Sandringham dairy stabbing: Worker ran after robber before dying
Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Janak Patel was fatally stabbed while he was looking after a dairy in Auckland for the owners.
Three men were later charged with his murder.
Frederick Hobson appeared at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to Patel’s murder.
Janak Patel’s sister said on Wednesday the plea was a step closer to justice.
The sister of an Auckland dairy worker stabbed to death says no family should have to suffer like they did.
The comments came after a man admitted the fatal stabbing of Janak Patel in 2022, with the court being told he “calmly and casually walked away” after the attack.
Frederick Hobson appeared at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to a charge of murder and aggravated robbery with a knife.
Patel’s sister Nilam Patel told Stuff Wednesday’s hearing was a step closer to justice.
“We were waiting for things to move on in court,” she said.
“With him [accused] accepting what he did, I think it is a step closer to justice… I hope he gets life imprisonment.”
Nilam Patel, who runs a dairy in Hamilton, said the family was still not able to overcome the “trauma” of his murder.
“No family should suffer the way we have. The community has been very kind. We got a lot of support and sympathy.
“But family is still where it was. We miss him everyday,” she said.
“We have not been able to go out. If we go out to any get-together, we feel guilty of going out without my brother.”
Nilam Patel said her parents, who were in India, would be relieved by the plea.
On Wednesday morning, Justice Mathew Downs remanded Hobson in custody to appear for sentencing on June 26.
On the evening of November 23, 2022, Patel and his wife were working at the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham.
Court documents released to Stuff say there was a plan for Hobson to enter Rose Cottage Superette armed with a knife to take the cash from the till and any other items he could manage.
At 7.55pm, Hobson, holding a brown paper bag, entered a telephone booth outside the dairy. He pretended to be on the phone while vehicles and members of the public passed the dairy.
Hobson then pulled a black bandana up to cover up the bottom half of his face and ran into the dairy holding a knife and a brown paper bag.
He ran behind the counter, forcing his way through two closed wooden panels and approached the till.
Patel’s wife saw Hobson and ran through a back door to escape. Patel stepped out of that room and was confronted with Hobson holding the knife.
Patel retreated as Hobson picked up a cash register and grabbed a number of items from the immediate area.
He left the dairy and walked in a “calm and casual” manner towards Duncan Ave.
Patel grabbed a hockey stick and ran after Hobson.
About 150m from the dairy, Hobson put the cash register into a wheelie bin, but heard Patel coming behind him.
Hobson picked up a large tree branch and aggressively advance towards Patel, holding the knife and the tree branch.
Patel retreated and swung the hockey stick.
Hobson waited for Patel to swing the hockey stick again, dropped the tree branch and lunged towards Patel with a knife, pushing him onto the ground on his back.
Hobson leant over, held Patel down and stabbed him three times in quick succession.
He then attempted to wrench the hockey stick from Patel’s grasp, but Patel managed to get onto his feet.
Hobson then stabbed Patel a further three times, the final blow was to his neck.
At this point, Patel moved around the wheelie bin in an attempt to get away, but Hobson attempted to stab him again.
Patel collapsed after taking five steps towards the dairy. He was bleeding profusely from his various stab wounds and died a short time later. The fatal wounds included the left-hand side of his chest and the other to his back.
Meanwhile, Hobson collected the wheelie bin and continued walking casually along the road.
He retrieved the cash register and left the wheelie bin on the pavement before changing his clothes and getting into a car.
Two others are set to go to trial in May in relation to Patel’s death.
The death of Patel rocked the Sandringham community. Dozens of flowers and keepsakes were left in front of the Rose Cottage Superette.
People held vigils around the country to pay their respects to Patel.
Dairy and Business Owners Group Sunny Kaushal previously said Patel was newly married and in the prime of his life.
“The family are absolutely devastated by their loss,” Kaushal said.
“His wife is so young, she’s traumatised.”