[mincbiori]

Mum attacked twice while kids sleep

4:00 AM Tuesday Dec 29, 2009

A woman is recovering after an intruder twice assaulted her in her home while her young children slept nearby.

The attack on the 31-year-old occurred about 11pm on Sunday, after she had earlier become involved in an altercation with two men outside her house in the Dunedin suburb of Mornington, Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis said.

The woman was outside about 10.40pm when the row with the pair developed and she was assaulted, suffering facial injuries.

She went back inside but 15 minutes later, thinking her boyfriend was arriving home, she opened the front door to discover it was one of the two men from the altercation.

He pushed the door wide open and attacked her, Mr Croudis said.

The victim called the police about 12.40am yesterday and was taken to Dunedin Hospital.

She has since been discharged and has told police she did not know either of the men.

The woman's two boys, aged 4 and 6, slept through the attacks and were not harmed.

Mr Croudis said it appeared nothing had been taken from the home.

Police called in extra CIB staff yesterday to help with the investigation, and staff of the Institute of Environmental Science and Research assisted with a scene examination.

The man believed to be responsible for the attacks was described as a Maori of stocky build and 1.7m tall, about 28 years old with short curly black hair and wearing blue jeans and a hoodie.

The other man was described as a Caucasian with shaggy blond hair, of a similar age and slightly taller than his companion.

A police cordon and guard were in place yesterday.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES, NZPA