Bottle victim back for surgery

A 65-year-old Tauranga woman smashed in the face by a beer bottle thrown from a passing car will return to hospital next week for more surgery.

Police have renewed their appeals for help to track down the offender.

Mary Loader was seriously hurt when the half-full bottle hit her in the face as she walked in Papamoa, near Mt Maunganui, on April 9.

The bottle was thrown from the passenger window of a light-coloured car that was driving by.

In spite of intensive publicity and police inquiries, the vehicle has yet to be traced, Detective Sergeant Darryl Brazier from Tauranga CIB said yesterday.

Mr Brazier said the bottle hit Mrs Loader with such force she was lucky it did not kill her.

"She suffered some horrendous injuries," he said.

"She has got issues around her sight. She has got issues around her walking and breathing through her nose.

"This has really knocked this poor woman around. Psychologically it has also caused tremendous damage."

Mr Brazier said police were still trying to establish where the bottle was sold in the hope the purchaser could be tracked down.

He said it was probably not thrown with the intention of hitting Mrs Loader in the face but police needed to talk to anyone in the vehicle.

"We have to appeal to the conscience of anyone who was in that vehicle. There were at least two in the vehicle," he said. "If it was unintentional then the driver has no culpability."

Mrs Loader had five titanium plates inserted in her face to set a fractured cheekbone and a broken nose during three hours of reconstructive surgery at Tauranga Hospital.

Any witnesses should contact Tauranga police station on (07) 577-4300, or anonymously on 0800 SPEAK UP.

- NZPA