KEY POINTS:
A 42-year-old Taranaki man bashed by vandals has been taken off life support but remains in a critical condition in Auckland Hospital.
The man and a neighbour were attacked with wooden battens when they confronted a gang of up to 10 youths on a letterbox-smashing spree in Eltham last Thursday night.
Stratford senior sergeant Shaun Keenan said the man's condition remained unchanged, though he was breathing on his own.
Tests were being carried out to ascertain the level of his brain damage, Mr Keenan said.
The 28-year-old neighbour received a broken jaw and lost teeth after being knocked unconscious in the attack.
No one had yet been charged with the attack on the 42-year-old man, though two men, aged 17 and 20, appeared in Hawera District Court yesterday charged with causing grievous bodily harm to the younger man.
They were granted name suppression and remanded in custody until December 5.
A 19-year-old, facing a similar charge, will appear in Hawera District Court today and a 15-year-old boy, who was allegedly with the men, appeared in the Youth court accused of causing intentional damage, entering a building, and possession of an offensive weapon. He too was remanded until December 5.
Police said further charges, including murder, were likely if the hospitalised man died.
- NZPA
