‘I thought dad was dead’ after central Hamilton steer rampage

Friday, 28 February 2025

'I was on the phone to 111 screaming that there's a [steer] in Dad's house. Absolutely a most bizarre situation.'

Jane Allen thought her father was dead as she fled from a rogue steer that had butted and stomped the 90-year-old man to the deck of his Hamilton house in a scene she likened to a horror movie.

The bizarre and near fatal drama involved a frantic cattle chase through a house, brave rescuers and gun-toting police turned cowboys herding the angry steer with a ute after its final attack on its victim as he was being wheeled into an ambulance.

But it had all begun in the usually quiet central city Lake Crescent on Wednesday morning as 57-year-old Allen had a cuppa with her dad - who she preferred not to name - as the pair did the Stuff quiz on her phone.

Unknown to them until Allen saw it standing near the clothesline in the front yard at 10am, a steer had escaped from the Frankton sale yards more than two kilometres away.

“I stood up and it charged, up the eight steps onto the deck. Dad’s frail, he put his hand out and it charged him and flipped him on the ground, the chair was smashed to kindling. I would guess it was around 600kg.”

Jane Allen next to her vehicle police used to herd the steer after it injured her 90-year-old father. The beast left dents after charging the vehicle.

Allen thought her dad was dead when she fled for her life. The steer chased her into her childhood home, through the french doors and into the kitchen.

The beast slipped on the lino as she slammed the door to the hallway and phoned 111.

“The dispatcher said ‘you’re not making much sense dear’. I was telling her there’s a bull on my dad and I think he’s dead.“

Allen said two men, who she puts in their 20s, were the heroes of the day. They came running from near the waka ama base at nearby Lake Rotoroa after hearing her screaming.

The loose steer was filmed by a bystander briefly during its time on the loose.

One took off his shirt and used it to distract the steer. The other tended to Allen’s dad who was still on the deck and with a compound fracture of the leg that left a bone protruding from his skin..

The fence hole where it’s believed a steer got through into Lake Crescent properties.

“(The rescuer) was amazing, he got a tea-towel off the oven, and wrapped dad’s leg and then got more out the linen cupboard for his head. There was blood everywhere.”

Allen said along with the fracture, her father had suffered a large haematoma to his head, and a number of bruises and abrasions.

They told Allen “your dad’s a tough old bugger”.

“Those guys are the heroes,” Allen said. “I will bake them a cake.“

But the steer wasn’t finished. While paramedics were trying to get the 90-year-old into the ambulance, it charged once again.

“They quickly threw dad in the back of the ambulance and shut the doors, I jumped into the front.”

The steer went charging through the park and into private properties on Lake Crescent.

Police managed to shoot the beast but not fatally given the difficult angle.

They then used Allen’s blue Toyota Hilux - due to their vehicles being too small for such a large animal - to try and herd it to a safer place for the coup de grâce.

But the steer wouldn’t go quietly, charging the ute causing large dents to the passenger side panels and wrecking the steering.

It also narrowly missed hurting a nearby elderly neighbour who was in his garden at the time.

A Bull caused havoc, damaging properties and leaving one person in a ‘moderate to serious condition’ in Hamilton on Wednesday morning.

“I jumped into the rose bushes,” said the neighbour, who declined to be named. “But I felt the whoosh of it go past me just centimetres away.”

The beast was eventually shot and killed by police around 11.30pm in a property on Alison Street.

Allen said no one should have to go through such an ordeal and wants measures in place to prevent a repeat.

But this isn’t the first time an animal has escaped from the sale yards. In 2017 a 900kg bull jumped a near two-metre fence and made a kilometre dash to Commerce St, before it too was shot by police.

Frankton sale yards are owned by PGG Wrightson and general manager corporate affairs Julian Daly said they were investigating but understood a steer become agitated in a pen, and attempted to jump the rails.

“The weight of the steer has broken several wooden rails and subsequently it has escaped the holding pen.”

“The investigation and auditing of the containment infrastructure is being undertaken. This will include independent review to take learnings from this incident and ensure processes are implemented to address animal handling risks at the yards.”

No charges have been laid and Daly said they’re pro-actively engaging with relevant authorities.

The sale yards opened in 1917, but since then urban growth has surrounded the yards.

The steer damaged the Hilux so badly it can’t be driven.

Daly said they continue to assess the suitability of all sale yard locations as land use changes around them.

“This applies to Frankton and other sale yards alike. Where it makes sense to do so we implement changes to our sale yard footprint.

“There are a lot of considerations to take into account in such decisions including the need for sale yard facilities in relevant localities and the availability of other suitable locations.”

Police said they were continuing enquiries.

A WorkSafe spokesperson said an inspector will complete an onsite assessment to check compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Allen, still running on adrenalin on Thursday, is grateful for the help and support they’ve received.

PGG Wrightson are organising a temporary vehicle for her to use. And police checked on her, giving her dad some glass coasters and her a soft police dog after learning she runs a dog walking business.