Warkworth assault victim’s wife has sympathy for 21-year-old alleged attacker

The wife of a man left in a critical condition after a confrontation with a group of street racers in Warkworth has expressed sympathy for the 21-year-old arrested over the assault - saying the incident has ruined both their lives.

Dereda Lipsey-Maclean said it was amazing to hear that police had made an arrest just days after her husband Mark MacLean was allegedly attacked on their driveway.

Police revealed last night that they had arrested and charged a 21-year-old man. He appeared in the North Shore District Court on Tuesday, on charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and injuring with intent to injure.

Dereda said she felt sorry for the young man.

Mark was allegedly attacked on his driveway on the corner of Falls Rd and Hudson Rd in Warkworth, north Auckland about 11.30pm on Friday.

He is now in hospital in an induced coma and in a critical but stable condition.

Dereda told the Herald yesterday that doctors were planning to ease sedation, and more on the extent of Mark’s condition would be known within 48 hours.

However, since then Mark’s brain has continued to swell and doctors have gone back on the plan to ease sedation, said Dereda.

“He’s alive, I’m sure he’ll be okay but right now he’s not waking up so it’s hard to tell what is going to happen,” she said.

Mark Maclean and his wife Dereda Lispey-Maclean.

Following an earlier Herald report about the incident and Mark’s condition, Dereda said she has been overwhelmed with support.

“The community has been amazing, I even had this random man turn up and mow my lawns.”

She said she has also been receiving messages from Kiwis all over the country.

“It’s blown me away, the love and support we have, it’s amazing. I just hope that young man [the arrested 21-year-old] gets the same.”

On Friday night, Dereda said Mark had got into a verbal and physical fight after confronting street racers who were doing burnouts outside their home. Once all the cars in the area left she told Mark to go for a walk to cool off after the dispute.

The next thing Dereda heard was one of her children screaming that there had been another fight.

“I went out there to find my teenage boy holding Mark’s head in his arms,” she said.

While Dereda did not see the attack, she said she was told the person Mark fought earlier had returned and brought two more people and weapons to the scene.

“He could walk afterwards but he couldn’t talk, he was just moaning and holding his head and side,” she said.

“I honestly feel like I am in a nightmare that I just can’t wake up out of.”

Mark MacLean and Dereda Lipsey-MacLean with their children Tyrin, 17, Javiah, 16, Sequoia, 10, and Kordei, 6.

Dereda said she believed Mark was injured in his shoulder and cheek. He also had injuries to his head and eye.

“Because it was the left-hand side that they attacked it [could] affect his speech, his memory, possibly [his] personality and the right-hand side of his body movement. He also has a fractured jaw that needs to be fixed and his eye socket was damaged but his eye hasn’t been affected,” Dereda said.

Dereda said she wants answers about why they attacked him.

“Why? Just why would you do this to someone? He would take his shirt off his back for anybody, he doesn’t even harm a bloody flea. Why would you do this? You’ve just destroyed a family’s Christmas,” she said.

“He’s not going to be out before Christmas. We’ve got four children, our youngest is six, and they may not get their father back that they knew before.”

She said Mark is an amazing husband and father who was a keen surfer, DJ and roofer. He comes from a large family and is one of seven children.