Assault victim had a history of dishonesty

A man who was apparently beaten to within an inch of his life with a skateboard and left face up in Christchurch’s Avon River has previously forged a career as a prolific fraudster.

A woman who described Matariki Ellery as a ‘‘kind’’ and ‘‘caring’’ man set up a Givealittle page following the assault on September 14 to help him focus on his mental and physical recovery.

By yesterday it had gathered more than $6000 in donations.

The Press can reveal Ellery is also known as Pita Edwards, and has amassed at least 172 convictions and more than 30 prison sentences, mostly for dishonesty-related offending.

The prolific fraudster, once branded a one-man crime spike and New Zealand’s Catch Me If You Canstyle conman, was interviewed by a Stuff journalist while in jail in 2017.

At the time Ellery – described as charming and a smooth talker – was serving a sentence of five years and three months in prison for stealing from Wellington’s medical school, Internal Affairs and Weltec and taking Victoria University’s master key.

The first black marks on his record came as a 14-year-old, when he was convicted of burglary, theft and fraud.

Notable crimes that followed included committing tax fraud while in prison and repeatedly breaking into the Upper Hutt offices of Child Youth and Family, the government agency he spent time in the care of until he was 17.

Behind bars he earned the nickname Dr Ropata, after Shortland Street’s famous doctor, after he was spotted wandering around Wellington Hospital wearing a stethoscope he had stolen from the University of Otago’s medical school during a 2013 crime spree.

The Press flagged Ellery’s background with Givealittle yesterday, which sought proof that Ellery and Edwards are the same person.

‘‘Should anyone have concerns regarding a page, there is a public report tool that can be used. In the instance that valid concerns are raised, we would request further information from the page owner or payee,’’ a spokesperson for the website said.

The Givealittle page, set up by neighbour and friend Shari Magnetti, details the evening of the assault.

Ellery had taken dinner to another friend’s house in Sydenham on September 14 to celebrate the man’s birthday when he allegedly attacked him with a skateboard.

Magnetti said the pair had met when Ellery came across the man – who was homeless at the time – last Christmas.

Heartbroken that the man didn’t have anyone to spend Christmas with and had nowhere to go, they spent it together and had been friends ever since, she said.

Photographs on the Givealittle page show graphic details of Ellery’s injuries.

He was beaten so badly his eyes were swollen shut, his nose flattened and face covered with gashes and bruises.

Magnetti claimed he had been found in the Avon River, some time between 1am and 2am on September 15.

‘‘We don’t know how he got to the Avon River, he can’t remember,’’ she previously told The Press. ‘‘He could’ve drowned . . . He is lucky to be alive.’’

The last thing Ellery remembered, she said, was heading towards the front door to go out to spend time at the New Brighton pier with the man. The rest is blank until he woke up dazed in a hospital bed.

He underwent two emergency surgeries, and although he was released after 24 hours, more than a week later he was still returning to hospital and has more surgeries booked, Magnetti said.

A 20-year-old man was later arrested in relation to the assault, a police spokeswoman said.

The man was remanded on bail and will appear in the Christchurch District Court on October 8, charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and possession of a psychoactive substance, she said.

Magnetti said Ellery was ‘‘the most generous, loving, caring person, and we are so lucky that he is still here with us’’.

She said Ellery cared for two children and his grandmother. ‘‘He’s such a nice person’’ and was loved by ‘‘everyone in the neighbourhood’’.

Speaking to The Press yesterday, Magnetti said she knew ‘‘quite a bit’’ about his history.

That included living in Wellington before moving to Christchurch ‘‘almost a year ago’’ and that he had a ‘‘reasonably rough childhood’’.

The Press was unable to reach Magnetti again later in the day to discuss Ellery and his background further.