A Vietnamese man whose hand was badly chopped up in a meat-cleaver attack is likely to regain most of its use.
The 25-year-old was hacked in the wrist and the back of the head in a cleaver attack outside an Auckland nightclub at 2.30am on Sunday.
A spokeswoman for Middlemore Hospital saidyesterday that the cleaver missed some crucial parts of the hand, and the man "will probably do quite well".
Police spent much of yesterday interviewing the man, with the help of an interpreter. His condition was listed as serious. They were also interviewing and re-interviewing people who saw the fighting.
The Vietnamese man was hacked during a chaotic early morning confrontation outside Kelly Brown's Night Club in Newmarket in which Asians allegedly ran amok with the cleaver, a samurai sword and knives.
Bouncer Gilbert Underwood is said to have used a nightclub sign to shield the Vietnamese man from a blow to the neck with the cleaver.
Detective Sergeant Hayden Mander said: "If it hadn't been for Gilbert's actions, the 25-year-old would almost certainly have died."
Two Vietnamese men, aged 20 and 22, appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
One was remanded at large on strict bail conditions until next month. The other was remanded in custody for two weeks.
