Rape, robbery, and stabbings in Chch

Press, 23 February 1985, Page 1

Rape, robbery, and stabbings in Chch

A pregnant woman was raped and robbed, a man was kidnapped, stabbed and robbed, ana two other men were stabbed in a night of violent crime in Christchurch on Thursday. The manager of a Super Value supermarket, Mr Adrian O’Brien, was accosted by three persons when he arrived at his home in Marlow Road, Aranui, about 9.30 p.m. on Thursday. Detective Senior-Sergeant Michael White said the offenders were waiting for Mr O’Brien inside his house.

They bundled him into a Holden station waggon and drove back to the Century Super Value supermarket in Edgeware Road. Mr O’Brien was stabbed in the arm on the way to the supermarket. They arrived at the supermarket about 10.40 p.m. and forced Mr O’Brien to open the safe. About $22,000 in cash and cheques was taken.

Mr O’Brien was left, bound, on the floor. He managed to free himself and telephone the police about the same time as a member of the public saw someone acting suspiciously outside the building and also called the police.

It was the second time Mr O’Brien had been attacked by supermarket robbers. Two men forced him from his house to the supermarket last Christmas, but the would-be robbery was foiled. It was not known if the same persons were responsible for the second episode. The car used in the robbery was a 1965-67 Holden station waggon in rough condition. The vehicle was white or cream with a dark roof. The roof was possibly red or maroon.

The police want to hear from anyone who had seen the car, said Detective Senior-Sergeant White. The night sister of the Kensington Convalescent Home in Manchester Street was attacked and raped about 4.30 a.m. yesterday. She was the only staff member on duty at the time. The woman, aged 28, was seven months pregnant, said Detective Senior-Sergeant Quentin Doig. Her attacker, a male Polynesian, got into the nursing home through a window. He terrorised the nurse for some time before raping her. Detective SeniorSergeant Doig said the at-

tack was a “particularly nasty offence.” The intruder broke open a drugs cabinet and took a big quantity of sedatives. The various types of drugs were contained in several dozen bottles and cardboard packets. All the containers had an Alabaster’s Merivale Pharmacy, Ltd, label on them.

The man also took the keys to a yellow 1977 Honda Civic from the nurse’s pocket. He used the car to leave the nursing home. It has since been recovered in Bristol Street, St Albans. The police want to hear from anyone who might have seen the man near the nursing home, or in Bristol Street about 11 a.m. yesterday. He is about 175 cm tall, of solid build, with short, black hair. He is in his early 20s.

In another incident a man staggered into Christchurch Hospital about 11.40 p.m. on Thursday, suffering multiple stab wounds to the chest. The man, Stanley Anton Cullen, aged 20, was discharged from hospital yesterday. Detective Senior-Sergeant Doig said Mr Cullen refused to tell the police how he had been stabbed.

Another man was found with a flick-knife in the abdomen by a taxi-driver about 3.25 a.m. yesterday. Todd David Mariki, aged 20, was seen lying at the corner of Armagh Street and Colombo Street. As the taxi drove by, Mr Mariki rose to his hands and knees and the driver saw the knife.

He was taken to Christchurch Hospital where he underwent surgery for a moderate to serious stab wound. His condition last evening was given as satisfactory. The police had been unable to determine how Mr Mariki had been stabbed, said Detective SeniorSergeant Doig.

It was not known if the two stabbings were connected.