Romanian man dies after Mangere beating

A Romanian man bashed in an apparently unprovoked attack in a south Auckland shopping centre died from his injuries this morning.

Gheorghe Simion, 36, a New Zealand resident living in Mangere was bashed by two people in their late teens or early 20s at 6.45am yesterday.

Detective Sergeant Chris de Wattignar of Mangere police said Mr Simion was standing outside the Foodtown supermarket, possibly waiting for it to open, when a dark-coloured four-door saloon pulled up alongside him.

Two Polynesians got out and beat him extensively before leaving the scene.

"This attack appears to be completely unprovoked on a 36-year-old man (who was) by himself," Mr de Wattignar said.

"They've beaten him to such an extent that he's just fallen straight back on to the ground, where he hasn't got up."

Mr de Wattignar said police wanted to talk to all occupants of the car, which included a third person, and occupants of another car seen in the area, a dark-coloured stationwagon.

"We're asking anybody to come forward who can help us out that was there at the time."

Anyone with information is asked to ring police on 027 497 4912.

Mr Simion's brings the number of homicides in south Auckland to seven within three months, but Mr de Wattignar did not think Mangere was a dangerous place.

"People go about their business at all hours of the day and night at Mangere on a regular basis and have been doing so for years. It's just another unfortunate, horrific and unprovoked attack."

- NZPA