Grave fears held for Mangere bashing victim

An electrical engineer is not expected to live after being attacked and robbed at the Mangere Town Centre.

Gheorghe Simion, a Romanian-born Mangere resident, was bashed about the head in the early morning attack yesterday.

The 36-year-old was last night surrounded by family at Middlemore Hospital's intensive care unit.

Detective Sergeant Chris de Wattignar said the motive behind the attack was not yet known but it appears Mr Simion was assaulted by two men after an altercation.

"The victim was at the Mangere Town Centre ... at some stage he has been approached by two males who got out of a dark-coloured vehicle.

"At some stage there has been an altercation between them and an assault has occurred where the victim has been hit and knocked to the ground."

As Mr Simion lay injured on the ground his attackers were seen bending over him and taking something from his pocket, possibly his wallet.

They then fled in a dark-coloured, four-door car which was last seen heading towards Mascot Ave.

The attack happened in a relatively busy area and in daylight and police say there were witnesses.

One witness, a worker in the area, told the Herald he saw two men in a black station wagon pull up at the drive-through of a fast-food restaurant about 7am.

He watched the men, who appeared intoxicated, follow Mr Simion to another part of the town centre.

He later saw the victim lying on the ground in the carpark near the Foodtown supermarket.

Mr de Wattignar said police were last night assessing footage from security cameras in the hope they may learn more about what happened.

He said there was no indication the attack was gang related and police were appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

The inquiry last night was being treated as a possible homicide because of the nature of Mr Simion's injuries, and the likely outcome.

If it turns into a homicide, it will be the seventh in Counties Manukau in the past three months.

Two weeks ago police launched a homicide inquiry after 17-year-old Riki Mafi was beaten while walking through the Otara Town Centre at night. He died in hospital several days later from head injuries.


Homicides

In Counties Manukau:

June 18: Kahui Twins: Unsolved
July 9: Kelly Lawrence, 19 : Arrest.
July 16: Haruru Pekepo, 19 : Arrests.
Aug 12: Pilikitisua Neru, 46: Arrests.
Aug 18: Faatetai Lafolua, 24: Arrests.
Sep 2: Riki Mafi, 17: Arrests.
Sep 17: Gheorghe Simion, 36, on life support.