A ram believed to have killed a rural Auckland couple also went after their son, who held the beast in a headlock and called for help. 

The son of Alfred Helge Hansen and Gaye Carole Hansen went searching for his parents in the paddock of their Anzac Valley Rd hobby farm after he couldn’t find them inside their home. 

He found his mother and her husband dead and was then confronted by the ram, nephew Dean Burrell told Stuff. 

“He himself was attacked by this ram from behind. He managed to get it into a headlock and closed the gate and went back to his mum. 

Police are investigating the deaths of the couple at their rural West Auckland property. Photo / Jason Oxenham 

“The ram busted through the electric fence and attacked them again so he called the cops.” 

Police confirmed on Thursday that a “ram was in the paddock at the time we were notified of the deaths at 7.30am today”. 

“Another party at the scene suffered a minor injury after being attacked by this ram,” police said. 

The attack has left family members in shock. Police were confronted by the rogue ram in a paddock when arriving at the property, before shooting it dead. 

“Once our staff arrived at the scene they, too, were confronted and approached by the ram. On undertaking a risk assessment, the ram was shot and died at the scene.” 

• 'Pack a lot of punch': Why rams attack and why pet animals can be worse
• Waitākere victims of fatal ram attack named
• Rogue ram kills couple in their West Auckland paddock

Police at the Anzac Valley Rd property in West Auckland after the couple were killed by a ram. Photo / Jason Oxenham 

“Police are continuing to investigate on behalf of the coroner, to establish the full set of circumstances around what occurred in the paddock,” police said on Thursday. 

“As part of this process, post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out [on Friday].” 

The scene examination has now been completed, police said. 

The Herald earlier reported the pair were found dead in the paddock by their son, who went looking for them on Thursday morning after he hadn’t heard from them, a family spokesman said. 

Police at the property in West Auckland after the deaths of Alfred and Gay Hansen. Photo / Jason Oxenham 

Burrell said it was his mother’s sister and her husband who died. He said the couple were both in their early 80s, retired, and had lived at the property for eight years. 

“Unfortunately, they both lost their lives in a tragic accident. They are nice people and didn’t deserve this. 

“Everyone’s in shock as to what’s happened. They’re very upset. I feel like I was dreaming it actually, it was a bit of shock, being told what had happened and I just didn’t believe it.” 

Burrell’s father had phoned him to tell him the news. 

“So I’ve come down here to support my cousins and the wider family.” 

It is understood police believe the man went out to check on the ram and did not return. His wife later went out to check and did not return. 

Family member Dean Burrell speaks to the media after a ram killed his aunt and her husband at a West Auckland property. Photo / Jason Oxenham 

Burrell said the couple were hobby farmers. 

”They had some sheep, some chickens and some cattle I believe.” 

“Two people have been located deceased in a paddock at the Anzac Valley Rd property,” police said. 

One neighbour who did not wish to be named told the Herald she saw the police shoot the ram. 

“I saw them shoot the ram, and I put two and two together.” 

She said the couple were lovely and genuine people enjoying their retirement. 

Another neighbour said it was not unusual to see the pair attending to their sheep. 

“He was an active person — he goes and checks his stock maybe twice a day, morning and night,” he said. 

“He was always out there feeding chickens, cutting firewood, cutting trees.” 

One neighbour said hand-reared rams can be unpredictable and aggressive creatures. 

“Never have one, people need to know. Never trust a hand-reared ram,” she said. 

This article was originally posted on the NZ Herald here.