Rangiora family living in fear: Relentless harassment after teen's death

A Rangiora family say they have been the victim of relentless harassment following the death of a teenage girl on their property.

18-year-old Zara Mitchell was killed when the car she was in crashed into the side of a house after it hit a tree on McIvor Place just before 5AM on the 17th of September.

She was a passenger in the car and there were four others in the pink-stickered vehicle at the time of the crash.

It happened after police were called to reports of illegal street racing activity in the Fernside area.

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Barry, whose house was crashed into, has been subjected to a series of unsettling events, leaving him and his family in constant fear.

His daughter Courtney, revealed to Chris Lynch Media a pattern of harassment and intimidation.

"Nearly every morning, Dad awakens to the disheartening sight of beer and bourbon cans strewn across his yard, vandalised fencing, the blaring horns and deafening engine roars of cars, all in the name of paying tribute to their friend.

“They often come into dad’s property and start drinking. The insurance company put a fence up to shield the damage of the property - but it was torn down.

“Late at night, several young men went onto dad’s property, and when he asked what they were doing, he was told to F off.

“They’re threatened to smash him in, and told dad that he needs to respect them, but there’s no respect for my dad, who’s in his 70s. They feel entitled to be there.”

“How is this a tribute to their young friend? How is harassing an old man paying tribute to your friend that’s passed?

Dad is of generation where he doesn’t want to make a fuss.”

Courtney said her dad wasn’t sleeping very well and the situation seemed to be “ramping up.”

“They’ve damaged dad’s tree and we don’t know when this is going to stop.”

Adding to their turmoil is the recent loss of Courtney's mother to cancer, leaving the family emotionally vulnerable and desperate for a resolution.

The situation escalated to such an extent that Courtney felt compelled to share their story, hoping for some respite and assistance from local authorities.

On a positive note, Courtney said police had “stepped up” in the past 24 hours, and were patrolling the house and area, but before that communication had been patchy.

Courtney said she contacted Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey, whose office put some pressure on police, which was helpful.

Waimakariri Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel said “police have been made aware of ongoing damage to a private property by people wanting to express their grief following a fatal crash at the address.

“We understand that friends of Zara need to grieve and process the tragedy that has happened, but we ask that they do this with respect.

“The homeowners have also been affected by this incident and continue to be affected by repeated damage to their property.

“They have consulted with the kaumātua who blessed the property and received assurance that it was appropriate to move tributes to a public area.

 We urge people to grieve with respect” Senior Sergeant McDaniel said.