Mow in haste, repent at leisure

A neighbourhood dispute in Fairlie, in which police from all over South Canterbury were called out and one man charged, appears to have stemmed from a row over the use of a lawnmower.

Temuka, Timaru, Fairlie and Geraldine police all attended the incident, which is believed to have occurred about 1pm yesterday on Regent St in Fairlie.

Senior Constable Russell Halkett, of Fairlie, said the situation was "ugly" and involved at least five people. One man has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon and will appear in court later this week.

"People should have known better, they were all adults," Mr Halkett said.

Several people were questioned at the scene and there were further charges pending, Mr Halkett said.

A man was treated for injuries to his head and abdomen.

While he could not confirm the cause of the incident, Mr Halkett said the dispute may have been partly triggered by a lawnmower being accidentally taken from one of the properties.

"That's one version of the story," he said. "Tempers got frayed. It all seems to have started from something that seems pretty trivial. You get these egos involved and it blows things out of proportion."

Mr Halkett said he arrived on the scene to find a punch-up taking place on a driveway. He said he tried to defuse the situation, with police from Geraldine, Temuka and Timaru coming shortly afterwards.

- Timaru Herald, 1 November 2010