KEY POINTS:
A man who went to the aid of a young lifeguard on Ocean Beach was beaten "30 to 40 times" in a "senseless and violent" attack, the Whangarei District Court was told yesterday.
The trial began yesterday of Les Tasos Connelly, 27, Georgie Abraham Ngaau, 22, and Brandon Cole McMahon, 19, who are jointly accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to harm Whangarei Heads lifesaving patrol support officer James Bidois. They have pleaded not guilty.
On December 3, 2006, Mr Bidois was left with serious injuries to his neck which forced him to wear a therapeutic halo for nine weeks and undergo intense rehabilitation.
Crown Prosector Mike Smith said at the start of the trial yesterday that Mr Bidois will forever have scars from the attack and is still significantly affected and unable to return to his normal work as a builder.
In court yesterday, the jury of six men and six women listened to Mr Smith's opening speech in which he described the attack as "senseless" and "violent".
He said despite it being a beautiful day at the beach, the accused were "intent on spoiling it for all," and their actions had "dramatic consequences".
The prosecution alleges that a drunken McMahon was seen harassing people on the beach which cumulated in him assaulting a 15-year-old junior lifeguard. McMahon yesterday pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting the junior lifeguard.
Mr Bidois and the patrol captain saw the assault and went to tell McMahon and his co- accused that "this is not the kind of behaviour for the beach", Mr Smith said.
However during the confrontation, Mr Bidois was "set upon" and "repeatedly beaten and punched around the head," and once on the ground the beating continued, Mr Smith said.
"There is no justification for this arrogant display of violence," he said.
Mr Smith reminded the jury that even if one of the accused "did not strike the punch that breaks the bone" they are equally to blame if they were a party to the assault and encouraged it to continue.
The first prosecution witness was a 17-year-old junior lifeguard who said he saw Ngaau throw the first punch at Mr Bidois.
He said he sprinted over to the fracas and watched as Ngaau and Connelly beat Mr Bidois around his head, chest and stomach "30 to 40 times".
He said that during the attack Mr Bidois did not fight back, was hunched over and fell to the ground four or five times, before standing back up.
After "five or 10 minutes" Mr Bidois called for help and the witness said he pushed Ngaau away.
The witness added that Ngaau and Connelly dealt the blows, along with another man who is unidentified while McMahon encouraged them to "smash him".
In cross examination, Ngaau's lawyer Chris Muston asked why the junior lifeguard had not intervened until Mr Bidois asked for help.
The witness said a large group of people were running down from the carpark and he was unsure what they would do when they got there.
The trial, which is expected to last up to eight days, will continue today with evidence from Mr Bidois.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
