Victim's family records brutal assault

A man has appeared in court after allegedly assaulting a 58-year-old Kaikohe man

Family members used cellphones to record a vicious assault which has left a 58-year-old Kaikohe man fighting for his life in Auckland Hospital.

Police say the video footage captured by two members of the victim's family was "excellent evidence" which had helped greatly in the inquiry into the assault.

A 51-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the Friday afternoon incident and charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Whangarei District Court on Saturday and is due back on Wednesday.

The officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Senior Sergeant Rhys Johnston, said police were called to a Fairview Rd address at 5.30pm. They arrived quickly and found the victim outside in a rapidly deteriorating condition.

The alleged offender was still present. He was taken into custody and had since been interviewed.

The victim was taken to Whangarei Hospital by ambulance, then flown to Auckland City Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Mr Johnston said the man had suffered massive trauma to his brain, requiring the removal of parts of his skull to relieve the pressure and prevent further damage.

He had suffered other injuries - a full medical report was still being prepared - but the head injury was the most serious.

The victim was last night still in a critical condition in the hospital's critical care unit.

Mr Johnston said police were continuing to interview witnesses and family members yesterday as well as completing their scene examination.

It was "extremely fortunate" that family members had the sense to record the incident on their cell phones. Each clip was a couple of minutes long.

"The events are all captured clearly. It's fair to say that these recordings provide excellent evidence and have assisted us greatly in this inquiry."

Mr Johnston would not say whether the men were related or what kind of weapon had been used.

Charges against the 51-year-old could be upgraded if the victim does not recover.

Any other witnesses are urged to contact Kaikohe police on (09) 405 2960.