A former top media executive who swapped city life for coastal Northland is recovering after an alleged assault by a drunken customer at his holiday hotspot store.
Dallas Gurney, a former high-flying NZME media executive, has worked with some of New Zealand’s top radio personalities including Sir Paul Holmes, Mike Hosking, Kerre Woodham, and Duncan Garner.
Two years ago, he left Auckland’s corporate world for a quieter life in Whananaki where he now runs the local store alongside a community radio station.
But in a brazen attack on Sunday evening, captured on CCTV, Gurney was allegedly assaulted by a drunken customer, an incident he said came completely out of the blue.
“They were part of a wider group, these two scumbags, including their own kids which was pretty sad,” he wrote in a post to the Whananaki FM website.
“They were very, very drunk, which I didn’t realise straight away. They were swearing at loud volumes and causing a scene. F’ing this. F’ing that. F’ing you and F’ing me.
When he asked them to keep it civil one of the group told him to “F off” before he told them to leave immediately.
Without warning he was pushed off the deck from behind.
“Didn’t see him coming. No chance to protect myself. It all happened so fast.
He said the shove sent him a couple of metres into the air before landing on the ground below.
“After that, they took their food and headed off laughing at what they’d done to me.”
He said while he was calling 111 they were talking about finishing him off and threatening more violence.
Gurney said that while he had been left physically injured, he had also been left with his “emotions all over the place”.
“I’ve got scrapes and bruises and a shoulder that can’t move much and goes click now which I’m sure isn’t right.
“But the emotions are all over the place. I feel ashamed that I couldn’t protect myself properly. I feel embarrassed that my staff had to see me flat on the ground like that.
“I’m angry that a couple of guys thought it okay to come to our shop, do that to me and then walk off with food that we had cooked them with love.”
Gurney said police were unable to attend the scene on the night of the attack.
“The police couldn’t come [Sunday], they were too busy despite the group staying in a tent just a few hundred metres from the shop. It would’ve been an easy arrest.
“No major, our local cop Smiley is going to sort it out today, but a good reminder we need many more cops in Northland.
“We have good footage and know the names of the people involved so whether they get dealt with at the time or later doesn’t matter as much.
“As locals, however, we need to remember how far away we are from help and how important local support networks are when the sh*t hits the fan.”
Whangārei–Kaipara Area Commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom said police resources were directed to Dargaville due to a serious firearms-related incident reported around the same time.
“Just after 8pm, police were initially notified of a group fighting at premises on Whananaki North Road,” Nordstrom said.
“Information was then received that a person had been assaulted and the group had left.
“Police were advised the victim did not need medical assistance at the time.”
Nordstrom said the victim was given safety advice and told to contact police if there were any further concerns.
“As police we must prioritise our demands with calls for service, prioritising events based on risk at that time,” she said.
“A decision was made based on priority and the risk posed to the wider community to deploy staff to the Dargaville incident.
“When police responded in Dargaville, an air rifle was allegedly discharged towards police staff, requiring several resources to be deployed to resolve that situation safely.”
Police later followed up in Whananaki.
“Local staff attended yesterday to take a statement from the victim and enquiries are underway to speak with those responsible,” Inspector Nordstrom said.
“I have spoken with the victim today to provide him reassurance that this matter will be dealt with.”