Crime in the City: Victim of random, violent attack in Auckland's CBD on year-long road to recovery

An Auckland businessman who was attacked while waiting for a taxi says he can still feel the pain of his injuries with every step he takes.

Six months after he was violently attacked by a stranger at the Viaduct the man says he's on so many painkillers it's hard to know how some of his injuries are healing.

But it's not just the physical pain that's lingering – the attack has also cost him financially and he's now bankrupt after having liquidating his business.

Police want to speak to the men in this CCTV footage, which captured part of the incident. Photo / NZ Police

"It's destroyed my life basically," he told the Herald.

"I can't work. I'm still at home. My surgeon has given me permission to lift nothing heavier than a coffee cup for my shoulder."

The 50-year-old, who does not want to be identified, was out celebrating his birthday in the city with a group of friends and family, when he was knocked to the ground while waiting for an Uber on Lower Hobson St over Waitangi weekend.

He remembers looking for his ride home, then being on the ground with pain in his leg. He said he was in shock because he didn't know what just happened to him.

"I can remember [my stepdaughter] shaking me, telling me to wake up, and I said: 'I can't, my leg is stuffed'.

"I said: 'Somebody hit me', but that's all I knew."

The man was helped into the Uber by bystanders.

He later learned from police - who had reviewed CCTV footage from the incident - that he had been knocked in the head from behind.

"The police said some guy took a swing at me, then missed and then had another swing."

But he's still not sure how he broke his ankle and fibula.

He was told the person fled the scene.

"[Police] didn't see where he went, he's not known to anybody or anything like that."

An Auckland business owner is still recovering from a random attack in February. Photo / Supplied

He spent almost a week in hospital with concussion, a torn bicep and broken fibula and ankle.

Since the attack his life has changed dramatically. His wounds are far from healed and it has been an ongoing journey of "constant appointments and constant pain".

He had surgery performed on his leg and a shoulder operation. His arm is still in a sling and he has to regularly see a concussion specialist.

He still struggles with fatigue and short-term memory loss.

"Every step I take I can still feel the injuries," he said.

An Auckland man spent a week in hospital with a broken ankle and fibula following the attack. Photo / Supplied

"It went from pain in the ankle to now I don't actually know how good my ankle is because I'm on so many pain killers for my arm.

"Hopefully by Christmas I'll be ready to go back to work, almost a year later."

The man said the personal financial burden of the injuries has been "terrible".

"I've had to liquidate my company and had to bankrupt myself. You go back to square one."

He said he started his company in the building and construction industry "from scratch" and it was in its sixth year.

The man and his wife were both directors and finally starting to reap the rewards.

The businessman has had multiple surgeries on his broken body after being attacked by a stranger while waiting for a taxi. Photo / Supplied

But his income has roughly quartered following the attack.

He did not have medical insurance and is relying on weekly payments from ACC.

"There's a big cost. I've had surgeries, which aren't cheap. I've had MRIs on both arms which are like $2500 an arm," he said.

"It's $4000 out of the system as well, every time a person has to go to a concussion specialist.

"Everything is really costly and it all goes back on the health sector."

Police are still investigating the attack.

"It appears the assault has occurred as part of a wider disorder that broke out amongst groups of intoxicated people at the time," said Detective Senior Sergeant Graham Shand.

"Police had located CCTV footage in the area which captured part of the incident. However, despite this footage being looked into by police, we have been unable to identify those who featured in it."

Shand encourages anyone who knows the men in the photo to contact police on 105 quoting the file number 210225/0909.

"The matter has currently been filed pending any further information about the identity of those involved in this incident," Shand said.

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