. She made her way home, only to learn through the news what had taken place minutes before she’d made her way down Pages Rd.
A police cordon was put in place on Pages Rd between Portchester and Farnborough streets, it remained right into the afternoon as a black police tent was set up and forensics combed the bushes near the reserve’s entrance.
The woman, whom the Herald spoke to, said dog walking is a big deal in the area, with Bexley Reserve boasting a popular dog park that is used by many.
On average, according to the woman, there would be about six people walking their dogs during the time of the incident - which she said was likely the reason police put the call out to avoid the road.
“When my husband heard the news he said to me ‘you’re not walking the dog there anymore’,” she said.
“Because this is one of the early morning dog walkers [who was attacked], everybody is scared. There possibly will be a different perception of the park after this.”
The incident shocked other locals who live in the area. Terri Stuart, who lives further down on Pages Rd, said she’d sometimes go for walks at Bexley Reserve around dinner time.
“I’ve lived here two years and always felt it’s a safe community. Maybe it was just a freak accident,” she said.
Warren and Andria Stent live near the park and said the news of the random assault was particularly concerning given Andria goes for walks around the area regularly.
“We’ve always found this to be a particularly safe area,” Warren said. ”It’s reasonably busy at the park, but apart from traffic noise we never have any trouble.”
Police have blocked off multiple entrances to Bexley Reserve, as they appear to focus specifically on the entrance where the man was stabbed. Traffic is still being diverted down Portchester St and Farnborough St as the investigation continues.
“I just hope somebody saw the attacker and can identify him,” the dog-walking witness said.
“It’s not normal, I don’t understand it.”