Video gives clues to offender’s identity

THE woman working in the Pine Hill Dairy during a recent attempted robbery says a video of the terrifying incident is helping police and the public identify the armed offender, who remains at large.

The CCTV footage, recently shared on social media and also supplied by the owner to the Otago Daily Times, shows the masked assailant rushing into the dairy last Thursday evening brandishing what appears to be a pistol.

Pointing the gun repeatedly at the woman — who stands screaming behind the counter — and at the till while holding a black bag, the man repeatedly yells ‘‘hurry up!’’ and ‘‘fill it up . . . or I’ll shoot you!’’ before appearing to cock the weapon.

After about a minute the man rushes from the dairy, apparently emptyhanded.

A still from the video shows distinctive tattoos on the man’s right fingers and hand.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said her neighbour who posted the footage on social media had received a positive identification of the offender.

She understood Dunedin police had also sent the footage to experts at headquarters in Wellington for further analysis.

The woman said she had owned the dairy for only about a month and the Pine Hill community had rallied around her, offering several bouquets of flowers.

She understood the offender was not from the Pine Hill area.

Police have remained tightlipped on their investigation, saying only that officers ‘‘continue to make inquiries’’.

A Dunedin police (03) 4714800, Crimestoppers 0800555111.

PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Say it with flowers . . . Just one of the bouquets of flowers given by members of the community to the Pine Hill Dairy after it was robbed last week.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED Hands up . . . The distinctive finger and hand tattoos (circled) of the man who robbed the Pine Hill Dairy last week are clearly visible in this still taken from CCTV footage. He remains at large.