Assaults 'common' at housing complex where woman found dead

A former resident of a housing complex in Christchurch where a woman was found dead says assaults and altercations are all too common there.

The body of Valmai McFie, 67, was found outside her flat on Macgibbon Place in Spreydon on Saturday night. A man, 55, is charged with murder.

A former resident, Kelly, said confrontations between tenants happen too often.

"There's so many people on medication that aren't supported enough by Mental Health. They just don't have the right support and are thrown into ... it's like a bucket of worms with all the rest of them and this is what happens.

''And it happens too frequently, and I don't think people take it seriously enough. I think that's what's happened here," she said.

Residents asked Christchurch City Council to intervene on at least two occasions, but nothing was done.

Kelly said the council needs to be more careful about who it allows to live in its houses.

"I think there needs to be some serious scrutiny of people coming into complexes like this. It's like throwing 36 people into one house together and the dynamics are not going to work," she said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Archer said the suspect lived in the unit beside Ms McFie. Police are trying to figure out what led to the altercation.