Police were called to an altercation outside a kids' playground in the Auckland suburb of Browns Bay last month after a woman claimed they were threatened with a knuckle duster.
The mother, who had booked a room at the Magic Loft Playground Cafe for her son's first birthday on July 20, claims another woman made her feel uncomfortable by monitoring the party to ensure they left on time for her booking.
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After one of the mother's guests made a flippant remark at the woman's behaviour, a man believed to be the woman's husband confronted the party group outside the venue. The mother claims the man exhibited threatening behaviour and was carrying a weapon that resembled a knuckle duster.
Police were called to the scene and confiscated the weapon. The man wasn't charged or arrested.
On Sunday, the mother wrote a lengthy Facebook post detailing the altercation. The post, which has been shared almost 100 times in less than a day, has subsequently gained traction on social media.
In the post, the mother claims her guest said, "would you jump in my grave this quick?" to the woman pacing outside the party.
"A very aggressive Chinese man was in our faces saying repeatedly, 'What did you say to my wife'... we were all very scared for our safety... he did not back down until the police arrived," she wrote.
"The offender has gotten away with a slap on the wrist thanks to police, and the Magic Loft are taking no responsibility for what happened on their premises.
"I've turned to social media for help. Someone could have been seriously injured with that weapon. I feel North Shore police have let me down. What was the point in even calling them to get no reply, help or justice?"
Police say there was some difficulty at the scene as the man had limited English.
"We followed up with him and used a Mandarin-speaking officer to get his version of events, which were very different from what police were told at the scene," Inspector Kevin McNaughton told Newshub.
"He alleges his wife was verbally abused by the party members and after an altercation took place in the carpark, he was assaulted."
The man told police the suspected knuckle duster was a keyring. The mother, who has given no details of an assault on the man, says she has photo evidence of him holding the weapon in one hand and his keys in the other.
The man says the keyring was ripped from his keys during the alleged assault.
One Facebook user suggested the man's wife may have misinterpreted the flippant "grave" remark as a death threat due to the language barrier.
The mother says the Magic Loft promised to refund the cost of her son's "ruined" party and would trespass the other couple.
"I have been told they lost the video footage, so they can't send it to the police and I won't be refunded as it's not their fault," she wrote.
Police say they are in the process of collecting CCTV footage and will follow up on any offences identified in the video.
The mother claims police did not take statements from any of the staff, guests or multiple witnesses.
Newshub.
