British woman, 26, dead after Taupo attack

Emergency call made before woman's death

CATHERINE PRESTON/Taupo Times

CRIME SCENE: Police are investigating links between the death of a Taupo woman this morning and an emergency 111 call made minutes before she was found.

CATHERINE PRESTON/Taupo Times

CATHERINE PRESTON/Taupo Times

CATHERINE PRESTON/Taupo Times

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A woman who died following a horrific attack in Taupo this morning was a 26-year-old Briton in New Zealand on a working holiday.

Police have yet to release her name as her family in Britain have not been notified.

The woman who had previously been in New Zealand in 2006, returning last October on a working visa.

Police said the woman was found lying critically injured, with obvious head injuries, at the intersection of Waikato and Motutahae Streets near Nui-A-Tia College by police officers called to check a report of damage at the college.

It was understood that the woman was able to tell police officers her name, 3 News reported.

She later died at Taupo Hospital.

Police said earlier today they were investigating links between the death and an emergency 111 call made minutes before she was found.

Detective Sergeant Greg Turner said the officers were investigating a report from a security company of damage to the school at 2.10am.

They described the scene where the woman was attacked as "ghastly".

Mr Turner said the woman had been out in bars in central Taupo, including Mulligan's Bar on Tongariro St, before the attack.

Police were trying to establish what other bars she had visited.

"We're currently trying to establish if she left the bar alone or not and a major part of our inquiry is obtaining security footage from the CBD and further afield."

The woman was described as of average build and height with dark straight hair. She was wearing jandals, a short denim skirt with a white singlet top and may have been wearing or carrying a black or dark top.

"It appears she was found in a direct route from the CBD to her home," Mr Turner said.

Police were asking residents in the area to search their property for unusual items, including clothing or possible weapons, that may have been dumped.

They also want to hear from any witnesses.

One witness who came forward this afternoon told police she heard a woman screaming in the area between 2 and 3am today.

Mr Turner said those responsible for the damage to the school should also come forward.

"To those people I would say ‘come forward', we can then eliminate you from our inquiries, the longer you remain at large the worse it looks for you."

Extra police from Tauranga and Napier have arrived to help with inquiries. More reinforcements were expected to arrive tomorrow.

A post mortem to establish a cause of death will be carried out in Auckland at 8am tomorrow.

The incident came just hours after Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper announced a council initiative to beef up security in the town in response to "anti-social behaviour", including a recent assault, thefts and vandalism.

Mr Cooper said this morning he was shocked at the latest incident. 

"Anything we can do to stop this anti-social behaviour, which ends in situations like this, and nip it in the bud, we will do."

As in other centres, there as been an increase in "general misbehaving culture" in Taupo recently, he said.

- NZPA