Police charge man with murder in Thames homicide investigation, victim’s name released

Police cordoned off a street in Thames this week after a man who was found with moderate injuries later died in hospital.

• Police have charged a 28-year-old man with murder after a 60-year-old died in Thames.
• The victim was found with moderate injuries on Rolleston St and died at Thames Hospital.
• Police are seeking information from anyone who witnessed an altercation on Monday afternoon.

Police have arrested and charged a 28-year-old with murder after a man died in Thames this week.

Police were called to an address on Rolleston St about 3.40pm on Monday where a man was found with moderate injuries.

The man was taken to Thames Hospital where his condition continued to decline and he died.

On Wednesday, police said a 28-year-old man is due to appear in the Kaitāia District Court on Thursday, January 16, charged with murder.

They’ve also released the name of the person who died. He was 60-year-old Maxwell Connor of Thames.

On Tuesday, a section of Rolleston St was cordoned off by police with a gazebo erected outside a property.

A street in Thames was cordoned off by police on Tuesday with a gazebo erected outside a property as they conducted a homicide investigation.

A nearby resident said his neighbour told him he heard foul language on Monday afternoon and threats, including the words, “I’m going to rape you”.

The resident said the house police were investigating had been renovated “a couple of months ago”.

“It’s not a rough area, it’s just the odd house which gets rough people,” he said.

The daughter of a woman living near the property being investigated said her mum heard “loud yelling” from about 4pm on Monday.

The woman didn’t hear anything specific about the yelling, but she told her daughter it was a shared driveway with new tenants, who played their music “very loudly”.

“That’s not unusual for that place though, there’s a couple of state houses down there that are all as bad as each other, and the police are always there.”

After the yelling, her mum saw police cars soon after, and then officers went around the street to let residents know they would be staying overnight.

On Tuesday morning, her mum said detectives were seen “looking over fences and making sure nothing was chucked in people’s front or backyards”.

Police are continuing to appeal to anyone with information to come forward.

“In particular we would like to hear from anyone who witnessed an altercation in Rolleston St at around 3.40pm on Monday afternoon,” Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke said in a statement.

“If you have any information, please contact police via 105 either online or over the phone referencing file number: 250113/5723″