Dallas Wilson, a former grocery manager at Dunedin Central Countdown, wrestled 42-year-old Luke James Lambert off another member of staff whom he had slashed on May 10.
But as he restrained the attacker from behind, the man reached around and inflicted four wounds with the 7cm knife he had pulled from the store’s shelves.
Mr Wilson sustained a severe wound to his abdomen, one that touched his lung, one just short of the liver and another that was so deep it hit his pelvic bone.
He was discharged from hospital after 10 days and told the Otago Daily Times he was now "as fit as a fiddle".
But when Lambert pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted murder in the High Court at Dunedin this week it brought some of his former frustrations back into focus.
Mr Wilson said the introduction of a pharmacy in the store and the establishment of the nearby Bus Hub in Great King St had been a recipe for disaster for the supermarket.
Irate people awaiting scripts "losing their shit, abusing staff and swearing" was commonplace, he said.
Security concerns, he said, were raised several times but nothing was done.
"It was just swept under the carpet," said Mr Wilson.
Countdown’s director of corporate affairs, safety and sustainability Kiri Hannifin said the safety of customers and staff was the business’ top priority.
"The incident in our Dunedin Central store was incredibly distressing for our team and we are continuing to do everything we can to support them," she said.
The company had reviewed "conflict safety principles" with employees and continued to station security guards in-store.
Mr Wilson said he had visited friends at the supermarket this week who, even with the new measures in place, felt under threat.
"They still work in that environment. It’s not good," he said.
Mr Wilson had already tendered his resignation when the knife attack took place because it had become "just too intense".
He began working at another supermarket in July.
Looking back on the episode was surreal, Mr Wilson said.
"It happened really quickly and it was only after that I realised I was hurt."
With strong family support and the assistance of a counsellor he believed that he had psychologically come to terms with his trauma
"I dealt with it in the best way I could," he said. "I’m just fortunate."
Lambert will be sentenced in May. — Additional reporting Hamish McLean
