Arrest over brutal assault on elderly couple

A man will appear in court today over a brutal attack on an elderly couple in their New Plymouth home at the weekend.

Police said the 18-year-old was arrested yesterday and charged with two counts of injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and aggravated robbery. He would appear in New Plymouth District Court this morning.

The couple, a 74-year-old man and his 65-year-old wife, were attacked in their Wallath Street home on Saturday night by a weapon wielding intruder.

They both suffered multiple cuts and bruises and were detained in Taranaki Base Hospital overnight.

Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward told the Taranaki Daily News that the arrest followed routine inquiries.

- NZPA