The son of a World War II veteran who was attacked outside an RSA club in South Auckland says his father will never be the same again.
Eric Brady, 85, suffered a broken jaw and serious bruising after being attacked in the carpark of Papatoetoe RSA on Wednesday night.
The police say a man violently dragged Mr Brady from his car, after he left the clubrooms about 8.30pm.
They say the man ran off after trying unsuccessfully to steal the car, which had an immobiliser.
Mr Brady crawled to the back door of the RSA where another elderly man found him.
His family on Friday appealed for the public's help in finding the attacker.
Mr Brady's son, Gary Brunton, says his father is doing well considering how severely he was beaten but will not recover as well as a young person would.
Mr Brunton says he was horrified by his father's facial injuries, but says the 85-year-old is improving.
Photo released
The police have released a closed circuit television photo of the offender, who is an athletically built Maori or Polynesian wearing a white cap with the number 13 on the back.
Mr Brady's step-son Gary Brunton and his sister Joanne O'Rourke are appealing for anyone who recognises the man to come forward.
They say elderly people do not recover well from this kind of trauma and their father will never be the same again.
He was operated on at Middlemore Hospital on Friday.
Vicious - Greypower
Greypower described the attack as vicious, and says it is no way to repay someone who risked their life for their country.
Auckland Greypower vice president Yens Meder says the offender should be ashamed of himself as he and the rest of the country owe the former soldier a debt of gratitude.
He says he is proud Mr Brady fought back and has labelled his attacker a "cancerous deviant".
The RSA's manager, Stephen Walker, says many vehicles have been broken into in the carpark over the years.
He says he has asked Manukau City Council, which owns the carpark, many times to consider employing a security guard to patrol the area but nothing has been done.
Mr Walker says the footage of the attack is disturbing.
