A young man is in hospital with facial injuries after being beaten by a carjacker who claimed to be on the run from police.
The attack happened about 5.30am yesterday while the victim, who is believed to be about 29 years old, was sitting in a parked purple
Ford Falcon waiting for a friend in Beach Haven.
Detective Sergeant Scott Armstrong said a man approached the victim and said he was "attempting to flee the police".
Feeling threatened and intimidated, the victim gave the man a ride but went only a short distance before being made to stop. He was then beaten about the head and kicked out of the car, which the man took off in.
Mr Armstrong said police were at a nearby address dealing with a domestic violence incident. Officers found the victim, who had moderate facial injuries, on the side of the road and called for an ambulance.
He was taken to North Shore Hospital, where he remained yesterday, still too groggy to tell police much about what happened.
Mr Armstrong said there was a strong likelihood the carjacker was linked to the nearby home violence and police were following some good lines of inquiry.
They want anyone with information about the whereabouts of the car to call the North Shore policing centre, (09) 477-5000.
