Horror homicide ‘a wake-up call’
Member of the public used their own car to stop the fleeing vehicle
The Massey community is reeling after one of their own was stabbed to death in the middle of a suburban street, allegedly by her ex-partner, on Monday.
Now, in a bid to save others from losing their lives in similar circumstances, community leaders and advocates are calling on all Kiwis to do their part in reducing family violence.
Just after 8.30am on Monday a woman was stabbed to death on Westgate Dr in Massey.
Witnesses said a man ran up to her, stabbed her repeatedly and then took off in a car.
He was captured by police just eight minutes later — after a member of the public used their own car to stop the fleeing vehicle — and taken into custody.
Hours later he was charged with murdering the woman, his ex-partner, and breaching a protection order that was in place to prevent him having contact with her.
The 63-year-old was granted name suppression, meaning the victim cannot be identified.
Police are also in the process of notifying her family overseas.
The woman had lived in West Auckland for a number of years.
Her death has shocked and outraged the country — particularly her own community.
“Massey residents are in shock that a normal Monday morning turned to such devastating tragedy in broad daylight,” said Upper Harbour MP Paula Bennett.
“That so many people went to the victim’s assistance and a member of the public stopped the alleged offender is not a surprise to me. People in West Auckland are community focused and stand up for one another.”
Bennett commended those who stepped in to help the woman.
“As we all try to come to terms with such hideous violence, I want to thank the members of the public that stepped in, and pass on my sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends,” she said.
Waita¯kere Ward councillor Linda Cooper knows the area where the woman was allegedly murdered.
She walks the area several times a week in the early hours of the morning and is far from alone — it’s a popular route where people like to take their dogs.
It was a safe area, she said, but Monday’s tragedy had been keenly felt by locals.
Family Action CEO Michelle Clayton said family violence was occurring far too often.
Last year alone the group had 2900 referrals — not all of which was for family violence, some were due to sexual violence, she said.
If people were concerned for their own safety or the safety of others they could contact the group as they were the women’s refuge in West Auckland, Clayton said.
Whau Local Board chairwoman Susan Zhu, also a practising lawyer specialising in family law and litigation, was “shocked and saddened” by the death.
She had been speaking to people about the case, Zhu said, and many ask “whether there is anything else we could do to stop these things happen in the future”.
“I believe we need to have more wrap-around support to family violence victims as well as the perpetrators,” she said.