A shop manager in Lower Hutt says she lost consciousness during a violent assault by a group of teenage girls after asking them to leave her store.
The manager of Japan Mart Lower Hutt, who has asked to remain anonymous, told 1News staff first alerted her to the group “making a mess and being aggressive” at about 3.45pm on Saturday.
One of the girls made eye contact and called the manager a “f***ing b***h”, she said.
“I responded to the female, ‘You have to leave, you swore at me, you are banned’ or words to that effect.”
She then followed the group outside, where a nearby liquor store staff member told her the girls had been inside their premises prior to entering Japan Mart.
When the manager advised the girls they could not enter the liquor store due to being underage, the same girl who had sworn squirted flavoured water at the manager, wetting her clothing. Another girl filmed this on her phone.
She said: “I was feeling very intimidated and at this point, quite in danger, so I turned back towards the store and yelled ‘anyone called the police’?”
The girls then began walking away toward Margaret St. The manager decided she would follow them from a distance to assist police with identifying them.
Suddenly, the girl who had been filming on her phone turned back and allegedly grabbed the manager by her hair.
“It was extremely painful, and I screamed, so a lot of people were alerted to her.”
After she had been released, the manager continued to follow the group as they moved towards Queens Arcade. There, the group allegedly surrounded the manager and began kicking and punching her.
“Because I was wearing a large puffy jacket, they attacked my head,” she said.
“I lost consciousness for a bit,” she said.
Once she regained consciousness, the manager said she confronted a bystander who had not called police and continued tracking the group.
“When I reached Dudley St, the girls came out from behind cars where they had been hiding. A third girl asked me if I wanted more, the implication was more beating.”
Three teenage boys, who the manager believed were called by the group of girls, then arrived.
She “felt very threatened” and left the scene, later being picked up by her son, who had just arrived at the store and was unaware of the attack.
Police confirmed they were notified of an assault at around 4.30pm that day.
Hutt Valley Area Commander Inspector Wade Jennings said the incident was reported after it had occurred so the next available police unit was assigned to follow up with the victim.
“At around 7.20pm, police were advised by ambulance that the victim was being taken to hospital to be checked over,” Jennings said.
“A police unit was redirected to the hospital to speak to the victim.”
The manager’s husband told 1News police had been notified by a staff member at Japan Mart when the group were being kicked out, though police said they were not contacted until afterwards.
She sustained minor injuries and was later discharged. A formal statement was taken on September 1.
Police were continuing to investigate and asked anyone with information or CCTV footage from around Queens Arcade between 4pm and 4.30pm on Saturday to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105.
