Paul Whatuira in mental health unit after 'unprovoked' street attacks: Latest

Oct 15 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Paul Whatuira

HUDDERSFIELD Giants' Paul Whatuira is in a secure mental unit after a bizarre sequence of events left two men hurt.

Whatuira was arrested after two men were allegedly attacked on St Thomas’ Road near Folly Hall.

One was left badly hurt with severe facial injuries.

It is understood the 28-year-old New Zealand international was arrested nearby after a violent struggle with police at 6am on Tuesday.

He was restrained and taken to Huddersfield police station, but later taken to a secure unit at Bradford for an assessment on his mental health.

Whatuira – nicknamed Fatz the Black Cat by his teammates because he is quiet and wily – has a fiancee who is pregnant.

It is understood that Whatuira was a patient at St Luke’s Hospital in Crosland Moor when he left the hospital early on Tuesday morning. It is not known at this stage why he was there.

At 6am a man walking from a car park on St Thomas’ Road to engineering firm TWL was attacked on the road.

A spokesman for the company said: “It was an unprovoked attack.

“Our member of staff has a broken nose, missing front teeth and other severe dental problems. He was also left badly traumatised.”

The man was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and was detained overnight before being allowed home yesterday.

“The man had just left his vehicle in our car park and was walking across the road to start his shift when he was set upon,’’ the spokesman added.

Another man was also attacked on the same road but was not believed to be badly hurt.