The man who was fatally stabbed at a Whangārei service station was protecting a woman before he was killed, his cousin says.
The 25-year-old was sitting in his parked car on Saturday night when he saw a woman approach an ATM on the wall of the Raumanga Gull service station, the man’s cousin said.
“As the female went to put her card in the machine she noticed over her shoulder that a male with his face fully covered, besides his eyes, was coming towards her, mumbling all sorts as he approached her from behind,” the cousin said.
“[My cousin] sees the male approaching the woman, and simply steps out of the car he was in and said ‘let her alone bro’.”
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The woman said that was when a second man approached her cousin from behind. The second man also had his face covered.
“They then started fighting for a short period of time.”
It was then that her cousin was stabbed “multiple times”, she said.
CCTV video of the attack, obtained by 1 News, shows two men striking another person on the ground, then that person being thrown to the side.
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The Gull petrol station in Whangārei where a man was found dead on Saturday night.
The victim’s cousin said another person in a car, who happened to be at the scene, tried to stop the stabbing by hitting one of the attackers with their vehicle.
Police confirmed that aspect on Monday, saying “the people involved in the assault have … been struck with a vehicle”.
Police have launched a homicide investigation and asked for anyone with information or who has video of the incident to get in touch, but not to put it on social media.
Any relevant video or images can be uploaded here.
If you were in the area of the Raumanga Gull service station at 9.30pm on Saturday night, police ask for you to get in touch if you have not already done so.
Contact police via their 105 phone service or online, using Update My Report or alternatively, anonymously, via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
