Teen accused in Bottle-O attack and high-speed chase granted bail

A teen accused of assaulting a Bottle-O Lynmore worker and being involved in a high-speed police chase in Rotorua has been released on bail.

An 18-year-old man appeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday and did not enter pleas to six charges.

He was granted interim name suppression by Judge Joanne Wickliffe at the request of his lawyer, Alexandra Maino.

The teen is charged with a series of alleged offences in relation to incidents on Tuesday.

The charges include wounding the Lynmore Bottle-O worker with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; theft of spirits from the store; interfering with a motor vehicle; dangerous driving; failing to comply with a request to take a blood specimen; and failing to stop for police while speeding.

Judge Wickliffe granted the teen bail on a 24-hour curfew and instructed him to reappear in court on November 20.

A worker at the Bottle-O Lynmore vaulted the counter to intercept an alleged thief.

Security camera footage of the incident at the Bottle-O, in the Redwood Centre off Tarawera Rd, was supplied to the Rotorua Daily Post.

The video shows a shopkeeper dusting shelves of liquor when a man wearing black enters the store and picks up two bottles of alcohol.

The worker moves behind the counter.

The man grabs a third bottle and suddenly dashes towards the door.

The worker jumps over the counter to intercept him in the doorway. The video appears to show a bottle of alcohol being thrown towards the worker, injuring his head.

A worker at the Bottle-O Lynmore was injured when a bottle was allegedly thrown at him.

Police claimed the man then fled in a car, and was stopped on State Highway 33 near Mourea. Police alleged the driver ran away and tried to steal another car.

A St John Ambulance spokesperson said the liquor store worker was taken to Rotorua Hospital in a moderate condition.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 30 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.