The late-night bashing of Auckland barrister John Timmins occurred on the eve of a planned month-long holiday in France, his family have revealed.
Mr Timmins, one of the Labour Party's key fundraisers in the lead-up to last year's election and a close friend of Prime Minister Helen Clark, wasbeaten and left for dead in an Onehunga industrial estate a week ago.
His black BMW was found crashed in Mangere Bridge.
Mr Timmins is in hospital recovering from skull and facial fractures and apparently has amnesia.
His son Michael revealed yesterday that his father was working late last Wednesday night because he was flying out the next day to France for a month-long holiday.
He and wife Julie had been planning the trip for months. It was planned to coincide with Mr Timmins' 50th birthday.
"That's why he was working late - he was trying to sort everything out before he left," Michael Timmins said.
Computer records showed his father left his office in the former Fay, Richwhite building at 11 pm using a magnetic key card, he said.
John Timmins remembers unlocking his car door, but apparently nothing after that.
It is not clear whether surveillance camera footage was able to show whether he was set upon in the carpark or left the building alone.
Asked if the family were determined to find out what occurred, Michael Timmins said: "We have to. You can't let people get away with this. We also need to know what happened for our own recovery."
Michael Timmins said his father's condition was improving and he would hopefully be released from hospital within a week.
"He's sitting up and chatting and his eyes are good. He's feeling a lot better."
Police remain reluctant to answer specific questions on the case.
It has now been handed to Detective Sergeant Kevin Hooper, who said yesterday that he was not yet "up to speed" on the case and could not comment.
Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said she could not speculate on what happened to Mr Timmins. "We deal only in the facts."
