Prison guard in McGrath inquiry resigns from job

A prison guard at the centre of a 15-month investigation into the disappearance of a Christchurch man has quit his job. Michael McGrath, 49, disappeared from his Checketts Ave home in Halswell on May 21,

2017. He left without his 1994 Subaru Legacy car or his bike, and was never seen again. Police have said McGrath’s childhood friend, David Benbow, pictured, was a ‘‘person of interest’’ who needed to be

‘‘eliminated’’ from the missing person inquiry. A Corrections spokesman confirmed this week that Benbow had resigned from his position as a prison guard at Christchurch Men’s Prison in July. Benbow’s mother said her son was ‘‘not interested’’ in talking about his departure. His four-bedroom Halswell home, built in

2016, sold in March for $713,000. Shortly before McGrath disappeared, he and Benbow worked on the deck of Benbow’s house. McGrath made a playhouse for Benbow’s two children. Benbow previously said he was the victim of a witch hunt by police and media, and was surprised by McGrath’s disappearance. Police spent about 10 days searching Benbow’s Candys Rd property. Investigators also seized and searched Benbow’s 1999 Toyota Camry car. The Press previously revealed Benbow went to a transfer station in Parkhouse Rd, Sockburn, to dump a small quantity of rubbish soon after McGrath’s disappearance, and that a rifle belonging to Benbow is missing.