Hunt for clues on missing man widens to forest, gravel pits

Police are searching a pine forest and gravel pits near Canterbury’s Birdling’s Flat for fresh evidence in the missing man Michael McGrath case.

It is nearly 80 days since McGrath, a 49-year-old Christchurch builder, disappeared.

Investigators started a ‘‘new search phase’’ yesterday after consulting an international evidence recovery expert and ‘‘based on information and sightings we have collected throughout the investigation’’, Detective Inspector Darryl Sweeney said.

Their focus areas include Lincoln, Halswell and Ellesmere – including in a pine forest and gravel pits in Birdling’s Flat, which is between Lake Ellesmere and the sea.

Yesterday morning, about 10 officers searched the pine forest.

‘‘We’ve searched a couple of areas out here. We haven’t found anything,’’ Detective Sergeant Geoff Rudduck said. ‘‘We’ve concentrated on a couple of areas.’’

McGrath was last seen at his three-bedroom home in Checketts Ave, Halswell, about 4.30pm on May 21.

His childhood friend, David Benbow, who is a person of interest to the police investigation, earlier confirmed he was one of McGrath’s last two visitors.

McGrath was reported missing after he failed to turn up for dinner with his mother, who lived nearby, two days later.

Police earlier carried out extensive searches of Benbow’s home and wider Halswell, including Halswell Quarry and ponds.

Officers have spent about 60 days searching North Canterbury’s Kate Valley Landfill, sparked by information Benbow dumped rubbish at Christchurch’s Parkhouse Rd transfer station in the days after McGrath went missing.

Police began sifting through about 2700 tonnes of rubbish at the landfill three weeks after McGrath’s disappearance

Detective Wayne Boyd, the officer in charge of the dump search, said up to 30 officers rake through 10-tonne batches of rubbish at a time.

Canterbury Waste Services staff dump the rubbish and then spread it out for police.

Anything of interest went to the exhibits officer who sealed it in a plastic bag, he said. The item was labelled, photographed and taken to a forensics base where it was dried and re-bagged to maintain its integrity.

It took about 40 minutes to sift through every 10-tonne batch as officers looked meticulously at each piece of rubbish, Boyd said. Pieces of paper were checked closely for dates and names.

‘‘It’s basically square centimetre stuff, things as small as keys, that’s how much detail they’re going into.

‘‘When you’ve got 2700 tonne and you’re finding something as small as a key – that’s the detail we’re looking for.’’

The teams had so far searched through about 2000 tonnes, with a few weeks worth to go, depending on the weather. Boyd said the conditions were ‘‘reasonably horrible’’, but staff did not complain.