Man charged after ‘single punch’ leaves another critically injured in hospital

A man is in a critical condition in hospital after allegedly being punched in Christchurch.

A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with wounding reckless disregard following the incident in the city on Thursday, which police said was allegedly a “one-punch assault”.

Officers were called to an Ilam Rd premises about 11.45pm, and the victim was taken to hospital, where he remains critically injured.

The teenager is due to appear in Christchurch District Court on June 1.

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Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells said there had been a number of cases involving one-punch assaults in the city in the past year.

In April Mewa Singh died after allegedly being punched by a man near Linwood Park while he was visiting from India with his wife to visit their son and grandson. A 31-year-old man is accused of murder.

In October, Wynton King was left on life support in a coma and with a severe brain injury after being punched to the ground in an unprovoked assault outside the Rockpool bar in central Christchurch.

His attacker, Regan Robson-Khan, 18, was spared jail.

“It’s concerning to see this level of violence regularly, and this type of assault can have devastating consequences for victims – in some cases, it can result in a death,” said Wells.

“We need people to think hard about this type of offending – you can be charged and convicted for a serious offence, and that will be life-changing for you as well.

“We are committed to investigating these assaults and holding those who have committed this type of violence to account, and we urge people to think about what they are doing.”