‘WHERE’S MUMMY?’
New revelations about teen charged in shopping mall assault case Lucy Knight gives thumbs up from her hospital bed
The teenager accused of attacking hero mum-of-six Lucy Knight at an Auckland shopping centre was on bail at the time. The Herald on Sunday can reveal 17-year-old Hendrix Hauwai had an earlier assault charge at the time of the alleged bag snatch incident.
He appeared in the North Shore District Court on two charges of aggravated wounding and assault with intent to rob.
But the court also heard how the teen was facing an existing assault charge before the Manukau District Court, laid less than a week before the most recent charges.
Sensible Sentencing Trust spokeswoman Ruth Money said if the teen is guilty, the development pointed to another preventable tragedy. She said bail should be treated as a privilege and not a right, and the judiciary needed to stop “dishing it out like fresh water”.
There has been widespread controversy about offenders on bail facing further allegations of harming others, including the case of Akshay Chand, who murdered Auckland teen Christie Marceau in 2011.
The country has been moved by Knight’s plight since she was allegedly struck when she intervened in the apparent bag snatch on Tuesday.
She fell and suffered severe head injuries, requiring surgery to relieve a bleed on her brain.
Last night her husband, Peter Thomas, told the Herald on Sunday his wife of 22 years was showing small signs of recovery, but had no real understanding of what had happened.
“We keep telling her, ‘You got hurt helping someone’ and she says, ‘Oh, really?’”
What little conversation Knight has managed has been about her children.
Eldest daughter Laura, 21, had reassured her mother the youngest siblings were being well looked after.
“She was asking who was watching Phoebe and if Max missed her.”
Phoebe has had her seventh birthday party planned for today put on hold until her mother is well enough to join the celebration.
Said her dad: “It was going to be a special fairy-themed party but I’ve told Phoebe we are going to wait until Mummy can be there.”
He now believes Max, 2, and Bene, 4, may have seen more of the alleged attack than first thought.
“We thought they hadn’t seen anything but Max kept repeating, ‘Mummy fell down’ and apparently Bene ran off and someone had to chase him.
“They both really want their mum back. Max is asking, ‘Where’s Mummy?’ and Bene’s asking, ‘When can we visit Mummy’?”
Thomas said the walls of his wife’s high-dependency-unit room at Auckland City Hospital were decorated in family photos and countless bunches of flowers sent by wellwishers.
Yesterday the Givealittle fund to support the family had reached a record $248,000 — the most given to one cause since the website started. It was expected to pass $250,000 this morning.
Thomas was sure his wife would be amazed by the outpouring of kindness.
“I am absolutely astounded. It’s phenomenal. I’m so incredibly touched by the messages and support from family, friends and the wider community we have had.”
Oscar, 14, said he showed his mother a school award he had received this week and she was determined to read it.
“She was doing a lot of hand signals and gave the thumbs up for this,” he said, proudly displaying his gold certificate.
While wishing he could turn back the clock, Thomas said he was immensely proud of his wife and not surprised she intervened given her strong sense of justice.