British couple found dead in Wellington’s Roseneath looking to settle in NZ, neighbour says

Police found two people dead at a property on Palliser Road in Roseneath. Photo / RNZ, Samuel Rillstone

By Lauren Crimp of RNZ

The British couple found dead at a property in the Wellington suburb of Roseneath had fallen in love with New Zealand and recently decided to settle here, their neighbour says.

About 10pm on Monday, police received a request for a welfare check from a concerned family member, who had not heard from their loved ones, and found two people dead at a Palliser Rd property in Roseneath.

Emma Prestidge moved with her husband Paul to the street in December. She said the couple next door, who she thought were in their 50s, were British and had been boarding there with the owner.

Prestidge said the man had been working here in the science sector, and the woman had been back and forth between New Zealand and London a few times, but settled here in December.

She said the woman had been a teacher, but was unsure if she had found work in New Zealand yet.

“My understanding is they’d finally ... packed up their lives in London, and all their stuff was in a shipping container, and they were kind of looking to move here for good,” she said.

“They were ... in the next phase of their life, I guess, and ready to kind of set themselves up for the next part of their chapter, which is ... truly sad.”

The couple were outdoorsy and had fallen in love with New Zealand, Prestidge said. They were considering moving to central Otago, which she understood would be closer to some of their adult children.

“They love the wildlife ... they just loved the open air space.

“The lady said to me that, you know, previously in London, she kind of felt a little bit unsafe wherever she went.

“In New Zealand, she just felt ... a sense of calm and and just felt like she was able to really enjoy her life here.”

The couple were said to have fallen in love with New Zealand and recently decided to settle here for good. Photo / RNZ, Samuel Rillstone

The day the Prestidges moved in, they met the woman as they were carting boxes to their new home.

“She was absolutely lovely,” Prestidge said.

“I just thought, well, what a lovely person, like I feel lucky to have them as neighbours.”

Prestidge met the woman’s husband and the property owner on their shared path a few days later, and they invited the Prestidges over for dinner.

The Prestidges ended up locking themselves out of their house and stayed late with their neighbours as they waited for a locksmith.

“They were just ... really warm and inviting,” she said.

Prestidge had no idea what had happened, and said she was shocked to learn of their deaths.

“They didn’t seem like a couple that would have any kind of, you know, issues with each other or anything like that,” she said.

“And definitely, their relationship with [their landlord] was just really ... one of deep friendship, I’d say.”

Their deaths were a tragedy, she said.

“These people ... could contribute so much to New Zealand, and they’re the kind of people that you dream of having as neighbours.

“It’s certainly a loss.”

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