A Hamilton dairy worker who was violently attacked in an early morning robbery yesterday has now had his severed thumb reattached.
Police have asked for witnesses to come forward as they continue to search for the offenders.
The dairy worker had two of his fingers cut off by a robber armed with a machete early on Saturday morning.
Owner Puneet Singh told 1News he and one of his employees had just opened the Irvine Street Dairy, in Frankton, when four men – one armed with the machete – entered the store around 7.20am.
The worker ran towards the back room after seeing the group but "the guy with the machete chased him and attacked him", he said.
The victim has now undergone surgery to reattach one of two severed fingers. (Source: 1News)
Puneet said the worker lost a thumb and index finger after raising his arm to defend himself.
"His finger was on the floor when I came here and then I saw him, he was totally fainted and passing out and not able to talk and walk."
A neighbour who ran over "straight away" to help after hearing the worker's screams was punched in the face by a member of the group, Puneet said.
Police arrived at the scene eight minutes after receiving the call, where they found the worker outside with serious injuries to his hand, Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke told reporters this afternoon.
She said first aid was administered before he was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
He has since undergone surgery to have one of the fingers reattached.
"We understand that this is a distressing incident that will cause a great deal of concern to the wider community," Clarke said.
She called yesterday's attack a "really, really disturbing" escalation in violence.
"It’s really taking this type of thing to another level – the gratuitous violence that was involved is distressing, obviously, to the victim and to the victim’s family and to the wider community, and to the police officers that are dealing with [the incident]."
Clarke said the victim "offered no resistance whatsoever to the offenders that came in to the dairy, he did everything he could to get out of their way and he was actually hiding in a back storeroom when he was attacked".
While the investigation is still at a "relatively early stage", she said police are "working really hard on this and we are determined – absolutely determined – that these people will be held to account for this horrific offending".
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or the events afterwards, or has CCTV footage in the surrounding area, has been advised to contact police on 105, referencing file number 221217/6333, or anonymously on Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
SHARE ME