Armed intruders targeted their victims

Photo / Thinkstock

The masked and armed intruders who terrorised a West Coast couple last week had targeted their victims, police revealed today.

West Coast police area commander Inspector John Canning said the "targets", a man in his 60s and his partner, living just north of Fox River, had not been randomly selected.

Both were traumatised and are still receiving counselling from Victim Support. One received minor injuries.

Forensic specialists completed a full scene examination at the weekend, uplifting a number of "items of interest" for further examination.

Detective Sergeant Gavin Nichols, of Greymouth CIB, said there had been a good response from the public with information about vehicles in the area, although they would still like to hear from anyone else who travelled on State Highway 6, between Punakaiki and Charleston, last Wednesday night.

Mr Canning said police were aware that people were "edgy" after Wednesday's attack, "especially as this is the second home invasion in the area".

"That is why we are throwing a lot of resources into solving this crime."

On May 9 armed men stormed a Barrytown address and confronted the three occupants, leaving one of them with minor injuries.

Mr Canning said he did not believe the two incidents were linked; the only connection was they were both classified as home invasions.

Meanwhile, police say they are following "positive leads" after an aggravated robbery at the Blaketown tiphead last week, in which the driver of a car was dragged from his vehicle, threatened with a knife and assaulted, before the assailants stole his car and drove off. It is a 1995 red Honda Civic, registration SA8587, and is still missing.

Police would not be drawn on who was involved or whether they were known to each other.