Pembroke School pupils Kadin Turner (8), Tayla Curry (8)
and William Knight (7), surrounded by their classmates,
with the letters they wrote to the police constable who was
assaulted in Oamaru last week. Photo by Sally Rae.
The Oamaru police constable who was knocked to the ground
and repeatedly kicked after a young motorist failed a breath
test will return to work next week.
The 32-year-old policeman, who has interim name suppression,
received facial, elbow and knee injuries in the attack last
week.
Senior Sergeant Jason McCoy said yesterday the response and
support from the community following the incident had been
"quite amazing".
The constable had received cards, flowers and fruit.
Pupils in room 9 at Pembroke School have been busy writing
letters for the constable.
Kadin Turner (8) wrote that he was sorry the officer had been
"bashed up by those stupid people" and he hoped he was better
soon, so he could go back to work.
Tayla Curry said she hoped the people who hurt the policeman
were punished, while Callum Gillespie (7) said he was sorry
for the "damage" the policeman had suffered - "it must have
felt like a scrape from a lion".
He hoped it did not happen again because "you're the police
and you're not meant to be harmed".
Teacher Bron White said the class was "shocked and
disappointed".
The incident had put Oamaru on the map for the wrong reason
and all 25 pupils were keen to write messages of support to
the constable.
A 20-year-old South Canterbury man will reappear in the
Oamaru District Court tomorrow charged with aggravated
injury, drink-driving, dangerous driving, refusing to
accompany police and three counts of resisting police.
An 18-year-old Oamaru man, charged with aggravated injuring,
and another 18-year-old Oamaru man, charged with theft of a
breath-testing device, will also reappear.
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