Bottle thrown from car shattered grandmother's face

A Bay of Plenty grandmother had hours of reconstructive surgery and five titanium plates inserted in her face after a partially-full beer bottle was hurled at her face while she was out walking.

Mary Loader, 65, of Papamoa, went to get some feijoas about 8.20am on Saturday and was returning home along Domain Rd when the glass bottle was thrown from a passing car, hitting her square in the face.

The impact sent her to the ground on a driveway near The Palms Garden Centre and left her with a deep gash between the eyes, another between the nose and top lip, shattered cheekbones and a broken nose.

Senior Constable Adrian Oldham of Papamoa Police said it appeared the Lion Ice beer bottle had been aimed at Mrs Loader. Police released photos to Bay of Plenty Times in the hope the public would see Mrs Loader's horrific injuries and it might "prick somebody's conscience".

Mount Maunganui St John advanced paramedic Andy Windle described the incident as "quite disturbing" and said he had seen nothing like it in his years as an ambulance officer.

Mrs Loader was conscious and talking at the scene.

Mr Windle said she was actually "fairly together", with a positive attitude that would no doubt aid in her recovery.

However, the increasing swelling shortly after the attack meant Mrs Loader had to be intubated in the ambulance on the way to hospital. On arrival she was immediately taken for a cat scan and on to the Intensive Care Unit.

Mr Oldham said at the scene Mrs Loader's main concern was for her 13-year-old grandson, Jackson, who was staying with her over the school holidays.

Police went to see him at Mrs Loader's home where they called his mother, Vicky Loader, who, along with other family members, came straight over from the Waikato.

Vicky was shocked to find her heavily-sedated mother, who is a petite woman, swollen to the point where she was almost unrecognisable.

Vicky said after nearly three hours of surgery on Sunday, doctors hoped to take her mother off the respirator and bring her around this afternoon. However, she may require further operations on her nose.

"We're just devastated, and to see her now really is shocking. I don't think they realise what they've done," Vicky said.

"(It's) such a mindless act that caused so much devastation, really. They just need to see what they've done - if it was their mother up there (in hospital) ... it's just terrible."

Vicky said her mother was a very strong person who lived alone and loved going for walks every day. She hoped the attack would not hinder her being able to do so again in the future.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the attack has been handed over to detectives in the Tauranga CIB to try and uncover who it was that threw the bottle at Mrs Loader.

"There was one witness that saw a vehicle and a bottle fly out, and then she saw (Mrs Loader) drop to the ground," Mr Oldham said.

If you witnessed this attack, and have not been spoken to by police, or have any information relating to the attack, contact Tauranga CIB on (07) 577 4300 or call anonymously on 0800 SPEAK UP