Name suppression has been continued for a Kaikohe man accused of an assault which left another man with head injuries so severe he was initially not expected to survive.
The 51-year-old appeared briefly in the Kaikohe District Court yesterday charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, trespass and wilful damage.
He was further remanded in custody until October 21, when he will be required to enter a plea. Name suppression may be lifted at that date.
The charges stem from an incident on Fairview Rd, Kaikohe, on September 4. Police called to the address found a 58-year-old man in a rapidly deteriorating condition with what they described as a "massive brain injury". They would not say how the injury had been inflicted.
He was taken to Whangarei Hospital by ambulance, then flown to Auckland City Hospital where he underwent two emergency operations to relieve pressure on his brain.
He was not expected to survive but confounded his doctors by recovering enough within a week to be transferred to a regular ward.
The man charged with the assault originally appeared in court in Whangarei because it was expected he would face more serious charges. The case has now been shifted back to Kaikohe.
Two family members filmed the incident on their phones. The videos were handed over to police for use as evidence.