Man accused of beating Wellington parking warden unconscious in court

Rawiri James Emery appeared in court charged with wounding with intent to injure.

The man accused of beating a Wellington parking officer unconscious and fracturing his eye socket has had his first appearance at court.

Rawiri James Emery, 39, appeared before a registrar at the Wellington District Court charged with wounding with intent to injure.

The alleged attack happened outside a Wellington primary school and also left the victim with the broken nose.

The Wellington City Council staff member was on duty outside Newtown School in Riddiford St on April 6 when he was assaulted and seriously injured, council said after the incident.

Council acting chief executive Kane Patena said the parking officer was admitted to hospital and had surgery.

Emery will reappear in court on April 30.

"Our parking officers are good men and women who are simply trying to do their job. Not one of our staff deserves to be treated like this, irrespective of what people think about the profession," Patena said.

"The officer wants me to convey their sincere gratitude to the members of the public who rendered assistance straight away and to the officer's colleagues who arrived at the scene in a matter of minutes."

The alleged assault follows other reported attacks on parking officers in recent years.

Incidents included an Auckland parking officer being beaten and left with a fractured rib and a partially collapsed lung and another warden in Timaru being shot with a BB gun.

Bill Newson, national secretary of union E tu, said he was not aware of the details of the latest assault.

"But we are generally concerned as a union for the health and safety of people like parking wardens and security guards who are often working in the public domain and caught in stressful situations," he said.

"And our concern is that they are trained and supported adequately to be able to cope with that."