The Angry Woman. That is what people in Christchurch called Hayley, the 54-year-old who died eight days after being left overnight on New Brighton Beach near the pier by emergency services.

Andy Thompson, who lived in New Brighton for decades, said he had crossed paths with her regularly.

“You could see that she was one of the homeless, because she carried a big swaggy bag of blankets and stuff,” he said.

“She liked her spot by the seawall, particularly during the early morning sun.”

Thompson said the locals knew Hayley as the Angry Woman.

“She was difficult to help because she could be fiercely unapproachable and quick to curse anyone who tried to help her.

“The more you tried to help her, the more she mouthed at you.”

Hayley’s plight and concerns police and Hato Hone St John did not remove her from the beach in atrocious weather conditions late in the afternoon on Saturday July 25 have been aired in The Star in recent issues.

She was found by a passerby shivering, soaked and barely responsive in the sand near New Brighton Pier.

The passerby tried to help with blankets and hot food and also called emergency services. Police and ambulance attended but Hayley was not taken away, and stayed on the beach as temperatures dropped to -4 degC overnight.

Hayley was found by another passerby at 7.18am the following morning in a serious condition. Emergency services were called and she taken to hospital. She died eight days later.

Police and Hato Hone St John are not commenting or saying why she was not taken to hospital on July 25, as the death was now before the Coroner.

But Thompson believes there should have been intervention.

“I believe the police let her down badly,” he said.

He said police had various options to help people in the interests of their own safety.

“The point is, if you believe that they are drastically needing help, then the idea is to help them.

“What a heartless society we have become,” said Thompson.

When The Star first reported Hayley’s death, Detective Senior Sergeant Kelvin Holden said she refused assistance.

A plan was made to continue welfare checks throughout the night.

Police did not say what checks were carried out.

“These questions will all form part of a coronial inquiry, so we’re unable to comment on them,” a police spokesperson said at the time.

Thompson said he did not take offence at Hayley’s personality.

“Sometimes she would sit right outside the library by the big tree.

“I liked her, even though she was cursing me whenever she saw me. I took that as a compliment.

“Hayley was a lost soul. I’ve been a lost soul myself,” said Thompson.

Thompson had previously worked as an adviser at Christchurch Central Service, a resource centre for people experiencing alcohol and other drug issues.

“I could see that she was a person who had been damaged and that and that she had chosen her own path.”

One encounter stuck with him.

Hayley was sitting outside the library when he handed her a pie.

“She said, what is it? I said, it’s a pie. She said, but what is it? I think it is chicken and mushroom. And she went, ‘oh bloody hell’.

“And she took the pie and she sort of cursed me.

“But at the same time I just laughed because I really liked her.

“She was a human, she had a soul.”

Thompson fears Hayley will not be the last.

Thompson now lives in Woolston, and regularly takes blankets, food and water to two women sleeping rough near the shopping area on Ferry Rd.

“They have nowhere to go,” he said.

“I don’t want to see any more Hayleys from now on.”

Thompson is no stranger to tragedy in his life.

Next month marks 21 years since the murder of his ex-wife Christine Hindson in her home by de facto partner Lewis Robert Blackburn shortly before her 46th birthday.

“I'll light a candle or two around the house and I'll sing a song or something, say a prayer,” he said.

“You can't bring people back. You can only honour their memory.”