Assault accused sliced own neck, trial told
Assault accused Douglas James Archer cut his own neck with a craft knife when he was approached by police in Linwood Park four days after his mother and stepfather were allegedly attacked.
The arrest of the 59-year-old was described to the jury on the second day of his Christchurch District Court trial before Judge Alistair Garland. He denies charges of causing grievous bodily harm to the elderly couple, and aggravated robbery.
Police told of sighting Archer at the park on March 5, 2013, and approaching him.
He took a craft knife out of his pocket and held it to his neck. Two police officers warned him to put the knife down, and when he didn’t he was pepper-sprayed, apparently with little effect.
He then sliced from left to right across his neck before kneeling and holding his face and neck.
The trial was told that police put him in the recovery position and applied pressure to his neck until an ambulance arrived. He was treated at hospital, and discharged into police custody about four hours later.
In earlier evidence, a neighbour of the parents, Rebecca Wilson, told of going to help them after the incident at a property in St Martins Road on March 1, 2013. Both were injured and bleeding.
Archer’s mother, June Geary, 80, told her she had been hit from behind and did not know who the attacker was. When the neighbour saw the husband, Arthur Eaton, 72, she shook her head and said, “Who could do such a thing?”
The husband replied, “Doug did it.”
A police officer who attended the scene, Sergeant Gary Hancock, said Mrs Geary had been shocked and distressed. She told him: “It was my son, or if it wasn’t him it was someone he put up to do this.”
The trial is continuing.
Category: News
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