Machete attack: man charged

A TAIERI Mouth man has described coming across the man alleged to be responsible for a bloody machete attack which left a man’s hand ‘‘just’’ hanging on yesterday.

Taieri Mouth First Response team member Allan Gorton was second on the scene of the attack at a Taieri Mouth property which left one man in a serious condition in Dunedin Hospital and a 33yearold man in custody.

‘‘I arrived and someone was lying on the ground. I wasn’t sure at first who was who or what had happened.’’

He had been left ‘‘shaken’’ after discovering the man lying on the front lawn with blood on his face was the alleged attacker rather than the victim, he said.

Emergency services arrived shortly after he did, and Mr Gorton said he did not see the injured man.

The 33yearold man had been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and was due to appear in the Dunedin District Court today, a police spokeswoman said.

The injured man was in a stable condition in Dunedin Hospital last night and was awaiting surgery, the spokeswoman said.

CluthaTaieri area response manager Senior Sergeant Al Dickie said Dunedin and Balclutha police were called to the inci dent about noon after receiving reports a man’s hand had been cut off with a machete.

‘‘It seems there was some domestic overtones to it, that the parties knew each other and things got a bit heated and went from bad to worse.’’

The alleged attacker was on the lawn when police arrived, Sgt Dickie said.

‘‘There were police dogs and they [police] were armed so he wasn’t going to argue with that.’’

Police directed traffic past the property in Taieri Mouth Rd as an injured man was stretchered from the property and a female occupant of the property stood crying on the balcony.

Sgt Dickie confirmed the woman was inside at the time of the attack.

A St John spokesman said the patient was transported by ambulance to a nearby location and then flown by rescue helicopter to Dunedin Hospital.

Taieri Mouth resident Chris Knight said the incident was ‘‘out of the ordinary’’ for the seaside village.

‘‘This is certainly out of character.

‘‘I’ve lived in the area 20 years and we have a very sort of quiet, and respectable neighbourhood.

‘‘Generally around here nothing untoward happens.’’

margot.taylor@odt.co.nz

PHOTOS: STEPHEN JAQUIERY Apprehended . . . A man is led away from a Taieri Mouth house by police following a machete attack.

Headed to hospital. . . Police and St John staff lift a man injured in a machete attack into an ambulance.

Emergency services at the house where an attack occurred yesterday.