Four arrested over sheep slaughter

Three men and a woman have been charged with theft related to the slaughter of sheep in Eketahuna and will appear in Palmerston North District Court on Thursday.

The night-time slaughter of sheep at two properties in Eketahuna has led to the arrests of three men and a woman who have been charged with theft and will appear in Palmerston North District Court on Thursday.

On July 2, the properties were targeted with 13 from a flock of 17 killed near the intersection of High Street with Septimus Street and butchered in a paddock.

Heads were cut off and the sheep were gutted and the meat taken away.

All were in-lamb ewes, according to their owners, Margaret and Mark Chapple, and the culprits left one in the paddock probably upon discovering it was a ram.

Mrs Chapple said yesterday the sheep killings had wiped out her whole flock apart from four rams the culprits had apparently let out of the paddock and who were found wandering on the road.

"It was very distressing especially as the dead animals were found by my grandson.

"We used to check on them every day.

"I had to bury all the guts, so it was very upsetting."

The second property was at Newman Road where three ewes in a paddock of nine were slaughtered and the guts and heads left behind.

Eketahuna Constable Donna Olliver said police executed a search warrant on a house in Pahiatua last Friday and, as a result, arrested the four people.

She said cannabis and property stolen in a burglary in Eketahuna had also been found in the house.

Another Pahiatua person has been arrested and charged with receiving stolen meat.