Police responded to reports of a man with firearms near Owaka township in rural Otago. Photo / Ben Tomsett
The man found dead after a manhunt that ended in an armed stand-off with police at a rural Clutha property has been named.
He was Michael Dunlea, a 36-year-old farm worker.
Dunlea’s body was found by police at a property on Hunt Rd, Katea on Wednesday morning.
The day before, police began looking for Dunlea in relation to alleged firearms offending.
They tracked him to the Hunt Rd address but he refused to come out.
Police “engaged in dialogue” with Dunlea but the situation was not resolved.
On Tuesday morning police entered the house and found Dunlea dead.
“The man’s family are being supported at this very difficult time,” police said yesterday.
“While this is not the outcome police would have hoped for, I want to thank the frontline staff and specialist teams for their hard work in responding diligently to this very lengthy incident.”
The Herald can reveal that Dunlea was on bail after appearing in the Dunedin District Court on Friday accused of breaching a protection order.
The Otago Daily Times reported in 2019 that Dunlea was sentenced to two years and five months' imprisonment after a similar clash with police.
In court, Dunlea said: “People should just not upset me. They know what happens when I get rowdy.”
Dunlea, who pleaded guilty to seven charges, had clashed with police after a drunken altercation with a workmate and neighbours while trying to see his partner.
He brandished a metal bar when police arrived at a property and threatened them before setting fire to his partner’s possessions and trying to torch her car, the ODT reported.
The court heard that Dunlea had battled with alcohol for most of his life.
His death has been referred to the Coroner.
Skellerup expected its full-year profit to be between $52 and $56 million.