Offer to help drunk man results in bloody nose

A GOOD Samaritan received a bloody nose for his trouble after trying to help an intoxicated man who was earlier ejected from two liquor stores in South Dunedin.

Nick MacLean (72) said he pulled into the Super Liquor Anderson’s Bay Rd car park to buy some beers about 3.45pm.

A man, who appeared to be intoxicated, fell down and Mr MacLean asked if he would like a hand to get up.

‘‘He took a poke at me and it escalated from there . . . unfortunately he gave me a shove and I fell over.’’

The man also had a go at a young woman during the fracas, Mr MacLean said.

The incident happened only four weeks after he got out of hospital, where he had been treated for a broken neck.

‘‘It’s the last thing I need,’’ Mr MacLean said.

While Mr MacLean received abrasions to his face and hands, he felt ‘‘good as gold’’ afterwards, as he was pretty robust.

‘‘I’ve had a lot worse.’’

The incident was the last thing he had expected on his voyage for some cold ones.

Super Liquor Anderson’s Bay Rd duty manager Chad Goodman said the man threatened him when he was asked to leave.

The man left and the melee unfolded after he returned.

‘‘We don’t really want people like that on the streets, putting other people at risk,’’ Mr Goodman said.

Liquor Land Anderson’s Bay Rd manager Josh Taylor said his store also received a visit from the intoxicated man, who staff saw stumble across the road towards the business.

Staff had been tipped off by Super Liquor about the man’s behaviour and it took the man about two minutes to cross Liquor Land’s car park.

When Mr Taylor told the man he could not come on the premises, the man threatened him too.

Mr Taylor escorted the man off the premises and rang Big Barrel to warn it too.

When the man came back, Mr Taylor rang police as he felt the man was being a hazard. His staff had watched him try to get into a parked bus at the intersection.

The store had about one or two disruptive customers each month, but the cooperation between the different liquor stores was just another day.

‘‘Although we’re separate banners we tend to work together to make sure the community stays relatively safe,’’ Mr Taylor said.

A police spokeswoman said investigations were ongoing.