Police have arrested a third man - who had been on the run since December - for allegedly bashing a Whangarei Heads lifeguard. Brandon Cole McMahon, 18, was to appear in the Whangarei District Court today after being arrested at a Whangarei address yesterday. A warrant for McMahon's arrest was issued whenhe failed to appear in court in December. McMahon, along with Georgie Abraham Ngaau, 22, and Les Tasos Connelly, 27, allegedly attacked James Bidois on Ocean Beach on December 3 last year. All three face a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. McMahon is also charged with assaulting a junior lifeguard, Hayden Conmee. Police allege Mr Bidois saw McMahon accost Mr Conmee and the lifeguard was attacked when he went to his aid. Ngaau and Connelly appeared in the Whangarei District Court yesterday for the final day of a depositions hearing. Lifeguard Joel Oxborrow said he saw a Pakeha man, who police say was McMahon, and a Maori man acting drunk on the beach. They appeared to have wanted a ride on the club's eight-wheeled vehicle but were told they could not. Mr Oxborrow said he saw two people follow Mr Conmee as he walked to the clubhouse. The next thing he noticed was Mr Bidois and another lifeguard Matthew Fleet talking to a group of four - three Maori men and one Pakeha. "I noticed Jim having words with them and then one of them, the long-haired one, took a swing at Jim and it hit him." Mr Oxborrow identified that man as Ngaau. He ran closer to the group by which time he said Mr Bidois had been hit several more times and had a bleeding nose and lip. Mr Oxborrow told prosecutor Mike Smith that Ngaau and Connelly were among three people whom he saw hit Mr Bidois but he could not identify the third person. "He got hit quite a few times, mostly to the facial area, and whenever he dropped to the ground they kept hitting him," Mr Oxborrow said. When asked in cross-examination why he could only remember two of the three men, Mr Oxborrow replied: "I suppose it was because they were doing most of the damage." At the end of the hearing, two Justices of the Peace ruled that there was a prima facie case against Ngaau and Connelly. They have been remanded in custody until July 26.
