Principal Andrew Wilkinson outside the new Gilberthorpe School buildings where lawnmowing contractor John Burn was attacked. Photo / Geoff Sloan
Principal Andrew Wilkinson outside the new Gilberthorpe School buildings where lawnmowing contractor John Burn was attacked. Photo / Geoff Sloan
Nauseous and still nursing a gashed scalp, a lawnmowing contractor has spoken of being goaded by three youths before they lashed out as he sought to prevent vandalism at a Christchurch school.
John Burn intervened when he saw three teenagers acting suspiciously by new buildings at Gilberthorpe School in Hei Hei last Thursday.
When he asked them to leave, one scoffed: "We're underage, we can do whatever we (expletive) like so (expletive) off."
To emphasise their belligerence, one of the youths threw a pail of paint over the ceiling of a deck.
Then they turned on one of the victims of an unsolved crime investigated by police during the Covid-19 alert level 4 and 3 lockdowns.
"Normally when you tell people to 'bugger off' they disappear because I'll call the police. I didn't have a chance to do that, I could see they were spoiling for a fight," Burn said.
One of the teenagers swung a scooter at head height before it flew into the contractor's face.
As Burn was scrambling to find his feet, another boy used a skateboard to crack the dazed 60-odd-year-old on the back of the head.
Fortunately, a cleaner appeared to stop the assault, and the trio of 13 to 14-year-olds fled, leaving Burn with an 8cm gash on his scalp, bruising, and concussion.
He was in the hospital for six hours before a CT scan cleared him of serious injury.
The wound was "glued" up and although the damage will heal, there could be psychological scarring to contend with a week on from the incident.
"I'm a bit more wary, not so gung-ho. I'm close to retirement, this might spur me on a bit, I don't know," said Burn, who tends to about 50 school grounds around Christchurch for the Ministry of Education.
"I'm still a bit fatigued, I've still got really bad headaches, that's the concussion."
Gilberthorpe School principal Andrew Wilkinson described the attack as "cowardly".
"We will work tirelessly to identify the individuals responsible so that they can be held accountable for their actions," he said.
"We don't have (security) cameras, unfortunately, we simply haven't needed them but we'll have to review that in light of this. They may well have helped in this instance."
While Cantabrians worked from home - or not at all - after the Delta variant was detected, it was business as usual for police as criminal activity proved immune to the Covid restrictions.
"Anecdotally police have seen an increase in calls for service for family harm, Covid-19 breaches, and mental health," a spokesperson said.
"They have seen a decrease in calls for service for burglary, theft, and vehicle crashes."
Intruders caused $7500 of damage to the Bishop Brothers Public House in Bishopdale. Photo /Supplied
Monthly crime data has not yet been processed to cover the lockdown phase.
But Burn is among the victims of unsolved crimes committed during the alert level 4, then 3, lockdown in the city.
A dairy owner in Bishopdale is also recovering from the trauma of being robbed at knife-point by two youths who exited the Roll On In Dairy Sawyers Arms Rd with a cash register on August 22.
The offenders were aged 15 to 20, with Covid-19 masks helping disguise their identities.
Police are also still searching for two people who broke into the Bishop Brothers Public House on Farrington Ave, Bishopdale, on August 27.
