Bar staff punched man's head 20 times: police

A man was punched close to 20 times in the head by a Queenstown bar's staff during a "prolonged assault", police say.

The bar manager has been charged with assault with intent to injure.

The assault happened at 2.30am on October 17, police said.

Sergeant Blair Duffy said police were alerted to CCTV footage of the attack by a staff member at a nearby business after the incident.

Police as of last night still did not know the identity of the victim, which is why the 32-year-old manager was not arrested until yesterday.

Sgt Duffy said the bar manager "removed" the victim from the bar in Cow Lane.

The man was then assaulted by the manager and another member of staff, he said.

The other staff member was yesterday arrested on an assault charge.

"The man was dragged from the bar, then gets off the ground and cops a punch to the head," Sgt Duffy said.

"Then it escalates to the male being pushed on to the ground, then slapped and punched," he said.

The victim was "dragged further down Cow Lane where he ... received further punches to the head".

Sgt Duffy said police had been told by the bar manager's employer that the man charged had since resigned.

"It was quite a prolonged assault. The guy cops close to 20 punches and strikes to the head."

The bar manager had so far refused to reveal the motive for the assault and would appear, with the other man, in the Queenstown District Court on November 5, Sgt Duffy said.