Panguru dog attack: 59yo man charged in relation to the death of Neville Thomson

Neville Thomson was attacked and killed by dogs on his property in Pānguru.

The family of the Panguru man killed in a dog attack at his Far North home say news of an arrest has brought a sense of relief.

A 59-year-old man has been charged in relation to the death of Neville Thomson, 69, who was fatally mauled by six dogs at his Puketawa Rd home on August 4 last year.

The dogs were owned by a friend boarding at his home at the time.

Far North Area Investigations Manager and Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Fouhy said police charged a man with owning a dog which causes injury or death. He is due to appear in the Kaitāia District Court on Monday.

Police did not comment on whether the man charged was the friend staying at Thomson’s home.

Thomson’s daughter Nataria Moore said they are now on the road to justice.

“When I heard that, I finally felt that it was worth the wait after all. That someone was finally held responsible for what happened that fateful day, we all lost our beloved father.

“Hopefully once this all ends, our family will have the closure that we were always looking for ... "

Moore said while her family appreciated the progress made by the police, they were disappointed with the time it took investigators to take “some action”.

“It’s been a long and hard one year for us. Aside from coming to terms with our dad’s death, we had to contact the police almost every week to get some sort of progress.”

Fouhy said the police investigation had been a “challenging one”.

“We appreciate this has taken some time, however, this was a complex investigation, and we thank the community for their patience and assistance while we worked through the information gathered.

“Police hope these arrests bring reassurance to the family of Mr Thomson.”

Moore previously described her dad as “such a loving and giving man”, whose family was extremely important to him. She also said he had had a major impact on the Panguru community and was sorely missed.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.