Crimeline
Australians warned – Sling shot fired
Two young Australian men were arrested for wilful damage and formally warned after Police received a report of what sounded like a possible shot being fired through a glass window at 9pm on Tuesday, 7 April, following a parking dispute at a downtown Queenstown Airbnb property.
Sergeant Tracy Haggart says two Australian men, aged 26 and 30, were located by Police in the Lakeview Holiday Park camping ground, off Man Street, and allegedly admitted to using a sling shot and damaging a window. They were let off with a formal warning and ordered to pay for the damage, she says.
Subaru stolen – Security gates rammed at speed
A 35-year-old Queenstown man was arrested after allegedly stealing a Subaru stationwagon parked inside a secure yard in Hawthorne Drive, then driving it at speed out through closed locked gates, damaging them, Haggart says. The man had allegedly been drinking with a group of friends behind the vehicle yard at 2.10am on Friday, 3 March. He then allegedly entered the secure yard without authority, she says. The man was later located and has been charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, unlawfully being in an enclosed yard, wilful damage and driving while forbidden. He will appear in court today, 9 April.
Late night fighting, assaults
A 19-year-old Lowburn man has been charged with injures with intent to injure after allegedly knocking a person unconscious during a late-night fight between two groups in Queenstown Mall. Haggart says the Lowburn man had allegedly approached his victim from the back of the group and punched the victim once. The victim was allegedly unconscious for three minutes, she says. Two groups had been fighting just before 2am on Sunday, 5 March. The Lowburn man appears in court today, 9 April.
A 26-year-old Invercargill man was arrested for allegedly punching a security officer in the jaw while being escorted from a downtown bar just before 3am on Sunday, 5 March. Haggart says the man and a 21-year-old Invercargill woman had been asked to leave the bar but refused. The woman was also arrested for obstructing Police and later released. The man faces court on 20 April.
A 44-year-old Queenstown man was arrested for allegedly breaching bail conditions after Police were called to Camp Street where a member of the public had reported a drunk male allegedly trying to fight people on the street. Haggart says Police arrived to find the alleged man leaving the scene.
Drink driving – Car rolls Gibbston Highway
A 20-year-old Alexandra man allegedly blew 808mcg after rolling his vehicle, carrying two passengers, onto its roof when miscalculating a bend on Gibbston Highway just before 10pm on Sunday, Haggart says.
The man had been driving towards Queenstown when he approached a bend and allegedly swerved and over-corrected, causing the vehicle to spin and roll, landing on its roof, she says.
The driver was charged with driving with a breath alcohol level over 400mcg and careless driving and will appear in the Alexandra District Court today, 9 April.
Spate of traffic crashes
Police are awaiting a blood alcohol analysis result after a 23-year-old Queenstown man crashed while allegedly driving at high speed along Lake Esplanade towards Fernhill just after midnight on Thursday, 2 April, Haggart says. The vehicle allegedly spun out and collided with two trees on the reserve. The man escaped uninjured, but the vehicle was extensively damaged. The man has been charged with dangerous driving and appears in court today, 9 April.
A driver who allegedly crashed into three parked cars on Shearers Road, Frankton, on Sunday, 5 March, was not able to be located when Police were called. Haggart says he was believed to (allegedly) be intoxicated and had driven too far to the left, crashing into the parked cars. Due to the impact the second and third car were pushed about 20 feet back, she says.
A 27-year-old Cromwell woman was taken to Lakes District Hospital with a minor head-neck injury after rolling her vehicle on the Gibbston Highway-Kawarau Gorge at 8.30pm on Tuesday, 7 March.
Cromwell Fire Brigade volunteers and Police attended the accident. Haggart says the woman had been approaching a corner at speed in wet conditions and the vehicle hit a bank, rolling onto its roof.
A 25-year-old Queenstown man driving towards Queenstown reported a vehicle coming towards him over the centreline along Glenorchy Road just before midnight on Thursday, 2 April. “He pulled to the left and collided with the rock cliff face,” Haggart says. He was the only occupant and fortunately wasn’t injured.
A vehicle became lodged on the stone wall in Ballarat Street when a 64-year-old Queenstown male driver collided with the stone bridge on Ballarat Street while turning right out of Athol Street at 8.20pm on Wednesday, 1 April. The man and his passengers escaped uninjured.
Drink driving
A 21-year-old Queenstown man has been charged after allegedly blowing 715mcg when he’d allegedly been observed driving the wrong way down a one-way street in Queenstown at 2.20am on Sunday, 5 March. He will appear in court.
Helicopter Rescues
A person was flown to Lakes District Hospital from Hidden Falls Hut after suffering a shoulder injury on the Hollyford Track just before 1pm on Sunday, 5 April, following a beacon activation.
Another person was airlifted to Lakes District Hospital with moderate injuries after a fall on the Earnslaw Burn Track on Friday, 3 April, after a beacon was activated about 5.40pm.
A patient was flown from the Greenstone to Lakes District Hospital with minor injuries, also on Friday, and the following day a person was flown to Lakes District Hospital from Mount Aspiring National Park in a moderate condition after a call for help just after 10.30pm.
