Auckland dairy worker Janak Patel, who was stabbed to death after a robbery 16 months ago, chased the offender with a hockey stick, documents show.
Court documents released to RNZ outline the final moments of Janak Patel, who was killed outside the Rose Cottage Dairy in Sandringham in November 2022, sparking widespread protests and calls for more action from the government.
On Wednesday, Hobson, who had previously entered a not guilty plea, changed his plea to guilty to aggravated robbery and murder when he appeared in the High Court in Auckland.
He was charged alongside two other men who have pleaded not guilty and will stand trial in May
The court documents released after Hobson's plea revealed for the first time Patel's final moments.
Patel and his wife had moved to Auckland a week prior to his death to look after the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham, while its owners were away in India.
It was planned with the other offenders that Hobson was to enter the superette, armed with a knife, to take cash and any other items he could manage.
"[Hobson] walked up and down Fowlds Avenue and the surrounding streets, taking several opportunities to observe the Rose Cottage Superette..." court documents show.
Flowers outside the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Holding a brown paper bag, he entered a telephone booth directly outside the dairy, holding the phone up to his ear as vehicles and members of the public went by.
At about 8pm, Hobson pulled a black bandana up, covering the bottom half of his face, and ran into the dairy, holding a knife and a brown paper bag.
Hobson confronted Patel with a knife, causing him to flee into a back room.
He took the cash register, as well as a box of butane lighters and vapes, before leaving the store.
Patel ran after him, armed with a hockey stick from the back of the shop.
Janak Patel died outside the dairy he was managing for the owners who were visiting India. Photo: RNZ / Rayssa Almeida
Hobson put the cash register in a nearby recycling wheelie bin, as Patel approached.
Hobson armed himself with a large tree branch and the knife.
Patel retreated, shouting and swinging the hockey stick, as Hobson aggressively approached.
The swinging of the stick created distance between the pair.
Court documents revealed Hobson waited for Patel to swing once more, before dropping the tree branch and lunging at him.
Patel was knocked to the ground, as Hobson held him down and stabbed him at least three times.
Hobson tried to wrestle the hockey stick from Patel's grasp, pulling him back to his feet, and stabbing him a further three times.
"The final blow was to Mr Patel's neck, causing him to fall to the ground once again."
Patel used the wheelie bin in an attempt to get away from Hobson, who attempted to stab him once more.
He collapsed after taking five steps back towards the dairy.
Hobson collected the bin and left the scene.
Patel rose, staggering back to the shop, stopping several times on his way back.
He collapsed once more, dying a short time later.
A post-mortem examination confirmed the six stab wounds Patel suffered, noting two on the left-hand side of his chest wall and back were "rapidly fatal wounds".
