Youth critical after pub bashing

A young man was last night fighting for his life after he was repeatedly punched and kicked outside a Mt Maunganui pub.

Daniel Williamson, 19, from Te Puke, was on life support in a critical condition in Tauranga Hospital.

He was beaten during a brawl outside the Flyover Tavern in Mt Maunganui early yesterday.

Mr Williamson was among 130 guests at an 18th birthday party at the tavern on Saturday night.

Pub owner Brian O'Malley last night told TV3 that Mr Williamson might have gone to protect a friend caught up in the fight.

"I saw seven or eight guys come in from his right-hand side and they punched and punched and punched, and he went down on the ground. They kicked ... and they just carried on.

"I saw a joker on his knees, kneeling down punching ... him and [Mr Williamson] was totally out to it."

Police were called to the pub earlier in the evening and the party was later shut down by the management, said Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner.

Police were called back at 1.40am because 30 to 40 youths were fighting in the carpark. They ran off when police arrived and Mr Williamson was found unconscious on the ground with head injuries, Mr Turner said.

"There are suggestions bottles were broken and used as weapons but not against this particular victim."

Mr Turner said police had a list of the party guests and would be interviewing them.

Some of the fight was filmed by a passing journalism student and the Tauranga CIB has the footage.

Mr Turner said the fight was typical of a standard Saturday night in Tauranga.