Teens charged with attack granted name suppression

The scene where a man was assaulted in Havelock North at the weekend.

Two teenagers charged with the vicious attack on a 32-year-old man fled a Hastings courthouse today and sought refuge in a nearby police station, after they were released on bail.

The 17-year-olds appeared in Hastings District Court this morning and faced charges of injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, after police arrested them yesterday in relation to the unprovoked assault in Havelock North during the early hours of Sunday morning.

The teens, from Flaxmere and Hastings, stood in the dock together and were granted interim name suppression, which was opposed by Hawke's Bay Today, before being remanded on bail without plea until their next hearing later this month.

As the two alleged offenders left the courthouse, they bolted from members of the waiting media and eventually found shelter at the Hastings Police Station.

The victim of the attack, a local electrician, was found bloodied, beaten and semi-conscious on Porter Drive, in the heart of Havelock North.

Police allege the man, who was fighting for his life in Hawke's Bay Hospital's intensive care unit, was "set upon" by the teens at about 3.50am.

Yesterday photographs were released of the two 17-year-olds, who were captured on CCTV at Turks Bar earlier in the night and near the Havelock North public toilets, where the victim was found.

Bail conditions for the two accused include a curfew, not to drink alcohol, not to enter Havelock North and not to contact the victim, alleged co-offender or witnesses.