WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT

The Christchurch mother of two young boys, who ransacked a house in the suburb of Parklands, including decapitating the heads of family pet fish, said she’s “absolutely shocked” by their horrific actions.

On Friday afternoon, Resident Nikki Hawke and her 10-year-old step-daughter arrived home to their Heathglen Avenue house to find it had been completely trashed, with smashed windows and shattered TV screens, paint splattered across furniture and broken electrical appliances.

They also destroyed pot plants inside and outside the house.

The culprits aged six and nine even removed fish from a tank in a children’s bedroom, before beheading them and dumping them on the floor.

The boys continued their gruesome act outside using a hedge trimmer to kill larger fish from the outside pond.

They also shaved their heads in a spare bedroom before disabling the security cameras.

One of the boys removed an antique BB gun which was stored in a top closet and is seen on camera pointing it at his brother’s head.

Police captured the boys on the same street hours later after they threatened a woman with a carving knife they had stolen from the kitchen.

Nikki told Chris Lynch on Sunday she viewed the security footage of the boys and was sickened by their actions.

“They looked much older than they were and knew exactly what they were doing. I tried to have sympathy for them, but after seeing the security footage I just think they’re evil.”

The boy’s mother, who Chris Lynch Media can’t name for legal reasons, expressed deep regret for their actions, saying that she was “absolutely shocked with what I’ve found out they have done.”

She added that her children were not prone to such behaviour and that they “loved animals” and others.

“They do have a loving and safe home, and there’s absolutely no violence here or anything to demonstrate such horrible behaviour they have done.

I’m absolutely devastated for the families they have hurt and disgusted by their behaviour,” she said.

The mother said she had requested support for her children for years, but Oranga Tamarki declined to help.

“I’ve asked them to support my children years ago. They have both been through a lot of trauma caused by Oranga Tamarki,” she said.

“I am deeply sorry to those families affected by their behaviour, and I know nothing can probably make this right.”

She said “this isn’t how they were raised at all. It has shocked everyone we personally know, especially myself as their parent, and I’m left wondering what the hell has gone wrong for them to act out in such cruelty?”

The mother added. “everyone who knows me professionally and personally can say these children are loved and well cared for.”

However, Parklands residents say they’ve been dealing with the boys’ out-of-control behaviour for almost a year.

One resident said police had been called about 20 times, while another said they were concerned about the six-year-old boy and his mother’s parenting for a “long time.”

“He is out on his own on a daily basis, going through people’s backyards, opening their gates so dogs escape, walking out into traffic on busy roads in cold weather with next to no clothes on,” the resident said.

She said “Oranga Tamarki needed to take action before the situation got worse.

While the boys are known to the police, their age prevented police from taking any action.

On Saturday, a police spokeswoman said the boys were picked up by police after being reported missing, but were not arrested.

Police received reports of several incidents that occurred in the Parklands area and these are under investigation.

An Oranga Tamarki spokeswoman told Chris Lynch Media they were investigating the matter.