A 49-year-old Dunedin man is in hospital with severe injuries after being attacked by a group of "thugs".
The man had left the Clarendon tavern in Maclaggan St at 12.30am yesterday, and as he walked 50m to his car, two men asked him for a cigarette.
Sitting inside his car with the door still open, the man was then given a "severe beating" after turning down their request, Detective Sergeant Chris Henderson said.
The man was then dragged out of his car, and the men continued their attack before stealing his wallet and leaving him lying in the middle of the road.
"This man did nothing wrong and was subjected to an attack from a group of thugs."
The man was in Dunedin Hospital with severe but not life-threatening injuries, Det Sgt Henderson said.
Two males, aged 17 and 18, were arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the assault and will appear in the Dunedin District Court today charged with aggravated robbery.
Police were still looking for two other men, believed to be Maori or Polynesian and aged in their late teens or early 20s.
The men were seen leaving in a dark-coloured four-door car, possibly a Honda Accord, he saidPolice were also investigating another assault, which may have been related to the Maclaggan St incident, he said.
Che Brown (29), bar manager of the Ra Bar, was walking though the Octagon at 12.40am yesterday when he was asked for money by a Maori man, believed to be in his late teens or early 20s.
When Mr Brown declined to give the man money, "I was punched right in the face".
The man then got into a maroon-coloured sedan, which also carried several other "young punks", he said.
After 13 years' living in Auckland, Mr Brown returned to Dunedin three weeks ago and said he had heard the "Octagon had a bad reputation at night".
Mr Brown, who was in the emergency department of Dunedin Hospital when he heard about the other assault, said he was lucky to escape with just a fat lip.
"I also find it sad that, in my experience, Auckland is safer in the CBD at night than Dunedin."
Mr Brown said CCTV cameras should be a priority for the council, and anyone objecting to their presence "should try getting punched in the face and see how they like it".
