Father-of-two Matt Sherwood has had six teeth removed since he was assaulted at a Christchurch shopping centre on Father's Day Weekend.
Father-of-two Matt Sherwood has had six teeth removed since he was assaulted at a Christchurch shopping centre on Father's Day Weekend.
A baker seriously assaulted while selling Father’s Day cookies at a busy shopping centre says his young children have been left “traumatised”.
Matt Sherwood, owner of Christchurch baked goods company ‘By The Sugar Daddy’, set up a stall at the city’s Palms Shopping Centre on September 6, as hehas many times before.
He was working his busy stall when a woman, unknown to him, put her groceries down on his table.
“I was like ‘Gday, how’s it going’, and she just muttered something and went to open a drink that just started to fizz everywhere,” Sherwood said.
But Sherwood said when he went to assist the woman, he was confronted within seconds as the woman yelled, “F*** you, man” before leaning over and striking him in the face.
“I sort of got concussed for a bit of a minute, and I just turned around and heard something hit the ground,” Sherwood said.
“My blood was everywhere. I could feel my tongue and my tooth was just poking out the side.
“It happened so fast, I just couldn’t believe it.”
Sherwood said mall security arrived, along with police and ambulance staff, but the woman fled.
Father of two, Matt Sherwood, has had six teeth removed since he was assaulted at a shopping centre on Father's Day Weekend.
Police responded about 12.50pm after a report of a woman allegedly punching a man.
Sherwood’s wife was in the mall with their two young children and arrived at what he described as a “chaotic scene”.
His injuries meant he would need to lose six teeth and have multiple dental consultations - a process which he said has cost him and his family thousands.
He said he had been left “frustrated” with what he said was a drawn out almost seven-week process for police to find the person responsible.
“Every single sort of point we get to, it’s just like it’s forced,” Sherwood said.
“I feel like I’ve done something wrong all the time.
“Even if it did take seven weeks, I think I would have liked some sort of timeline, and just to keep up with stuff and contact me and tell me the time frame.
“It could have been over and done with.”
Matt Sherwood was taken to hospital after the assault.
He said his young son was “switched on” and he was often left explaining the situation to him.
