Victim says youths were more eager to injure than rob

The injured man

A badly injured West Auckland man believes two teens who attacked him with a rock and a knife were more interested in inflicting injuries than stealing his wallet.

"I was giving everything to them. Why did they beat me," said the man, who only wanted to be known as Mani for fear of being hunted down by his attackers.

"I was telling them 'whatever you want, you can take from me' but ... it was like they were having pleasure in beating me."

Mani was washing his truck at the Lincoln Rd Washworld at 6.30pm on Sunday when he noticed a young man hovering nearby.

"I was just washing the wheel of my truck and one guy came from my right side and started abusing me," the 34-year-old said yesterday.

Stunned by the teen's abuse, Mani did not notice a second young man approach from behind.

"The second guy came from my back and hit my face with a rock. Then he just kept hitting me."

"I was saying, 'What's happening, what's wrong?'. Then I started screaming for help but the guy with the knife said, 'If you scream I will put this knife in you'."

As one teen hit Mani about the head with the rock, the other searched his pockets.

After stealing Mani's dark brown wallet, watch, silver cellphone and coins the pair spoke in a foreign language before running across Lincoln Rd and down towards the Northwestern Motorway.

Mani staggered to another bay where other people were washing their cars. He was taken to hospital where he received stitches to his mouth and cheek, and treatment for a swollen eye and bleeding under his scalp. He is awaiting X-ray results to see how serious his head wounds are.

Henderson police were stunned by the brazen nature of the attack, which occurred in a well-lit area with other people around. They fear the teens will strike again if not captured.

Detective Sergeant Sean Hyland-Mills said one of the teens wore a bright yellow hoodie and dark Dickies style shorts. The other wore a blue T-shirt and shorts.

* Anyone with information, especially witnesses, is asked to contact Henderson CIB on 09 839-0600.