A British couple found dead at a rented home in New Zealand have been named locally and pictured with the wife having reportedly spoken of feeling “unsafe” in the past.
Police are investigating the deaths of Claire and Ben Anderson as murder-suicide after the pair, thought to have been in their 50s, were found at a property in the wealthy Wellington suburb of Roseneath on Monday night. Family members had reportedly contacted the police and asked them to carry out a welfare check which led to officers finding the bodies at around 10.25pm at the Palliser Road home.
Detectives have now said that they are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident and they are treating it as a murder-suicide investigation. A neighbour Emma Prestidg has said that the couple were “dream neighbours” and had only recently moved to Wellington from London.
She also spoke of how Claire Anderson had felt “unsafe” in London and had been “calm” in New Zealand. Ms Prestidge told the New Zealand Herald: “The lady said to me that … previously in London, she felt a little bit unsafe wherever she went.
“In New Zealand, she just felt … a sense of calm and just felt like she was able to really enjoy her life here.”
It is understood that Ben Anderson had already been living and working in New Zealand before his wife joined him last December, according to local reports. They are both said to have worked in education.
Ms Prestidge told Radio New Zealand that the couple were looking to settle in New Zealand. She said: “My understanding is they’d finally… packed up their lives in London and all their stuff was in a shipping container, and they were kind of looking to move here for good.
“They were… in the next phase of their life, I guess, and ready to kind of set themselves up for the next part of their chapter, which is… truly sad.” Paul Prestidge also described the couple as “very friendly” and hosted dinner parties.
A latest statement from New Zealand police said they were appealing for anyone with information to come forward to help with the investigation. It read: “Police can confirm that the deaths of two people at a residential property on Palliser Road, Roseneath is being treated as a murder-suicide investigation.
“Police are providing support to the family at the centre of this tragic event. The family have requested privacy as they grieve their loss.
“We continue to appeal to anyone who may have information that can help our enquiries, and anyone with residential CCTV that captures traffic movements in the Roseneath area, particularly on Palliser Road and surrounding streets, to contact Police.”
The Mirror has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected] , visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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