A man fatally stabbed outside a rural Hawke's Bay pub at the weekend was intervening in a domestic dispute, police confirmed today.
Mark McCutcheon, 34, was found dead in his ute in a paddock off State Highway 50 in Central Hawke's Bay about 7am on Saturday.
He was
only a couple of kilometres from where he had clashed with a patched gang member and associates the previous night outside the Sandford Arms Tavern in Ongaonga.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave de Lange of Hastings CIB said it appeared Mr McCutcheon was trying to break up an altercation between the gang member and a woman.
"It appears the gang member may have taken exception to the interference and a scuffle resulted involving Mr McCutcheon and at least one other person."
Despite being stabbed Mr McCutcheon managed to drive away, only to die after crashing his ute into a paddock.
A witness told the Dominion Post that a Mongrel Mob member was bashing the woman outside the pub.
Mr McCutcheon told the man he was going to get his gun from his car, but when he did so he ended up in a scuffle with one of the gang member's associates.
Mr McCutcheon then left the scene with his friends apparently not realising he had been fatally wounded.
Mr de Lange said today police could not confirm details of witness comments to media.
"It would be unhelpful to the inquiry at this stage for us to comment on what people are saying to the media," he said.
"Our main objective is to find Mr McCutcheon's killer and to present the best evidence to the court."
He said police were still talking to people who were at the pub on Friday night, particularly those who saw the altercation unfold.
A firearm believed to have belonged to Mr McCutcheon had been recovered from the scene.
Mr de Lange said a police patrol from Waipukurau, about 15km from Ongaonga, responded to the fight when it was reported by other patrons, but all those involved had gone by the time officers arrived.
Mr McCutcheon left a wife and three young children.
- NZPA
