Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Please attribute to Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price:
Police can now confirm a 37-year-old man has been charged with murder after the death of a woman in Sockburn yesterday afternoon.
The man is due to appear in the Christchurch District Court on Monday 27 June.
Emergency services were called to Cheyenne Street in Sockburn at 4:20pm after reports a woman had been stabbed in the street.
Staff arrived shortly afterwards and provided immediate medical assistance to the woman who had been critically injured.
She sadly died at the scene a short time later.
The 37-year-old man was located by Police nearby and taken into custody.
A second man was taken into custody but was later found to be a family member of the 37-year-old man and released.
I can now confirm the victim was not known to the alleged offender and that this was a horrific, traumatic and random attack on an innocent person who was making their way home.
Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victim who are having to deal with the loss of a partner, mother and friend.
At this stage we will not be releasing any further details of the victim, until we can be sure that all necessary family notifications have been carried out.
We know that this incident will have been incredibly traumatic for anyone who witnessed it, and will also be unsettling for the Sockburn community and Christchurch.
We want to reiterate that this was an isolated incident and we are not seeking anyone else in relation to this.
Sockburn residents can expect to see a continued police presence in the area in the coming days, as officers conduct a scene examination and speak to possible witnesses.
We continue to ask anyone who witnessed the incident and is yet to speak to Police to get in touch.
If you have cellphone footage or CCTV in that area please contact us on 105 and quote file number 220625/6903.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
