KEY POINTS:
Police are still searching for two men who broke into a Motueka dwelling in a home invasion last night, confronting a couple in their late 40s.
Motueka police Sergeant Rob Crawford house said the pair, one a tall Maori, possibly armed with a knife, and a much shorter slim European youth, burst into the house about 9.30pm demanding "property".
They did not get what they were looking for, and ran off to a waiting car when the man-of-the house fought back.
During the struggle, the dwelling occupant suffered a neck injury requiring stitches to staunch the flow of blood.
Mr Crawford said the couple in the Central Road house, who were co-operating with police, did not know the balaclava and hoodie-clad intruders.
Police said they found a small air pistol, apparently left behind by the attackers, but it was not fired.
- NZPA