Violent end to holiday for Taupo family
‘‘There was a point when I thought he might never get back up’’ Tegan Coppin
A family vacation came to a violent end as Tegan Coppin watched her husband punched and kicked by a drunken group at a Taupo caravan park.
Tegan Coppin was spending quality time with her husband Aaron, and seven-month-old son, at Motutere Bay Holiday Park on January 6.
It was the first time the young Taupo couple had had a family holiday since their son was born.
Everything was going well until a noisy group of campers refused to keep quiet at 1.15am on Saturday..
The couple had made numerous complaints to the park manager, but the noise continued.
So when the revellers woke up the couple’s son by banging on their caravan and urinating on their draw bar Aaron stepped outside to confront the men.
‘‘There were four guys and they were making a point of making noise after we complained about them,’’ he said.
‘‘One of them smacked me in the head. I tried to get help after the first guy hit me but there was nothing I could do. They were everywhere.’’
Tegan could only watch as Aaron fell the ground and rolled into a ball as the group continued to attack him.
‘‘There was a point when I thought he might never get back up,’’ she said.
Aaron was left with a bloody eye, head injuries and suspected broken ribs.
Tegan said it was ridiculous that the problem was allowed to escalate as far as it did and she wanted to see better management of the camp ground.
Motutere Bay Holiday Park owner John Tilten said the incident was shocking but it was the first he had heard of at the camp.
Tilten said the manager gave the revellers two stern warnings before the fight started.
‘‘In hindsight we should have called the police on the second incident,’’ he said.
‘‘We try to be lenient as people are on their holidays and usually that works as someone responsible in the group will sort the others out.’’
Turangi police sergeant Tere Morunga said no arrests had been made in connection to the case but police had identified the men involved.
‘‘They fled the scene before police could arrive but are investigating,’’ he said.