Waikato Police are appealing for information from the public after a good samaritan found himself the victim of a vicious assault in Hamilton early yesterday morning.
Detective Sergeant Neville Ross of the Hamilton CIB said it appeared the 38-year-old man had been set upon by a group of people after going to the aid of a woman in distress about 1.30am.
"Our victim, a 38-year-old Hamilton man, has been eating a kebab on the western side of the south end of Victoria St when he has heard what appeared to be a woman in distress shouting at a man.
"When it looked like the man pushed the woman our victim has crossed the street to check if she was ok but when he told the man to leave her alone the woman has turned on him."
Mr Ross said about this stage a group of woman it now appears were with the yelling woman have converged on the would-be rescuer verbally abusing him as he tried to extract himself from the scene.
One of the women then punched him in the face, as he pushed her away and tried to get out a man has punched him in the back of the head and he realised he was suddenly in a very serious situation.
"Surrounding the victim is a large group of aggressive Maori or Pacific Island people, men and woman, as he tried to defend himself he found himself being punched to the ground by a man wearing a yellow T-shirt.
"Once on the ground the man has been given a kicking by the group suffering serious facial injuries including severe bruising, the fracturing of both eye sockets and the breaking of his jaw."
CCTV footage showed very little of what occurred and given the nature of the attack Mr Ross said he hoped the public would rally round and show their outrage about what had happened by identifying the attackers.
"The attack took place on the western side of the south end of Victoria St and the woman originally thought to be being harassed is described as being Maori, about 20-years-old and about 5ft 4' tall with long brunette hair worn in a pony hair.
"The man she was thought to be arguing with was described as a Maori or Polynesian male aged in his early twenties wearing jeans and a dress polo-shirt," said Mr Ross.
The principal offender in the assault is described as a Maori or Polynesian male about 6ft in height with a large, overweight build with curly black hair wearing a yellow T-shirt, dress shoes and jeans.
Mr Ross said the extent of the injuries spoke for themselves and it was disturbing that a person who had gone out of his way to do the right thing and help someone in trouble had ended up in hospital himself.
A Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said the man is currently recovering from an injury in a general ward.
Anyone with information on the attack or the identity of the man's attackers is asked to contact Mr Ross at the Hamilton Central Police Station on 07 858 6200.
Alternatively information can be left anonymously on the confidential crimeline, 0800 Busthem (0800 287843).
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