Napier man attacked with hammer

Napier man Donovan Phillips alleges he was attacked by a man wielding a hammer in the early hours of Saturday morning. Photo/ Facebook.

A neighbour said he was attacked by a man with a hammer after he and his brother intervened when they heard a woman screaming.

Donovan Phillips said he and his brother were at home on Flanders Ave in Napier on Friday night.

"At 11.30 we were woken up by the next-door-neighbour, all we could hear was her screaming," Phillips told the Herald.

The woman had been given a lift home from a party by a man, who was not her partner, Phillips said.

After his youngest brother "scared the guy off", he left their street, Phillips said, but returned just after 2am - allegedly with a weapon.

"[He] was standing by the back door with his hands behind his back with a hammer in his hands."

Phillips alleged the man swung for his head, but he blocked the blow with his hand.

"He tried to hit me again and the claw [of the hammer] went into my back."

Phillips' brother's partner called police, who arrived and arrested the man.

Police said a 37-year-old man had been arrested and would appear in the Napier District Court on Wednesday.

"Police were called to an incident on Flanders Avenue, where a man was assaulted by an offender carrying a hammer.

"The alleged offender was involved with an earlier incident but returned later with a hammer.

"He was intoxicated and later charged with two incidences of assault."