Youth admits vicious Hawke's Bay bashing

A 17-year-old youth has admitted the ferocious bashing of an off-duty police officer who was trying to help a young woman involved in a fight outside a party.

The attack ended with 51-year-old Napier Detective Sergeant Dan Foley, 51, lying in the gutter in a pool of blood, with a smashed eye socket, bleeding brain and severe cuts.

City Charles Timu, unemployed, appeared in Hastings District Court yesterday and admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Foley early on October 11.

Mr Foley had finished work and driven to Hastings to collect his daughter from a 16th birthday celebration at a Totara St house when he saw Timu and a young woman fighting on the road.

At one point Timu was on top of her as she lay on the ground.

As Mr Foley got out of his car to help the young woman, he used his cellphone to summon help from Hastings officers. He was still talking to them as he reached the woman and offered to help her.

Timu then walked over to Mr Foley, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and punched him in the head six or seven times so hard that Mr Foley fell to the ground, where Timu repeatedly kicked and stomped on his head.

The attack ended only when Timu's friends pulled him away. He fled, but was found and arrested the next day.

Mr Foley was in intensive care in Hawke's Bay Hospital for a week. He is still recovering at home and is expected to be off work for several more weeks.

Timu was remanded in custody yesterday for sentencing on December 15. He faces a maximum penalty of 14 years' jail.

His lawyer, Eric Forster, said Timu was sorry for what he had done.