'I'll knock your brains out' – boy threatens locals at Takapuna Beach after tourist family called out for rubbish

January 14, 2019

A family of tourists has been filmed threatening locals at Takapuna in Auckland yesterday after they reacted angrily to being confronted about a pile of rubbish they had left at the beach.

Krista Curnow posted two videos to Facebook with the initial clip showing the family, apparently from Ireland, leaving a pile of a rubbish on the grass near the beach.

“We approached the family to ask them if they can please not leave without picking up their rubbish, their response was basically if we have a problem then we can pick it up and that that’s what the council is for,” Ms Curnow wrote.

They’re investigating after a group was filmed leaving a pile of rubbish at the beach, before an angry confrontation with locals.

“I approached the family to ask again if they could not disrespect our country while visiting and pick up their rubbish, they turned violent and even grandma and the child got involved saying they wanted to punch my head in.”

The second video showed a young boy from the family abusing the woman and shouting, "I'll knock your brains out".

Ms Curnow also accused the family of drinking and driving.

“The rubbish was one thing, but drinking and driving with their babies in the car just topped it off,” Ms Curnow wrote.

“I tried to video them getting into their three cars, and one man in the Land Rover tried to run me down in his car and then attempt to steal my phone.”

Ms Curnow’s post has since gone viral, with another woman telling 1 NEWS she and her partner confronted the man in the video again this morning over his family’s behaviour.

The woman said she had seen the man wearing the red shorts in the video with another man, also apparently Irish, at a Bunnings store this morning.

“My partner asked him if he left a mess on one of our beaches and he went bright red and said he couldn’t remember,” she told 1 NEWS.

“We told him we knew it was him and he was terrified.”

The woman said she had told the men to treat our country and people with more respect.

Waitemata East Police Acting Area Commander Inspector Kevin McNaughton said today that police are investigating the incident at Takapuna Beach yesterday and are looking to identify those involved.

"Police will be speaking with those involved and will be referring them to Council with regard to their behaviour around the littering of rubbish," Mr McNaughton said.

Offenders caught illegally dumping rubbish may be issued with a fine of up to $400. Serious offenders may also be prosecuted under the Litter Act 1979 with a maximum penalty of $30,000, he said.

"We pride ourselves in our clean, green image as a country and thank the members of the public who reported this behaviour on this occasion," he said. 

The family is also believed to have demanded a refund after ordering meals at Nando’s in Albany last night, the NZ Herald reports.

Their behaviour at the Albany restaurant has similarities to a spate of scams allegedly committed by a group of Irish travellers in Queensland last year, though there is nothing to directly link the incidents.

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