NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Police apologise for response after house 'splattered in blood' following alleged fight in Tokoroa

Megan Wilson
By Megan Wilson
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
8 Aug, 2022 06:05 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The man discovered blood on his home the morning after the alleged fight. Photo / Supplied

The man discovered blood on his home the morning after the alleged fight. Photo / Supplied

Police have apologised to a Tokoroa man for their response after his house was left "splattered in blood" following an alleged fight on his property.

Andrew, who would only be known by his first name, said at about 12.30am last Thursday, he heard two men "screaming and yelling" outside the spare bedroom of his house.

He called the police who turned up 10 minutes later but the men were no longer on his property.

"The morning after, I come out and there is a hood from a Kathmandu jacket left on the driveway ... and the house is absolutely coated and splattered in blood".

Andrew said he called 105 and filed a police report after finding blood on his house but said their response had been "blasé".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I appreciate they're stretched but when a house is covered in blood from an assault the previous evening, you would think there'd be some sort of acknowledgement."

Police confirmed they received a report of the incident and have since apologised for giving him the impression the matter was not being taken seriously.

The man filed a police report after discovering blood on his house. Photo / Supplied
The man filed a police report after discovering blood on his house. Photo / Supplied

On the night of the incident, Andrew said he had not been sleeping when he heard some dogs barking.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Next thing [I] heard was all this scuffle."

He heard two voices with one saying, "'I'm going to do you with this piece'."

"And I took that to mean a gun or a weapon or something.

"They bashed the s*** out of each other like I've never heard ... this was brutal.

Discover more

New Zealand

Latest: Police following two potential sightings of missing man Shane Edwards

16 Jun 12:02 AM
New Zealand

Missing man acting 'normal' day before he 'vanished'

16 Jun 05:00 PM
New Zealand

'We love him and we just want him home': Partner of man missing a month speaks out

16 Jun 09:23 AM
New Zealand

Latest: Missing man Shane Edwards potentially picked up as a hitchhiker

19 Jun 08:47 PM

"They were right up against the windows."

The next morning, he found "great big smears" of blood on his house.

After the discovery, he called 105 to report it and was told it would be filed and sent to the police officer who attended. But this officer would not be on duty until Monday.

Andrew said the police "did not indicate anything" about getting an officer to the property. In the meantime, he was told to put on a glove and put the hood in a bag and keep it in his garage.

"I just found it to be so blasé ... The fact that there's significant stains ... is just beyond me."

A police spokesman said an officer at Tokoroa Police Station contacted Andrew on Friday to apologise for the delay in securing the forensic evidence and to assure him the police were taking the incident seriously.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Police visited the address on Saturday and completed forensic procedures, after which police staff washed the blood from the walls of the property using a disinfectant, the spokesman said.

A victim support referral was made for a resident at the property, the spokesman said.

"We understand that the incident has been distressing and local officers have apologised to [him] that he was given the impression that it was not being taken seriously."

The spokesman said 105 call-takers were human and it seemed a "human error" had been made in advising that police would not be able to visit his property until Monday.

The spokesman said police made area inquiries after the initial 111 call was made but could not locate the individuals who were reportedly fighting.

No arrests have been made and police inquiries were ongoing.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'I jumped as much as the house': 3.8 quake rattles Whanganui

New Zealand

Rhubarb rush: Waikato café sells out of 'hundreds' of pies after award win

New Zealand

Frank: Stories from the South, ep. 12 – The fastest growing district in New Zealand

Watch

Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'I jumped as much as the house': 3.8 quake rattles Whanganui
New Zealand

'I jumped as much as the house': 3.8 quake rattles Whanganui

Tremor was felt as far north as Ohakune and as far east as Palmerston North.

07 Aug 05:13 AM
Rhubarb rush: Waikato café sells out of 'hundreds' of pies after award win
New Zealand

Rhubarb rush: Waikato café sells out of 'hundreds' of pies after award win

07 Aug 05:00 AM
Frank: Stories from the South, ep. 12 – The fastest growing district in New Zealand
New Zealand

Frank: Stories from the South, ep. 12 – The fastest growing district in New Zealand

Watch
07 Aug 05:00 AM


Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’
Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

04 Aug 11:37 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP