Chaos on Crate Day

A 23-year-old man was airlifted to hospital in serious condition after he was assaulted at a Crate Day gathering in South Taranaki.

The assault was the worst incident police attended in Ha¯ wera, during a day in which parties were shut down, fights split up and arrests made across the district.

National Crate Day involves drinking beer from a ‘swappa crate’ on the first Saturday of summer and has been linked to violence and binge drinking across the country since its inception in 2010.

In previous years Ha¯ wera and surrounding towns have seen serious violence including attacks on police and riots.

And it was no different this year, with Ha¯wera senior sergeant Kyle Davie saying Saturday had been busy for everyone, even with the extra staff called in to work.

The man who was airlifted to Taranaki Base Hospital in a serious condition was assaulted by two Ha¯ wera men in the early hours of Sunday morning, Davie said.

Officers had been called to South Rd, Ha¯ wera, about 1am on Sunday after a ‘‘small altercation’’ between three men.

Davie said the South Rd property was hosting a gathering for Crate Day and alcohol was being consumed.

The assault happened after the man was asked to leave and made some ‘‘derogatory comments’’, Davie said.

Despite the urgency at the time, a Taranaki District Health Board spokesperson said the 23-year-old had since been discharged.

‘‘It wasn’t that serious at the end of the day,’’ Davie said.

The two alleged offenders, a 30-year-old male and a 21-year-old male, will be appearing in Ha¯ wera District Court today.

The men have been charged with assault with intent to injure.

Davie said three people had been arrested so far in Crate Dayrelated events.

‘‘We were called to a number of different things,’’ he said. ‘‘A few fights, parties shut down – it was a very busy night for staff.’’

Crate Day has historically been linked with violence in South Taranaki, despite last year being ‘‘manageable’’, Davie said.