Former mayor found dazed and bloodstained

Mark Blumsky

Former Wellington mayor Mark Blumsky believes an assault left him dazed and bruised after he was found covered in blood outside his inner-city home.

Mr Blumsky, the National Party's Wellington Central candidate, has a black eye, facial cuts, a broken tooth - and a four-hour memory gap - after he was rescued by a doorman early yesterday.

He cannot remember anything but has an idea as to what happened, Newstalk ZB reported this morning. Mr Blumsky says he often catches young people smoking marijuana on the stairs and believes they took exception when he tried to move them on.

He is adamant he was assaulted, possibly from behind, after a night out.

"From what my wife tells me, they escorted me up the stairs at 5am. I was very bloody. I have no idea what happened. I have no memory at all.

"Obviously someone has had a good whack at me. It must have been outside my front door.

"One of the cops said I may have been hit from behind."

He said that after a night out he had been in good spirits but "certainly wasn't intoxicated".

The last thing Mr Blumsky remembers was drinking with his friend, television and radio presenter Grant Walker, at The Last Supper Club.

Walker said he left Mr Blumsky on Courtenay Place about 1.30am, assuming he would walk back to his Cuba St home.

It was not until more than three hours later that a doorman from the Good Luck Bar in Cuba St discovered the battered Mr Blumsky and helped him home.

Police are trawling footage from video cameras in the area in the hope of finding some clue to what took place.

- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB