Concern about compounding effect of recent violent crime in Hawke’s Bay

Police launched a homicide investigation after a woman's body was discovered at a residential address on Nuffield Ave, Marewa on Friday morning. Photo / Paul Taylor

Concern about a snowball effect from recent violent crime in Hawke’s Bay has arisen after three homicides and three shootings in less than three months.

Police launched a homicide investigation after a woman died in Napier early on Friday morning.

A police statement said officers were called to a residential address at Nuffield Ave, Marewa, at 4.25am and found the woman, who was unresponsive.

“Sadly, she died at the scene,” the police spokesperson said.

“At this stage, police are not in a position to provide further details about the identity of the woman, however, will look to do so in due course.”

The spokesperson said the offender had not yet been located, but police were investigating.

“Anyone with information regarding this event is asked to contact 105.”

This makes three homicides in 11 weeks, with 18-year-old Ariki Rigby, whose body was found in Havelock North sometime between September 2 and 3, and 29-year-old Darcy Strickland, who was found injured before dying in Flaxmere on October 13.

There have been three shootings in seven weeks including in Greenmeadows on September 26, Taradale on October 28, and most recently in central Hastings on Sunday.

Black Power life member Denis O’Reilly said local police and voices of reason in the community were working to prevent the risk of compounding tension and potential violence in the community.

“People start arming themselves because of their paranoia and stuff fires off very quickly - that is why it is important to have sane and sound voices to nip these bloody things in the bud,” O’Reilly said.

“Communities get under stress, social media is a b*****d, people making allegations against one another or stirring each other up and next minute you don’t even know where it came from.”

There have been three homicides and three shootings in Hawke's Bay in less than three months. Photo / Paul Taylor

When asked if there could be some link between gang tensions and the recent violent crime in Hawke’s Bay, he said although there were possible links to gangs in some recent cases, it wasn’t productive to correlate factors without more information.

“It’s a bit like that thing [bombing] in Poland, making sure you don’t jump to the wrong conclusions and allow things to escalate.”

Michael Ngahuka, a cousin of Ariki Rigby and a Destiny Church pastor, said he was left thinking when the violence will end and when people will choose better outcomes when he heard the news of Friday’s homicide.

“Like us, the church, there are organisations where they can get help, they are out there,” he said.

“I’m always thinking of practical needs, but also that spiritual climate, for someone to hurt someone else, they have to be hurt themselves and that is all I could think about this morning.”