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Surgery to reattach part of a journalist's left ear bitten off in a home invasion has been unsuccessful.
Doug Laing, 51, a court reporter at Hawke's Bay Today, was at his Napier home soon after midnight on March 16 when Leua Antonio Teki, 27, allegedly smashed his way in and attacked him, biting off part of his ear and eye-gouging him.
Teki was arrested at a house across the road.
Mr Laing said the piece of ear that was re-attached initially looked like it was starting to take, as it was sewn back on about three hours after the incident.
However, it had now come clean off.
His hearing had not been affected and he had no immediate plans to get more surgery.
"How it looks is not a worry to me."
Mr Laing is not in pain, but is concerned about his eyesight after the gouging.
He returned to his home of 20 years not long after the attack, saying he did not want to feel "forced out".
But he still has no idea why he was attacked.
"At the end of the day I hope they find out why it happened. Like all crimes, if you don't find out why something happens, you've got no show of preventing it next time round."
Mr Laing had not seen Teki since the attack, but Teki's father and two sisters visited him to apologise.
"It was important to do that, and probably very important for them too."
Teki, of Lower Hutt, has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, burglary, resisting police and assaulting a police officer.
He is remanded in custody for assessment under the Mental Health Act and remains in Porirua Hospital.
His next court appearance is on May 16.
- NZPA
