A disabled man who was punched in the face by a stranger at Shortland is now recovering at home after undergoing jaw surgery.
Jim Johnson, who has an acquired brain injury after he was hit by a car as a child, was attacked after leaving a bottle shop on August 27 by a man he had earlier stopped to ask for a lift and became involved in an argument with. Police have not found the man, who it's believed was working in the area.
The assault left Jim with two jaw fractures and resulted in him being in hospital for five days before Saturday's surgery. His sister Dharna said metal plates were fitted in his jaw and more surgery may be needed.
"Jim's face is numb still and there's potentially nerve damage," Dharna said. "His blood pressure dropped several times while he was under and we're apparently very lucky to have him."
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Dharna said the incident had left Jim shaken, and the family doesn't want him to go out alone.
"Yesterday they couldn't find the cat and Jim went out the front to look around for her," Dharna said. "When he reached the corner he saw some workmen and panicked and went home. He's really scared because he can't remember exactly what the man looked like so he feels he can't trust anyone."
Jim's teeth rotted after his childhood accident, and were subsequently removed in surgery on Saturday. A GoFundMe page Dharna set up to replace Jim's teeth has raised about $3000 so far. They're hoping to raise $10,000 with the bill expected to be up to $30,000.
