Christchurch landlord claims fatal incident involving tenant was an accident

A Christchurch andlord had asked his tenants to move out of the house he owns at 41 Bevington St.

A Christchurch landlord who fatally injured his tenant with his car on Saturday insists it was an accident and that he was trying to escape because he feared he was in danger.

Anthony Robinson, 51, was hit by a car on Bevington St in Avonhead about 5.30pm on Saturday, and died at the scene.

His partner Jodie Reeves claimed on Facebook that Robinson was deliberately run over and killed by the couple's landlord.

But the landlord told Stuff the incident was an accident and he did not realise he had been dragging his tenant behind his car as he drove away.

The landlord had been attempting to evict the pair from the property he owned on Bevington St, according to a tenancy document Reeves posted online. In the document he said "I refuse to associate with anyone with adverse racial views".

He told Stuff that on Saturday night he had been sitting in his car outside the property, texting potential tenants and waiting to take photos of the house, when Robinson saw him and started "yelling out racial abuse".

"I could see [Robinson] lunging towards me and swearing and I felt threatened," he told Stuff.

"My reaction was to get out of there, I jumped in the car, closed the door and floored the car. Unknown to me he had put his hand inside the car window and grabbed onto the car."

The landlord said it wasn't until he heard Robinson, 51, yell "you're hurting me", about 100m up the road that he realised he was holding onto the car. When he stopped, Robinson had fallen to the ground.

"I rung the police and I could see people running to him so I knew he was being taken care of," he told Stuff.

He said he had returned to the scene, where paramedics were working on Robinson, and sat for about an hour until he was told the man had died.

Reeves told Stuff the landlord was not meant to be at the house and had been asked to leave - after which she told him to "f*** off, you black c***". She admitted she had also sent him "nasty messages".

Police said on Sunday the Serious Crash Unit had finished its scene examination and a number of witnesses had been spoken to.

They wanted to hear from any witnesses who had not yet come forward.

Anyone who witnessed this incident or had information should phone 105 and quote file number 200201/8672.