Tradie chases away knife-wielding bandit
A tradie who narrowly avoided a knife attack and chased the assailant away is remaining staunch about the frightening and unprovoked daylight attack.
Palmerston North man Kayne, who didn’t want his surname used, had a near miss on Wednesday, when a man attempted to stab him with a knife, before Kayne and a neighbour chased the attacker off.
In what would be a harrowing incident for most people, Kayne didn’t let the near stabbing rattle him.
‘‘People are saying I am lucky, but I am used to this stuff. I didn’t run away. I’m not sure why, it’s not in me to run.
‘‘For me it’s one of those things. It’s not much different to spilling a cup of coffee or hitting a mail box with your van.’’
Kayne, who runs scaffolding business Scafftex Scaffolding and Restoration, was rummaging around in his work van on Chelwood St at lunchtime when a knife-wielding man approached.
He said the man went crazy and walked over to the van.
‘‘He was kicking a fence up the road and I shut my van door and it must have attracted him in my direction,’’ Kayne said. ‘‘He thought I had a problem with him and he started threatening me saying he was going to kill me.’’
Kayne said the man was right next to him saying: ‘‘That’s your first strike, that’s your second strike’’. He swung a punch at Kayne, then Kayne noticed the knife.
The man started making stabbing motions towards Kayne’s stomach, so Kayne went around the side of the van to get out of his way.
Then another man came out of a nearby house, grabbed a crowbar, and he and Kayne chased the assailant off.
Kayne said similar incidents had happened to him in the past.
‘‘I’ve had a few guys try and fight me while I’ve been working. I tell them I’ve got no problem with them and I’m here to make a living.
‘‘This guy kept coming at me. There was no way you could stop him from doing what he was going to do.’’
Kayne said the man was either mentally disturbed or under the influence of drugs.
Police confirmed they were called about 12.20pm on Wednesday to Chelwood St, following reports of a man behaving threateningly and assaulting a person.
‘‘Police attended, arrested the man and recovered a knife from the man,’’ a police spokesperson said.
A 35-year-old man is due to appear in Palmerston North District Court this week charged with assault.