Dog-walker allegedly stabbed following exchange of words about motorist’s driving

A police forensic team is at the house where the two alleged offenders were located near Bexley Reserve, Christchurch. Photo / George Heard

A dog-walker was allegedly stabbed multiple times following a brief exchange of words with a motorist about the manner of their driving in a reserve, it’s understood.

Police officers swooped on two homes on Corhampton St, Aranui, in connection to the assault on Wednesday. The properties are about 500m from Bexley Reserve, where the man was found critically injured on Monday morning.

Bailey Messervy, 18, appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday morning facing a charge of allegedly wounding the victim with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was remanded in custody without plea until December 7.

A 23-year-old woman has been charged with accessory after the fact. She will appear at a later date.

The Herald understands the victim, who has interim name suppression, was walking his dog in Bexley Reserve when he had a brief exchange of words with a motorist about their driving in the reserve. It’s alleged the man was then stabbed multiple times.

The dog-walker remains in a critical condition. Photo / George Heard

On Wednesday, Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said police began making inquiries in relation to the two properties earlier on Wednesday.

“Police would like to thank members of the public who have come forward to share valuable information.

“As the matter is now before the courts, police will not comment further.”

A small white car, similar in appearance to the one police have been seeking sightings of, could be seen at one of the addresses on Wednesday afternoon before it was towed away.

Police said on Tuesday they were looking for two people of interest in connection to the stabbing, a man and a woman who were at the scene of the incident at the time.

The man remains in critical condition at Christchurch Hospital.

The man was found critically injured at Bexley Reserve on Monday morning. Photo / George Heard

“He has had a number of surgeries. He’s obviously a fighter, he’s doing well I guess in that regard but he’s not out of the woods,” Reeves said.

“His family are remarkable under the circumstances, they’re obviously very stressed and traumatised by what’s happened, but he’s got quite a lot of family up in the hospital at his bedside with him.”

The Herald earlier spoke with a local dog-walker who had left the house with her dog for her usual morning walk, shortly after 5.45am.

An 18-year-old appeared in court on Thursday morning in relation to the stabbing.

At the time, she said, no emergency service vehicles were in sight on Pages Rd - where the entrance to the reserve is.

Walking past the entrance, she saw a woman sitting next to a man lying on the ground, appearing to comfort him. Two dogs were in the car at that stage.

“She kept saying ‘it’s okay, it’s okay’, - initially I thought it was personal, so I planned on doing my walk which takes 15 minutes, and checking on them when I got back,” she said.

By the time she returned, police and ambulance crew were at the scene of the incident and told her to immediately go home.