Christchurch dairy robberies: Young person arrested after two staff injured

A young person has been arrested after two Christchurch dairies were hit by back-to-back aggravated robberies just minutes apart, leaving two people injured.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Luke Vaughan said a search warrant at a Hoon Hay property led to the arrest.

“They will undergo the Youth Court process in due course.”

Vaughan said police are not ruling out further arrests and anyone with information is asked to come forward.

He said information can be provided through 105, either online or over the phone, referencing file number 260407/1737, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police were called to Mairehau Food Market on Briggs Rd in Shirley about 8.10pm on April 6 after a report two people entered the business with a weapon.

An employee was assaulted, and the offenders left in a vehicle reported stolen.

Hato Hone St John said one person in a moderate condition was assessed at the scene. They later travelled to Christchurch Hospital in a private car.

Gayhurst Dairy. Photo / Jazlyn Whales

About 10 minutes later, police received another report of two people entering Gayhurst Dairy on McBratneys Rd, just 6km away, armed with a weapon.

Senior Sergeant Seb Kohnke said at the time an employee was assaulted and taken to hospital with moderate injuries.

Kelly Barber, city councillor for Burwood, said at the time he was appalled by the “unnecessarily violent behaviour”.

“Dairy owners provide a really important service in our small community, and often they’re small family businesses just trying to make a living like the rest of us,” he said.

Mairehau Food Market. Photo / Jazlyn Whales

It’s not the first time Gayhurst Dairy has been the target of a brutal robbery.

On May 20, 2012, teenage gang member Dwayne Kararema Tutengaehe, bought a 2 litre bottle of milk and asked the shop owner when he closed that night.

After closing at 8pm, the dairy owner walked to his car with the day’s takings in a backpack.

However, Tutengaehe opened the driver’s door and stabbed the man in his shoulder with a 30cm knife.

He demanded the backpack, but when he stepped back, the dairy owner shut his car door and tried to drive off.

The youth smashed the car window with his elbow before stabbing the man “four or five more times” in the upper right arm.

He managed to drive off, as Tutengaehe tried to cling to the car, and get to hospital where he received stitches.

Tutengaehe, 17 at the time, was jailed for four-and-a-half years for the vicious armed robbery.