Cyclone Gabrielle: Lack of evidence roadworkers were threatened with guns led to PM doubting claim

Claims Hawke’s Bay roadworkers were threatened with guns were publicly disputed by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, fuelling criticism of the Government’s response to crime following Cyclone Gabrielle, because police didn’t have enough evidence.

The incident, which involved three roadworkers being threatened with a pistol and sawn-off shotgun as they installed traffic management signs following the cyclone, has been regularly cited by Hawke’s Bay residents who feel the Government didn’t take seriously their concerns of looting, which prompted communities to form their own roadblocks and reportedly arm themselves.

After doubting the incident occurred while speaking to reporters on February 20, Hipkins backtracked and revealed police gave him incorrect information, something that led Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to apologise personally to the Prime Minister and to admit police failed to ensure cyclone-impacted residents felt safe.

Coster told the Herald last week it was his understanding there was an agreement made between police staff and the roadworkers’ manager following the incident that a more detailed report would be provided to police about what happened late on February 17, something Coster says led to the incident not being recorded properly and then wasn’t included in a briefing to Hipkins on post-cyclone crime.

A source close to the roadworkers, who the Herald has agreed not to name, has questioned why the incident wasn’t logged properly when a police officer spoke to the roadworkers on the night of the incident and took notes.

“That’s my question to the police, what actually happened to [their] statements?”

Now, information from a police spokesperson has provided some clarity, confirming police took notes from all three roadworkers but that the officer decided formal statements would not be taken because of a lack of evidence.

“Given the time of night and limited visibility, the information from the witnesses did not point to any specific leads, leading to a decision to not take formal witness statements,” the spokesperson said.

“Area inquiries failed to locate any further information to assist the investigation – this included CCTV, which was not working due to power cuts.”

Puketapu locals installed checkpoints using concrete blocks amid concerns of looting following Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Mike Scott

Coster last week said the roadworkers had not been able to provide police with a car registration police could investigate.

The police spokesperson said the case was then assigned to a detective sergeant, who agreed with the roadworkers’ manager the following day that police would be provided with the company’s incident report.

This was given to police on February 23, three days after Hipkins publicly disputed the incident had occurred.

The handling of the February 17 incident strengthened the belief within Hawke’s Bay that the response from police and the Government to claims of looting was cold and focused too heavily on the fact that reported crime had remained steady for the region, despite obvious impacts on communication caused by the cyclone.

Hipkins has said he regretted his role in that and, speaking to RNZ, Coster last week accepted his observations were “unhelpful” for communities fearful of looters.

The Herald has chosen not to name the source linked to the February 17 - who will be referred to as David - as he didn’t want to put himself or the roadworkers at further risk.

David has given the Herald a full account of what happened on the night of Friday, February 17.

A three-man traffic management crew was called to the Pakowhai suburb between Napier and Hastings about 10.30pm, an area among the worst-hit in Hawke’s Bay by the cyclone.

The damage in Pakowhai was severe. Photo / Paul Taylor

As the men were installing a temporary speed limit sign about 10.45pm, David said a car described as a white Toyota Altezza pulled up beside the crew and presented the first firearm - a pistol.

David said the crew didn’t recall any words spoken by those in the car before it drove off.

At that point, the crew’s supervisor was updated and the three crew members briefly stopped working until the decision was made to carry on putting out cones and other traffic management signs.

About 11pm, the workers witnessed what they described as a white Honda van driving up to them and someone inside pointed a sawn-off shotgun at them before the van drove away.

David said he didn’t doubt the roadworkers’ recollection of the firearms, as two of them were familiar with firearms through hunting experience.

After the second incident, the crew - along with two others in other locations - were told to stop immediately and return to their yard.

Claims have been made that the offenders were gang-linked, but David said the roadworkers saw no indication the people in the cars were gang-affiliated.

David said one of the other crews that night had also been confronted. Roadworkers manning a roadblock on State Highway 2 north of Napier saw vehicles of people wearing Black Power patches attempting to drive past the roadblock. No firearm was involved and David said it wasn’t reported to police because the roadworkers hadn’t been threatened.

Fears of people taking advantage of the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle have been strong in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

With the Pakowhai crew back at the yard, David said their statements were taken by a police officer about 1am.

He confirmed the police spokesperson’s version of events that he was rung the following day and asked to provide the incident report. However, that was not compiled until later.

David said he couldn’t believe how much attention the incident had garnered.

“No one ever thought it was going to go all the way to the Prime Minister.”

He wasn’t too fussed about apologies from Hipkins and Coster, saying they would mean little to the roadworkers.

“If [Hipkins is] doing an apology just because he’s got all the media in front of him, well what’s the point because it isn’t going to mean anything to us.”

He did express his gratitude to the police officers in Hawke’s Bay who were doing valued work.

“At the end of the day, the police are doing their job, they’re dealing with so much s*** and, honestly, I think that the police do a bloody amazing job but, unfortunately, sometimes stuff does slip through the cracks.”