Police were lucky not to be investigating a homicide after another serious assault in the city at the weekend, Acting Senior Sergeant Dave Scott said yesterday.
A 40-year-old man is in a serious but stable condition in Dunedin Hospital after being attacked by a group of six men in York Pl early on Sunday.
Witnesses told police they saw members of the group kicking the man numerous times as he lay on the ground, during the apparently unprovoked attack.
Officers have not yet been able to properly interview the man and the full extent of his injuries is still unknown.
Police are also investigating a second assault 20 minutes earlier, in which a male student and a female tourist from Germany, both aged 19, were allegedly assaulted by a group of six people in Princes St, near Rattray St.
The female was punched in the mouth and the man took a blow to the head, which knocked him unconscious for a short time.
Neither was seriously injured.
The weekend's attacks follow a warning from police to the Dunedin public three weeks ago to be wary on the city's streets, after father-of-two Cory Sutherland was punched, kicked in the head and had his jaw and nose broken when he was assaulted by four people in Moray Pl in the early hours.
Police inquiries into that assault continue.
Several witnesses described the alleged attackers on Sunday as a group of males in their late teens or early 20s.
One was wearing a dark top with white stripes or similar down the sleeve, and was described as having short curly hair.
The group ran off in the direction of George St after the attack.
Detective Sergeant Rob Hanna said police would like to speak to one of the group, who was overheard during the attack trying to tell one of the attackers to stop.
He said that might indicate not all members of the group were actively involved.
Police were also interested in speaking to someone called Jack, who witnessed the attack but had to leave the scene before he spoke to police, he said.
This was "yet another" serious assault involving a group of young males attacking a person for no apparent reason, Det Sgt Hanna said.
"These types of assaults are of real concern and unfortunately, if they continue, it will only be a matter of time before someone is more seriously injured."
Anyone who witnessed any of these attacks, or who has any information on the identity of these groups, should contact Dunedin police on 471-4800, or provide information anonymously the Crime Stoppers' line, 0800 555-111.
