Taradale Mill Liquorsave Stabbing In Robbery Gone Wrong

A man was stabbed in the chest during a robbery gone wrong at The Mill Liquorsave in Taradale, Napier at 6.30 last night, police are looking for two offenders who fled from the scene and ran off across Gloucester St, Meeanee Rd and toward Taradale Park through Symons Lane and White St.

View Larger Map of The Mill Liquorsave
The offender with the knife was described as Maori, in his mid-30s, of medium build and about 1.65m tall and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and light-coloured running shoes.
The second man was also Maori, solidly built and about 1.82m tall, wearing a black T-shirt over a green hooded top with dark shoes which had white laces.

The bably injured man, who was working behind the counter at the time of the attack, was saved from more serious injury by a co-worker who came to his aid. He was flown to Wellington Hospital for emergency surgery.

The attack is similar to attacks in other liquor stores and dairies, the most tragic of which was the stabbing murder of Indian father of three Navtej Singh at his family's store in Manurewa.

Armed and violent robberies have been growing at an alarming rate in New Zealand over recent years, hardly a day goes by without a report being made. See Armed Robberies in NZ for a list of attacks on businesses including dairies, clubs, bottle shops, banks and a hairdressers.

Stuart Martin Assault - Second Youth Jailed

Another young thug has been sent to prison for the vicious beating of Scottish tourist Stuart Martin in Napier last February. From HawkesBay

"Hamish Bowman, 17, appeared in the Napier District Court yesterday and was sentenced to three years, nine months jail for his role in bashing 29-year-old Stuart Martin, in February, The Dominion Post reported.

Joshua McConville, 17, was given the same sentence in July.

A third youth, Darrin Wright, has pleaded not guilty."

For background see blog posts tagged Stuart Martin

Stuart Martin Assault, Man Jailed.

The UK Sun newspaper is reporting that a 17 year old youth, Joshua McConville, has been jailed for three years and nine months at Napier District Court yesterday for the assault on British tourist and pilot Stuart Martin.

Mr Martin was viciously beaten in Taradale (between Napier and Hastings) in February, so badly that the imprint of a shoe was left on his face and he was placed into a coma. See Battered Scottish man flies home.

The Sun is reporting that Mr Martin may not be able to get his flying licence back due to the lasting effects of the beating.

For more about the incident and reaction to the attack see: British tourist in coma after Napier attack and Battered Scottish man flies home

For today's posts see: latest posts

Battered Scottish Man Flies Home

It's heartening to see that Stuart Martin was well enough to fly home to Berwick-upon-Tweed, Scotland earlier this month.

The Scottish pilot was placed in a coma after a savage beating on the streets of Taradale in February. Mr Martin was visiting New Zealand as a tourist, enjoying a night out on a stag party, when he became separated from his friends and set upon by a gang of 17 year old thugs.

He was kicked so hard that a shoe print was left on his face, a witness saw the youths stamping on Stuart's head but was unable to intervene.

Mr Martin has yet to make a full recovery, his father saying that his career as a pilot was 'in the lap of the gods'

Three youths: Darrin Peter Wright, Hamish Glenn Bowman, and Joshua McConville, were charged with assault and bailed to appear in court on 29 April.

For more see: Stuart Martin

British Tourist in Napier Attack is Named

Source: Telegraph, UK
By Paul Chapman in Wellington

"A British tourist left fighting for his life in a New Zealand hospital after being assaulted so viciously that police say his attackers' boot marks were left imprinted on his head and face has been named.

Stuart Martin, a 31-year-old from Scotland, is in a coma in Hawke's Bay Hospital with a severe head injury.

His condition is described as critical.

Mr Martin, who has been living in Australia, had flown to the North Island seaside resort of Napier to attend the wedding on Saturday of a friend, Rory McBrearty.

He had been at a stag party when he became separated from the others, and police say he was set upon while walking past shops in the suburb of Taradale about 1am on Friday.

Mr McBrearty, also 31, has been keeping vigil at his comatose friend's hospital bedside.

He said: "I'm pretty upset about it all. It's overwhelming.

"I'm on the verge of a breakdown to tell the truth," he told Wellington's Dominion-Post newspaper.

He said that hospital staff were "not saying much about his condition, but it's pretty serious".

The two have been good friends for more than six years.

He described Mr Martin as "a small, friendly guy who makes friends with everyone".

A badly shaken Mr McBrearty told the newspaper that he and about 20 friends had spent much of Thursday being driven on a pub crawl.

"It was just your normal stag do. It was good. We finished up at a friend's place in Taradale."

No one in the stag party had noticed that Mr Martin was missing until they saw a police cordon around the scene while walking home through the suburb's town centre.

Detectives say they are "appalled" by the extent of his injuries.

They said a witness saw the victim being stomped on the face and head after he was knocked to the ground. The attack left him unconscious in the street.

Detective Sergeant Brian Schaab said: "The witness was unable to intervene but called police as the attack was in progress."

Three 17-year-old local youths have appeared in Napier District Court on Friday and were remanded in custody to reappear on March 4.

The three, named as Darrin Peter Wright, Hamish Glenn Bowman, and Joshua McConville, have all been charged with assault.

Police say further, possibly more serious, charges may follow"

British Tourist in Coma After Napier Attack

Source: NZ Herald
NZPA

"A British tourist is in a coma in Hawke's Bay Hospital after a vicious Napier attack left him with boot marks on his head and face.

The man, whose condition is described as critical, was set upon by three men as he walked past Taradale's main shopping area in Gloucester St just before 1am today.

He was knocked to the ground and stomped on with such ferocity there were boot imprints on his head and face.

The severity of the attack appalled police.

The man was taken to hospital after a passer-by alerted emergency services.

Police have arrested one man and were looking for another two.

The victim, who was visiting from the UK, had attended a stag party in Napier during the evening.

He had become separated from his friends before the assault said police, who were keen to speak to any witnesses."

The British citizen was later said to be 31 year old Scottish man Stuart Martin. According to Mail three local 17 year old youths were arrested and appeared in court today

Darrin Peter Wright, Hamish Glenn Bowman, and Joshua McConville, all from Taradale, appeared in the Napier District Court today charged with assault.

The 30-year-old English tourist, due to attend a friend's wedding tomorrow, was beaten as he walked past Taradale's main shopping area in Gloucester St just before 1am, Napier police said.

His attackers allegedly stomped on his head and face several times.

The man, who was living in Australia, was in a coma in critical condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital.

He would be named once police had contacted his family in Britain.

The three attackers were remanded in custody to reappear in the Napier District Court on March 4."

Shocked Taradale residents have left a number of messages on the paper's website :

"I always walk down this street at night, it is in a very nice are of napier, there are always young wannabe "gangsters" mooching around but I never take any notice. What a wake up call that no one is safe anymore."

"What is happening to our country? I dont even get on it that much anymore cause im scared im going to get jumped.The tourists are getting targeted hard aswel"