Assault in Canterbury District

Some time between 2am and 2.45am this morning, a local 19 year old man was at the bus shelter in Opawa Road, near the intersection with Brabourne Street, when a car pulled up with five male occupants.
 
The car stopped across the road from the bus stop. One of the three occupants of the rear seat got out of the car, approached the 19 year old at the bus shelter and hit him on the head with a hammer. 

At this stage, the other four occupants had got out of the car and were moving towards the victim. 

The victim was knocked unconscious and received head injuries in the assault but from his injuries it appears he was also kicked or punched about the upper body. 

He was left lying in the bus shelter bleeding. A couple passing by found the boy, called an ambulance, and subsequently both Police and ambulance attended. 

The Police would like to speak to the five men in the car, which is described as a gun metal grey Nissan Skyline, which was stopped on the eastern side of Opawa Road by Ribbonwood Place, heading south towards Heathcote. 

The men are described as male Polynesian or Maori with red T-shirts and the person with the hammer is described as a large male, possibly Samoan, thought to have been wearing black pants and a red bandana over his face and a red T-shirt. 

Anybody who has any information about this group, would they please contact the Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae of the Hornby Police. 

The victim was treated in hospital and has been released this morning. His injuries were not as serious as first thought.