Bashed Havelock North man 'drenched in blood' could not see his attacker

The five-day trial is taking place in the Napier District Court. Photo / NZME

A man who was left "drenched in blood" with potentially life-threatening head injuries after a robbery at his home has told a court that it was too dark to see his attacker.

Craig Person, now 72, was flown to Wellington and underwent emergency surgery for a depressed skull fracture and brain bleed after he was dragged out of bed and hit with a hammer at his Havelock North home, the court has heard.

One of the two people who entered Person's house on January 21, 2021, and took his guns has not been identified. The Crown alleges the other was Earl Campbell, 36.

Campbell faces charges of aggravated robbery causing grievous bodily harm, committing burglary with a weapon and five counts of unlawfully possessing firearms.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the Napier District Court and has elected to defend himself at a trial before a jury of nine women and three men. The trial is set down for five days.

Person's cousin, Michael Sullivan, who lives next door, said that when he found Person on their shared driveway after the attack, he was "drenched in blood from his head to his shoulders".

"I could only see the whites of his eyes," Sullivan said.

Although Campbell is representing himself, Judge Bridget Mackintosh has appointed barrister Philip Jensen as "standby lawyer" to assist the court.

When Person resumed his evidence on Tuesday morning, Jensen cross-examined him and questioned him about his attacker's height, age, and whether he had been clean-shaven.

"There was no light on. I didn't see him clearly," Person said.

Person said, however, that he thought his attacker may have been a Māori, judging by the way he spoke.

Jensen suggested the man could have been a Pākehā.

"He could have been, but he sounded like a Māori to me," Person said.

Jensen asked Person about being shown a sheet of photos by police, with two rows of five faces, and being asked if he could recognise anyone on it.

"I couldn't really recognise anybody because, as I said, I couldn't see them (on the night of the attack)," Person said.

"I couldn't recognise anybody because it was dark. There were no lights on. It was half past nine to 10 at night."

A statement by Wellington neurosurgeon Helge Koeck, who treated Person, was read to the court. It said that he had suffered a depressed skull fracture with a "potentially life-threatening brain bleed" within the skull.

Jensen asked Person's cousin, Sullivan, about a van which he had seen at the property on the night his cousin was attacked and which backed out "at a rate of knots" and drove off after two people had loaded something into it.

Sullivan, who said he had worked with commercial vehicles for 36 years, said the van seemed to be a late 1980s or early 90s Toyota Hiace with a long wheelbase and a high top.

As it reversed, he could see the grille and the headlights but could not see the registration plate.

In the available light, it appeared to be coloured white.

The trial is continuing.