Auckland bashing victim deteriorating

A critically ill man clinging to life after a beating in Auckland earlier this month is deteriorating.

Sila Kamoto, 23, and his brother Vili, 19, were left lying in pools of blood after they were attacked as they walked to a takeaway bar in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill on April 2.

Sila Kamoto has been in a drug-induced coma since the attack and yesterday doctors told his family his brain swelling had not reduced.

Police have been treating the attack as a potential homicide after doctors said it was unlikely Sila would survive.

Detective Senior Sergeant Gerry Whitley said doctors had told the family Sila's brain was still swollen and they could not do anything until the swelling went down.

He said Sila was having regular brain scans but was continuing to deteriorate.

"They will keep him on life support in the induced coma. They said they won't do anything until the swelling comes down," Mr Whitley said.

He said Vili was due to have another operation to repair damage to his face today but had given police some "pivotal" information about the attack.

"He has been able to assist us about what occurred that night."

Police could only say a group of youths in their late teens or early 20s attacked Sila and Vili.

They were not believed to know the attackers.

"We have got no idea of what the motive is. Obviously it has got to be something but at this stage we are trying to work out what that could be," Mr Whitley said.

- NZPA