Crossbow attack arrest

GRISLY: One of the cows that was allegedly killed with a crossbow bolt last month.

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A man has been arrested for a crossbow attack on two cattle beasts in the Motueka Valley.

Sergeant Rob Crawford, of Motueka, said a 31-year-old Motueka man was arrested yesterday after police searched his house and recovered a crossbow.

He is to appear in Nelson District Court on July 3 charged with theft of an animal and cruelty to an animal.

Mr Crawford said he wanted to thank the public for their help. Police received several calls from members of the public and information they provided was "pivotal to bringing the case to resolution".

The two 19-month-old steers were shot by a crossbow on the night of Saturday, May 19, on a farm in Big Pokororo Rd. They had been shot in the head and one had also been shot through the brisket, which led West Bank farmer Martin Gorrill, who discovered the grisly death on his father's neighbouring property, to believe that the killer was trying to shoot the steer through the heart. That steer had probably bled to death, he said.

The other was put down the following day because it would have been too risky to try to remove the crossbow bolt that was lodged deep in its throat.

Mr Gorrill estimated the steers were worth about $2000 each.

- © Fairfax NZ News