Police to investigate stabbing
Police are investigating a Nelson stabbing that left a man in hospital.
A 36-year-old man was allegedly stabbed in the stomach yesterday after a verbal and physical brawl broke out between two groups.
Police were called to the corner of St Vincent St and Natalie St in Nelson, at 12.15am.
Detective Sergeant Lex Bruning said a man had been stabbed once and was taken to Nelson Hospital.
Bruning said the victim was extremely lucky as that type of assault could easily lead to serious or fatal injuries.
Two 18-year-old local men were arrested at the scene.
St John shift manager Marlon Glew said St John took the man to hospital.
The man had moderate, but non-life threatening injuries.
Cherie Howard, who lives in a house on the corner of St Vincent and Natalie streets, witnessed the incident.
She said two young men threw a shopping trolley over her fence about 11.30pm
‘‘Just a couple of young boys, pissed, threw a trolley over the fence. One of the neighbours came out. The boys came back when we took the trolley away.’’
She said the teens started abusing her and the neighbours on the other side of Natalie St.
A man from the neighbour’s house came outside and one of the young men ‘‘got staunch’’, she said. ‘‘He took off his shirt and decided to have a fight. It kind of got a bit chaotic after that.’’
She said there was yelling, swearing and fighting in the street.
The Press spoke to a woman who suffered an arm injury during the fight, but she declined to comment further.
Howard said the fight continued up the road towards the Harvey Norman car park in St Vincent St.
‘‘By then there was no stopping it,’’ she said.
‘‘One of the neighbours was stabbed.’’
She said the men thought they were ‘‘little toughies’’.
Police completed a scene examination yesterday. They would investigate the events leading up to the altercation, before any charges were laid, he said.
‘‘We will be ascertaining why the altercation started and whether alcohol was involved,’’ Bruning said.
A section of the street near the cycle-path was cordoned off while a police forensics team examined the scene yesterday.
The Fire Service’s command centre was set up in the Harvey Norman carpark, and police were using it to search an area of vegetation between the carpark and the cycleway.
Bruning said there were two groups present in the altercation. One group comprised of two 18-year-old men and the other group of contained two men and two women.
Police would like anyone with information on this incident or who may have been near the scene about midnight to contact Nelson Police (03) 546 3840.
Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.